Historical

The Family

The Family

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-11-03 02:21:28
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Naomi Krupitsky
  • ISBN：0525541993
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Summary

In the vein of an American Elena Ferrante， a captivating debut novel about the tangled fates of two best friends and daughters of the Italian mafia， and a coming-of-age story of twentieth-century Brooklyn。

Two daughters。 Two families。 One inescapable fate。

Sofia Colicchio is a free spirit， a loud， untamed thing。 Antonia Russo is thoughtful， ever observing the world around her。 Best friends from birth， their homes share a brick wall and their fathers are part of an unspoken community that connects them all: the Family。 Sunday dinners gather the Family each week to feast， discuss business， and renew the intoxicating bond borne of blood and love。

Until Antonia’s father dares to dream of a different life and goes missing soon after。 His disappearance drives a whisper-thin wedge between Sofia and Antonia as they become women， wives， mothers， and leaders， all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship。 Both women are pushing against the walls of a prison made up of expectations， even as they remain bound to one another， their hearts expanding in tandem with Red Hook and Brooklyn around them。 One fateful night their loyalty to each other and the Family will be tested。 Only one of them can pull the trigger before it’s too late。

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Reviews

Brittany ，

*I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review。 All opinions are my own。*I am absolutely OBSESSED with things related to the Italian Mob。 "The Departed"？ Seen it a bunch of times。 "Goodfellas" is one of my favorite movies。 So when I found a book that tells the stories of two girls raised inside the mob， I knew I couldn't pass it up。 And I'm glad I didn't。 Antonia and Sofia are best friends。 Their dads both work for "The Family" but one day Antonia's dad disappears。 Thi *I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review。 All opinions are my own。*I am absolutely OBSESSED with things related to the Italian Mob。 "The Departed"？ Seen it a bunch of times。 "Goodfellas" is one of my favorite movies。 So when I found a book that tells the stories of two girls raised inside the mob， I knew I couldn't pass it up。 And I'm glad I didn't。 Antonia and Sofia are best friends。 Their dads both work for "The Family" but one day Antonia's dad disappears。 This shakes the courses of both of their lives， and comes back full circle when they are adults。 I couldn't put this down， I was sucked into the girls' stories。 I would absolutely recommend this for anyone like me who is fascinated with the New York mob scene， especially in the WW2 era。 The Family is expected to be released on 11/02/2021。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

A wonderful saga about two young women navigating their way in a crime family in the 1940s。 Antonia and Sofia are as entwined as can be without being blood relatives。 Both of their fathers- Carlo and Joey-are in the Family but they too are very different。 Carlo， who wanted something more， disappears， changing life for Antonia and her mother Lina who makes her promise she won't marry a man in the family。 Antonia has dreams of university but then there's Paolo， marriage， and motherhood。 Sofia find A wonderful saga about two young women navigating their way in a crime family in the 1940s。 Antonia and Sofia are as entwined as can be without being blood relatives。 Both of their fathers- Carlo and Joey-are in the Family but they too are very different。 Carlo， who wanted something more， disappears， changing life for Antonia and her mother Lina who makes her promise she won't marry a man in the family。 Antonia has dreams of university but then there's Paolo， marriage， and motherhood。 Sofia finds herself swept away by Saul， a Jew in the business and she too wants more。 The relationship between these women is powerful and touching。 Krupitsky has done a terrific job with crafting characters whose emotions run off the page。 This might seem a little slow at the start but hang on for the powerful storytelling and an ending which surprised me。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 Great read。 。。。more

Cheri ，

This novel about two best friends， born into mafia families， drew me in immediately。 It was a slow-burn， character-driven drama that sped to a dramatic conclusion。 I loved the flawed， complex characters。 The writing was brilliant， the topics thought-provoking。I am grateful for the ARC from #NetGalley。

Mark taylor ，

I got The Family by Naomi Krupitsky， from NetGalley for a fair and honest review。The Family is a story of two girls Sofia and Antonia， from New York， you have been friends since birth。The only downside in their life is that their fathers are both in the mafia。This affects them even more when Sofia’s dad kills Antonia’s father when he wants to escape the Mafia lifestyle。The Family is a story of about the Mafia， in New York set in the period around World War 2， however unlike most stories on set a I got The Family by Naomi Krupitsky， from NetGalley for a fair and honest review。The Family is a story of two girls Sofia and Antonia， from New York， you have been friends since birth。The only downside in their life is that their fathers are both in the mafia。This affects them even more when Sofia’s dad kills Antonia’s father when he wants to escape the Mafia lifestyle。The Family is a story of about the Mafia， in New York set in the period around World War 2， however unlike most stories on set around this area， The Family， mainly tells the story of the wives and children of the members。This is a novel which can set the scene of a mafia family， of the period， with the family meals on a Sunday， in addition to the interactions of their normal daily lives and how these are affected by legal activities。 In addition to the girl’s life told in relation to being connected with the Mafia， it also covers a range of subjects， that relate to being a young woman growing up， in 1940’s New York。The Family is one of those books for people who enjoy novels set around the American Mafia， however with a slight twist as it concentrates on what it is like to be related to gangsters。In addition to being the growing pains of two girls set in this world， which makes The Family by Naomi Krupitsky a highly recommended read 。。。more

