Million Reasons Why
A book club must-read. Mine just covered it last week - so many things to discuss! First and foremost is DNA testing. When Caroline’s husband Walt gives all the adults a testing certificate for Christmas, she is relieved to have the shopping done. When she receives a ‘match’ email from an unknown half-sister, Sela, in another state, she is flabbergasted, and her world is turned upside down. Meanwhile, Sela’s outreach also has an ulterior motive - she needs a kidney. Sela and Caroline alternate chapters telling the story - both are sympathetic characters and the ripple effect of this single situation washes over Caroline’s relationship with her parents, as well as her own marriage and family. Jodi Picoult-worthy stuff. The author doesn’t let you rest for a second - just when you think there’s a resolution, another facet of the story is revealed. - Carrie
Heartbreaking yet hopeful, this astute exploration of the bonds and limitations of family is a perfect book club pick." - New York Times bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson
A Most Anticipated by Goodreads * SheReads * E! News * FrolicJessica Strawser's A Million Reasons Why is a fascinating foray into the questions we are most afraid to ask (Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author)--the story of two women who discover a bond between them that will change both their lives forever.
When two strangers are linked by a mail-in DNA test, it's an answered prayer--that is, for one half sister. For the other, it will dismantle everything she knows to be true. But as they step into the unfamiliar realm of sisterhood, the roles will reverse in ways no one could have foreseen. Caroline lives a full, happy life--thriving career, three feisty children, enviable marriage, and a close-knit extended family. She couldn't have scripted it better. Except for one thing: She's about to discover her fundamental beliefs about them all are wrong. Sela lives a life in shades of gray, suffering from irreversible kidney failure. Her marriage crumbled in the wake of her illness. Her beloved mother, always her closest friend, unexpectedly passed away. She refuses to be defined by her grief, but still, she worries what will happen to her two-year-old son if she doesn't find a donor match in time. She's the only one who knows Caroline is her half sister and may also be her best hope for a future. But Sela's world isn't as clear-cut as it appears--and one misstep could destroy it all. A thrilling story of what happens when a long-held family secret comes to light...[Strawser] shows that no one is ever truly a villain or a hero, but instead, we are all a beautiful and messy mix of both. - Associated Press review