Family Tree, Barbara Delinsky
Family Tree, Barbara Delinsky
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Family Tree

Author: Barbara Delinsky

Narrator: Becket Royce

Abridged: 6 hr 5 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/06/2007


Synopsis

Dana Clarke has always longed for the stability of home and family–her own childhood was not an easy one. Now she has married a man she adores and is about to give birth to their first child. But though her daughter is born beautiful and healthy, no one can help noticing the African American traits in her appearance. Dana’s husband, to her great shock and dismay, begins to worry that people will think Dana has had an affair.
The only way to repair the damage done is for Dana to track down the father she never knew. Dana’s determination to discover the truth becomes a poignant journey back through her past that unearths secrets rooted in prejudice and fear.
Barbara Delinsky’s Family Tree is an utterly unforgettable audio that asks penetrating questions about race, family, and the choices people make in times of crisis–choices having profound consequences that can last for generations.

“Family Tree is warm, rich, textured, and impossible to put down.”
–Nora Roberts

About The Author

Barbara Delinsky is the author of more than seventeen bestselling novels with over twenty million copies in print. She has been published in twenty-five languages worldwide. Barbara lives with her family in New England.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nan on October 22, 2010

As I look over the reviews for this novel at Goodreads, I'm shocked by just how negative so many of them are. But, as I looked over the "rating details," a small fact became clear to me. This book is "front-loaded" with negative reviews because so many people have liked those reviews. In all, only 3......more

Goodreads review by Yvette on October 04, 2007

Okay, I am torn about what I want to write about this book. First off, I did enjoy it. It was an easy read and entertaining. Did I love it, no. Why? Although the story was good, the characters were lacking depth. They were shallow. I couldn’t connect with them. The author introduced them but left us......more

Goodreads review by Maudeen on June 23, 2007

Brief Synopsis: Happily married Caucasian couple has baby with disctinctly African-American features. Husband knows his family lineage (he is a Mayflower descendant); the wife knows nothing about her father other than his name. Like the movie "Crash" this makes you wonder about your feelings and bri......more

Goodreads review by Darla on July 14, 2016

I overall enjoyed this book and how it touched on a subject that many people think about but sometimes don't want to admit; race. In light of all that's going on in the world today right now today, the book brought some good points to the forefront on how people view others who look different than t......more

Goodreads review by Jo on November 02, 2007

I have read many of Ms Delinshy's books and this one was especially good. All of us carry around a history inside of us, our nationality is just one of the things that we can pass onto our children. We have the baggage of our health and the baggage of our mental health brought about by our parenting......more


Quotes

“The old and illustrious New England Clarke family has a new member and she is not what the family envisioned. Elizabeth Clarke, a beautiful daughter born to Hugh and Dana, possesses definite African-American traits, leaving the parents puzzled and the extended Clarke family scandalized. Now, on what should be a joyous occasion, the birth of their first child, Hugh and Dana are struggling with issues of race, family, and trust. Delinsky often writes with insight about complex family matters, and here adds thought-provoking concerns about race in America to the mix in a novel that will stir debate and inspire self-examination.”—Booklist “Delinsky’s family saga explores how a white, upper-middle-class New England couple would react if the wife gave birth to an African-American baby. Delinsky vigorously takes on thorny racial assumptions and admirably allows her characters to acknowledge and correct their biases. Fail-safe delivery of an issues-packed story perfect for reading groups.”—Kirkus Reviews“When Dana and Hugh Clarke’s baby is born into their wealthy, white New England community, the baby’s unmistakably African-American features puzzle her thoroughly Anglo-looking parents. By the time the Clarkes have uncovered the tangled roots of their family trees, more than one skeleton has been unearthed, and the couple’s relationship – not to mention their family loyalty – has been severely tested. Delinsky smoothly challenges characters and readers alike to confront their hidden hypocrisies [while getting] the political and personal dynamics just right.”—Publishers Weekly“Loyal readers who have followed Barbara Delinsky’s writing for many years will not be surprised at the depth of characterization in FAMILY TREE. Delinsky’s latest is well suited for fans of the serious themed books of Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve, and Jacquelyn Mitchard. Full of complex and fascinating family dynamics as its characters are forced to come to terms with issues such as faith, race and loyalty, FAMILY TREE is thought-provoking and memorable. After 26 years of publishing and 19 New York Times bestsellers, Delinsky will be ‘discovered’ by a new generation of readers.”BookPageFamily Tree is warm, rich, textured, and impossible to put down.”—Nora Roberts“Delinsky delves deeper into the human heart and spirit with each new novel.”Cincinnati Enquirer