The Family Tree (Paperback)

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• This item: The Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky

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The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky 3.8 out of 5 stars (4)  £5.49

More Than Friends by Barbara Delinsky 4.7 out of 5 stars (6)  £5.49

Trust by Barbara Delinsky £4.88

Within Reach by Barbara Delinsky 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £4.88

Finger Prints by Barbara Delinsky £4.87

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Review
Praise for 'The Family Tree': 'Delinsky writes with insight about complex family matters, and here adds thought-provoking concerns about race in America in a novel that will stir debate and inspire self-examination.' Booklist 'Delinsky smoothly challenges characters and readers alike to confront their hidden hypocrises (while getting) the political and personal dynamics just right.' Publishers Weekly 'Delinsky admirably allows her characters to acknowledge and correct their biases. Fail-safe delivery of an issues-packed story.' Kirkus Reviews '"The Family Tree" is warm, rich, textured, and impossible to put down.' Nora Roberts, author of 'Valley of Silence Praise for Barbara Delinsky: 'Delinsky delves deeper into the human heart and spirit with each new novel' The Inquirer 'Delinsky excels at!insightful portrayal[s] of captivating people facing challenges both ordinary and dramatic' Booklist

Delinsky's latest family saga (Looking for Peyton Place, 2005, etc.) explores how a white, upper-middle-class New England couple would react if the wife gave birth to an African-American baby. Hugh Clarke, a good-hearted Boston lawyer in his mid-30s, hails from impeccable Mayflower lineage. His beloved wife Dana never knew her father and was raised after her mother's untimely death by grandmother Ellie Jo, proprietor of a successful yarn shop. The Clarkes are overjoyed at the birth of their healthy daughter, Elizabeth, though startled by the baby's dark, curly hair and coppery skin. Hugh's parents insinuate that perhaps he's not the father. Confounded and hurt (as well as suspicious that Lizzie may have been sired by their attractive black neighbor), Hugh convinces his increasingly resentful wife to have a DNA test. It confirms that Hugh is the father and indicates that the baby carries the sickle-cell gene-inherited, subsequent tests reveal, not from Dana, but from Hugh. Was the reader ever in doubt? Hugh stands up to his superior father, a historian who seems more concerned about the impact of Lizzie's color on the reception of his new book than about the truth. Dana finds and confronts her father, while everybody at Ellie Jo's yarn shop gets to swoon over the newborn. Delinsky vigorously takes on some thorny racial assumptions here (i.e., that the dark-skinned child will not comfortably attend white-dominated schools) 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)

Product Description
A loving family, a child on the way, and a secret concealed generations ago that will tear their lives apart! 'The Family Tree' is issue-led women's fiction perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult. Dana Clarke has it all -- a husband, Hugh, who she adores, a beautiful home in a wealthy area, and a baby on the way. But, when her daughter, Lizzie, is born, what should be the happiest day of her life turns out to be the moment that her world falls apart. Lizzie is beautiful, healthy, and black! Born from two white parents, there are only two possibilities: that a distant relative was of African descent, or that Dana has had an affair. As the Clarke family reel from the shock, accusations are thrown and soon the trust that Dana and Hugh had prided themselves on is slipping away. So begins a poignant journey to uncover the truth about their past, to discover what legacy their ancestors left them. And, as the stability of the Clarke family is torn apart, the reader is forced to ask how much any one of us really knows about our own identity.

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7 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars An unput downable book, 9 Dec 2007 By  J. G. Craig "An avid reader" (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    The book follows the story of a female child born to an apparently white American couple. The baby is part coloured. The child's mother had no knowledge of her father's identity or colour so'it must be her family where there is coloured blood. This was a good book enjoyed by myself and my wife. It should probably be required reading for any American couple looking forward to the birth of a baby.By some three quarters of the way through it appeared that things were going to work out for the families concerned but there were major unexpected events to unfold. There were a few unanswered questions at the end leaving the reader to wonder what eventually happened. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story, if nothing else..., 2 Nov 2007 By  DevJohn01 (Somerset, NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    I must admit that although I agree with much of what the other reviewers have said about `FAMILY TREE' that I did enjoy it despite it's obvious flaws. The thing that made this story enjoyable was the concept, a child with clearly African-American traits born to a white couple with no knowledge of African roots on either side. The fact that `FAMILY TREE' is an easy to read novel where everything unfolds pretty quickly helps make the story all the more enjoyable. Being that I myself am African-American, I am not sure how a white couple brought up a certain way would react to this particular situation and although I thought that many of their reactions, as well as those of their friends and family, were unbelievable I did think that Hugh's (the child's father) initial response was the most genuine. Although I disliked his character's behavior immensely after the birth of his daughter I am sure that many men in his situation would have reacted similarly in wanting a DNA test. However, it was the reactions of the people affected by the revelation of where the child's African-American traits came from that were the most outrageous to me. While most of me wanted to tell them to get a grip, part of me believes that there are people who would feel similarly and not know what to do with the knowledge that they were anything but 100% white. Overall `FAMILY TREE' has an interesting plot line and is very easy to read and enjoyable to boot. Definitely a great book club selection, 4 stars! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars a deserving read!, 15 Jan 2008 By  Mre F. Gerrish "francesgerrish" (London) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    PLEASE give this slim tome a read! I. myself am one half of a british couple, and am totally caucasian.I feel this book gives an excellent outlook on the American system and the hypocritical that is handed down through generations of so called "upper American caucasian echelons". and has an interesting, happily unexpected ending, when it turns out to have a totally, unbelievable twist. READ IT PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 7 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story I read this book within 2 days. Couldn't put it aside. The author has written the story in such an interesting way, I wanted to read and read and read more... Read more Published 3 months ago by R.M. 4.0 out of 5 stars Really well written... makes you think. Hi I enjoyed this book, I am sure most men would question why if their child is born, why it was born coloured. I know my husband would have! Read more Published 5 months ago by M. Block 3.0 out of 5 stars Warm and heartfelt This story follows a couple who have their first baby. The couple are white but the baby is born black. Obviously, this raises all sorts of questions within the families. Read more Published 13 months ago by Mrs. S. Payne 5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down... I'm a writer myself. I'm a writer of interracial drama and have a series online. I needed a break and out shopping, wondered through a book store as I usually do and saw this book... Read more Published 16 months ago by Mrs. M. Fieldsend Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 7 customer reviews...

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