The Family

The Family is the story of two girls who became best friends. This seemed inevitable as their fathers were best friends and inevitably, so were their mothers. They were family, but in more ways than one. Their fathers were also part of “The Family” in the organized crime sense of the word. When Antonia’s father wanted out of the family, Sofia’s father chose loyalty to “The Family” over loyalty to his best friend. Antonia’s mother sunk deep into grief leaving Antonia even more dependent on Sofia and her family.

The character of their friendship evolves over time as their very different personalities lead them in diverging directions in high school, but adulthood and marriage bring them back together each of them helping each show more other in sometimes harrowing circumstances.

I loved The Family for many reasons. The characters were complex and intriguing. Sofia and Antonia were so different and it could have been so easily about the dominant, vibrant Sofia and the passive, subdue Antonia, but Naomi Krupitsky did not fall into that trap, allowing Antonia to have a different kind of strength. It was interesting to see the machinations of organized crime during the Depression and World War II, adapting their business model to changing circumstances.

Most of all, the language of The Family is entrancing. Krupitsky writes with an elegant formality that makes reading her book like seeing language a new way. There is such a deep understanding of humanity coupled with a fresh way of writing that every page was a joy for anyone who loves the supple and subtle English language.

The Family will be released on November 2nd. I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Family at Penguin Random House
Naomi Krupitsky author site
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2021/10/19/the-family-by-naomi-kropi... show less

This book seemed to take it's jolly old time to get anywhere, and I almost put it down a number of times. I didn't like the characters much either. Sofia, in particular, grated on my nerves. But I persevered and about 2/3 of the way through the book started to get interesting and held my attention. That is what brings it up from 2 stars to 3 stars in this review. There is an underlying tone of menace running throughout the entire book. And, taking the subject matter into account, it makes the book even more chilling. It certainly gives an insider look at the machinations of a mob Family, which is inextricably tied to the families of each individual affiliated with The Family. It is also a good portrayal of what life was like on the show more insalubrious side of Brooklyn during the time of the Second World War and just after the war has ended. There is a lot of insight into motherhood and friendship as well in the book. It made me uneasy, and perhaps that was why it was so difficult to maintain a steady pace reading it. There is no overt violence anywhere in the book, but it is inferred throughout-- so much so that it almost becomes a character in the story. Krupitsky does a good job of showing the strength and resilience of women, especially those who live under the strict rules and morals of The Family. This is not an easy read. It's very unsettling, and nerve-wracking,-just like the families within The Family and how these families lived, loved, and survived (or did not survive).depending on the situation. No one is safe, and no one rests easy in the world of mobs, gangs, contract killings and crime. show less

Two young Italian American girls, Sofia and Antonia, are best friends. Their fathers are both part of The Family, or the mob. This novel follows them from their early years until their mid to late 20s, over a span of 20 years as they marry men in The Family, and have children.
This novel covers tragedy, depression, unfulfilled dreams, and deep friendship.
I liked it, but I felt it was lacking something. I wanted to know more about the women, but I felt the book barely scratched the surface of their lives.

Interesting story about 2 girls growing up in a family and The Family.

Sofia is a sweet but fiery girl. She won't be told what to do and won't accept what is expected of her. She wants to make her own way in the world. Antonia is more quiet and watchful. She is ready to settle down and have kids and make a family.

Through the story, it starts as the two are kids and you learn of their mothers, fathers and The Family they have fallen in to in order to survive the ups and downs of living in New York in the 1940's. But very quickly, there is a tragedy and the families must decide how to carry on. The Family has certain requirements and protections, you can't cause a scene becase you don't like how something turned out. The book takes you show more through both the girl's lives as they learn to live with the tragedy. They find their own way and make decisions they may not have but for this one thing that shapes them.

While I liked the book, I was really pulled to know each girl and how it all worked out, I was ultimately let down with the abrupt conclusion. I wish there had but just a bit more at the end. show less

This is a hard one for me to rate. I'm still deciding how I feel about it.
The story was interesting, but very slow. This last chapter was pretty intense, but until that point, I felt like I was reading because I knew SOMETHING was going to happen, but I didn't know what. I didn't particularly like the writing style, but I can't put my finger on anything specific about it that I didn't like. It just wasn't holding my interest well.

I did bond with characters, and cared what happened to them. I just wish it would have happened a little soon. The final chapters had me on edge, but the ending was a little lacking. I was happy with what happened, but it felt incomplete. I don't want to give spoilers, so I can only ask; what happens next? show more

This wasn't a page turner, but it was a pretty good story—especially for those who enjoyed The Godfather and The Sopranos. show less

The title of this book can be interpreted two ways. "Family" as in the usual way or "family" (as in crime families). Sofia, her parents, Rosa and Joey and Antonia, her parents, Lina and Carlo, live next door to each other in Brooklyn. Their fathers work for the same man, Tommy Fianzo (a crime boss). The girls are very close and do everything together and are in the same class at school of course. Then life changes for Lina and especially Lina. Lina is truly heart broken and blames Joey for her husband's demise and she is never the same again.

Then it's the 1940s when Sofia and Antonia are in high school and their friendship starts to drift apart (sort of). They start meeting boys and then in their last year of high school, Antonia meets show more a boy who works for Joey (not a good thing of course) and he wants to marry her but her mother nor Sofia know).

A lot going on in this book with all the characters and the "Family" and the family.

Another ending I really disliked because there was no closure. show less

I enjoyed this book and loved the storyline. The author's writing style was very easy to follow, and I stayed engaged throughout the book. I would definitely read another book by this author.