After a near-stranger dies in their small town, a tightknit group of friends can no longer ignore their long-dormant desires and unfulfilled dreams—‘a moving story of betrayal, grief and forgiveness’ (People).
‘A loving sprawl of busy lives, the happy and sometimes messy web of friends and children and chosen family.’—The Boston Globe
It was too much to ask. But sometimes too much is what we ask of the people we love most.
Radclyffe, New York, is an idyllic upstate town, nestled in the hills and complete with artisanal bakeries, pottery studios, and hidden swimming holes. Ruth and her wife, Wyn, are living the dream (or Wyn’s dream, at least) with their four children on their small farm, which is also the bucolic gathering place for their circle of friends. It’s a sweet life, but there’s a secret at its center, one that not even Ruth’s best friend, Caroline, knows.
What Caroline does know is that she loves and depends on Ruth, and on the bond between their families. More than anything, she wants her tender-hearted son not to grow up lonely the way she did. Unfortunately, no one can assure her of that, especially not her husband. He just wants things to be easy, drama-free—which is impossible, as he has donated his sperm to his cousin Tobi and her wife so that they could have kids of their own. Now those children are asking unanswerable questions.
After an unexpected death in their community, all three couples are forced to confront the tensions that have long been buried beneath the surfaces of their lives. Richly textured and big-hearted, this exhilarating debut is an unforgettable story of the alchemy of love and loyalty that makes friends Like Family.
Genre: Literary Fiction
‘A loving sprawl of busy lives, the happy and sometimes messy web of friends and children and chosen family.’—The Boston Globe
It was too much to ask. But sometimes too much is what we ask of the people we love most.
Radclyffe, New York, is an idyllic upstate town, nestled in the hills and complete with artisanal bakeries, pottery studios, and hidden swimming holes. Ruth and her wife, Wyn, are living the dream (or Wyn’s dream, at least) with their four children on their small farm, which is also the bucolic gathering place for their circle of friends. It’s a sweet life, but there’s a secret at its center, one that not even Ruth’s best friend, Caroline, knows.
What Caroline does know is that she loves and depends on Ruth, and on the bond between their families. More than anything, she wants her tender-hearted son not to grow up lonely the way she did. Unfortunately, no one can assure her of that, especially not her husband. He just wants things to be easy, drama-free—which is impossible, as he has donated his sperm to his cousin Tobi and her wife so that they could have kids of their own. Now those children are asking unanswerable questions.
After an unexpected death in their community, all three couples are forced to confront the tensions that have long been buried beneath the surfaces of their lives. Richly textured and big-hearted, this exhilarating debut is an unforgettable story of the alchemy of love and loyalty that makes friends Like Family.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Praise for this book
"Moving and funny and big-hearted, Like Family is a gorgeous debut." - Essie Chambers
"Once I entered the world of Like Family, I didn't want to leave. I loved these three couples and their tangles of children. The way these characters renegotiate what it means to love - and how to not just name their connections to one another, but to keep those names soft and pliable, expansive with compassion - makes this novel feel contemporary in the best way: it is an answer to and an answering of the questions of this moment." - Ann Napolitano
"A tender portrait of how we claim, wound, and love one another. At turns heartwarming, funny, and even cutting, but always true - a lot like family." - Sara Nović
"Like Family feels like a favorite, worn sweater, wrapping you in the exact embrace you get from your favorite novels, as if Erin O. White has been publishing for years. I can't wait to read what she writes next." - Steven Rowley
"Like Family is so warm, joyful, smart, and nuanced. Its depictions of friendship and middle age and marriage and the beautiful messiness of life feel familiar in the best ways, but also fresh in the best ways. I absolutely love this novel and can't wait to share it with everyone I know." - Curtis Sittenfeld
"White's tender, wise debut portrays the modern American family as inclusive, imperfect, and ever-expanding, and demonstrates that we're at our best when we're at our most open-hearted. This is a book to escape into, and a boundless family to relate to." - J Ryan Stradal
"This novel is a gift. I could not put it down, and then I was so sad when it was over. The world depicted in Like Family is the world I want to live in. Among other things, it is the most beautiful love letter to female friendship I've ever encountered in fiction. A must-read." - J Courtney Sullivan
"Once I entered the world of Like Family, I didn't want to leave. I loved these three couples and their tangles of children. The way these characters renegotiate what it means to love - and how to not just name their connections to one another, but to keep those names soft and pliable, expansive with compassion - makes this novel feel contemporary in the best way: it is an answer to and an answering of the questions of this moment." - Ann Napolitano
"A tender portrait of how we claim, wound, and love one another. At turns heartwarming, funny, and even cutting, but always true - a lot like family." - Sara Nović
"Like Family feels like a favorite, worn sweater, wrapping you in the exact embrace you get from your favorite novels, as if Erin O. White has been publishing for years. I can't wait to read what she writes next." - Steven Rowley
"Like Family is so warm, joyful, smart, and nuanced. Its depictions of friendship and middle age and marriage and the beautiful messiness of life feel familiar in the best ways, but also fresh in the best ways. I absolutely love this novel and can't wait to share it with everyone I know." - Curtis Sittenfeld
"White's tender, wise debut portrays the modern American family as inclusive, imperfect, and ever-expanding, and demonstrates that we're at our best when we're at our most open-hearted. This is a book to escape into, and a boundless family to relate to." - J Ryan Stradal
"This novel is a gift. I could not put it down, and then I was so sad when it was over. The world depicted in Like Family is the world I want to live in. Among other things, it is the most beautiful love letter to female friendship I've ever encountered in fiction. A must-read." - J Courtney Sullivan
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