[Published in SCAD District]

https://scaddistrict.com/im-booked-immediate-family/

Hello again, and welcome to another book review! If you read my last review and refused to read “Two Nights in Lisbon” because you’re far too busy for a 448-page mystery novel, this one might be for you. “Immediate Family” by Ashley Nelson Levey is a mere 192 pages in comparison. Let’s talk about it!

I found “Immediate Family” to be a beautiful and emotional letter to a sibling. What it may lack in pages makes up for in emotional depth and intimate storytelling. Levy switches from discussing the day of her brother’s wedding to their childhood together, and as she prepares to give a toast, she struggles to say their relationship is complicated. Through flashbacks, we learn that Levy’s younger brother, Danny, was adopted from Thailand a few years after she was born. She goes into her family’s struggles with adoption and their eager anticipation for their second child, and of course, things are complicated as Danny grows up in an unfamiliar household.

The way Levy describes her relationship with her brother and her feelings about his childhood is highly personal and thought-provoking. This book honestly made me think about the pros and cons of adoption and how it impacts a child, family and community.

To give you a quick taste of the story and Levy’s fantastic writing, here’s a quote I enjoyed: “I don’t need to explain to you how deeply the first few years of our life affect the outcome, tracing the ghostly shape of who we’re destined to be or who we’ll hardly escape.”

I’ll be back soon with another review, but until then, I’m Booked.

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I’m Booked: “Immediate Family”