FICTION

The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness

Lake Union: Amazon. Oct. 2016. 411p. ISBN 9781503939103. pap. $14.95. F
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What happens when a 35-year-old woman's dying mother leaves her daughter a clue about her birth origins? Nina Popkin always knew she was adopted. As she grew up, she searched for her biological mother, making up stories about the other adoptees in her school. Now, she learns she has a younger sister. Impulsive as always, Nina tracks her sibling down. Although Lindy McIntyre doesn't want another sister, Nina is cheerful and insistent. She finds ways to insert herself into others' lives—her sister's and also that of a newly separated man and his family. Nina wants a family, and if she has to put one together in bits and pieces, she will. Things would be even better if she could find the woman who as a teenager gave up two little girls. In Nina, Dawson (The Opposite of Maybe) introduces a lovable, flawed character challenged by day-to-day life and searching for love and a feeling of belonging.
VERDICT Recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven books dealing with everyday struggles. Nina is delightful and spirited, and her engaging, charming story illustrates the humor and quirkiness of life.
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