Monday, June 6, 2016

Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky




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This novel was the Columbia City Indiana library reading group's selection for March.  Since I still read along with them sometimes, I put the audio book version of it on my iPod late in February but had only listened to a little bit of it due to my fall and fracture.  So last week when I resumed commuting to work I began listening to the book again and I finished it on my drive to my daughter's home this past weekend.  This novel really held my attention.  It brings "Guess Who Is Coming To Dinner"  to a whole new level.  It begins with a white upper middle class  couple, who live in Boston and are very liberal and supportive of equal rights, on their way to the hospital to give birth to their first child. To their surprise the baby turns out to be a very healthy beautiful little girl who happens to be of mixed race.  The reaction of the couple and their family and friends is explored in depth in the book.  Hidden prejudices are exposed and a  journey is begun to discover where the black genetics entered their family tree.   I don't want to explain in too much detail to prevent spoiling the book for the reader of this review but I would recommend this book as a good choice for a reading club group.  I think it lends itself to a lot of good discussion.  But I have to say that from what I understand about genetics that it would be more likely for this to happen once the individual is so far  back in the linage if the traits were present on both sides.  Not being really up on all the DNA used in genealogy today though I can't say that is an educated opinion.  Please click on the author's name and book title above to learn more and enjoy the video that follows. 





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