Pearly Williams ，

An amazing novel based on family life in a small neighborhood of Red Hook， Brooklyn。 This is a neighborhood where outsiders are not welcome and the Family always comes first。 Antonia and Sofia are close friends and their families are part of the mob。 Antonia and Sofia have known each other their entire lives， growing up as neighbors， however， it's never easy to leave the Family and find your own life， however， their devotion to each other is relentless and they lose and find each other repeatedl An amazing novel based on family life in a small neighborhood of Red Hook， Brooklyn。 This is a neighborhood where outsiders are not welcome and the Family always comes first。 Antonia and Sofia are close friends and their families are part of the mob。 Antonia and Sofia have known each other their entire lives， growing up as neighbors， however， it's never easy to leave the Family and find your own life， however， their devotion to each other is relentless and they lose and find each other repeatedly。 Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more

Alyson ，

I very much enjoyed this story。 The writing is extremely good， quietly understated， and yet manages to get inside the characters heads。It is a story about the Mafia in early twentieth century Brooklyn。 I've not read any other Mafia books but I would assume it is not typical。 This the story of two daughters who become best friends， growing up and coming of age within the confines of firstly their own family's and secondly the Mafia Family。 Sofia is strong willed and apparently the more dominant o I very much enjoyed this story。 The writing is extremely good， quietly understated， and yet manages to get inside the characters heads。It is a story about the Mafia in early twentieth century Brooklyn。 I've not read any other Mafia books but I would assume it is not typical。 This the story of two daughters who become best friends， growing up and coming of age within the confines of firstly their own family's and secondly the Mafia Family。 Sofia is strong willed and apparently the more dominant of the two girls， while Antonia， scarred by her father's disappearance when she is young， is more bookish。 Their friendship waxes and wanes according to their outside interests but in the end the blood bond they made as children proves strong。 Set against a backdrop of the depression and the war years when the Mafia' fortunes are also on a roller coaster as they struggle for territory and interests against competitors， Sofia and Antonia's families have to rise to the occasion more than once。 The use of the present tense in the writing helps carry the plot forward， while the details of meals prepared for Sunday meals， and the Brooklyn streets add authenticity。 All the female characters are well drawn and well rounded。 The men are a little more wooden and stereotyped， perhaps， but when push comes to shove they will do everything for the Family。Recommended。With thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK， HarperFiction for my advance copy。 。。。more

Lisa of Troy ，

A mob story mixed with tales of friendship and motherhoodAntonia and Sofia are daughters of crime families。 As they grow up， they find that escaping the Family ways isn't always easy。 Antonia and Sofia face the challenges of marriage and motherhood， dreaming the dreams of what might have been if a different path was selected。 The first half of The Family was really slow。 If I was the editor， I would have taken the last half the story and then introduced the background information as flashbacks s A mob story mixed with tales of friendship and motherhoodAntonia and Sofia are daughters of crime families。 As they grow up， they find that escaping the Family ways isn't always easy。 Antonia and Sofia face the challenges of marriage and motherhood， dreaming the dreams of what might have been if a different path was selected。 The first half of The Family was really slow。 If I was the editor， I would have taken the last half the story and then introduced the background information as flashbacks so that the reader doesn't have to wade through all of the background information to really get to the main story。 This book also seemed a bit lackluster。 The storytelling needed to be refined to build up the excitement。 The mob portions weren't written in a particularly appealing manner although I did really enjoy the parts about Sofia and Antonia becoming mothers and wives （especially how what people envision and plan is not always what happens in reality）。*Thanks， NetGalley， for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion。 。。。more

Cassie Holland ，

The final 10% of this book was excellent， the realisation that their pasts and futures were coalescing because of the actions they were about to take。 Unfortunately the story up to this point dragged slowly through all their lives to explain how they got to the decisions they had to make。I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review。

Bianca ，

📕 Publication Date: January 2022。✍️Sofia and Antonia have been dear friends since the beginning。They went to the same school， lived next door to one another and also belong to the treacherous world of 'The Family'。 The Mob。 This book tells the story of their lives growing up within the bounds of the Family and getting married， having children and becoming enmeshed and put in jeopardy until they decide to do something about it。This was a profounding， compelling， heartrending and fabulous story。 I 📕 Publication Date: January 2022。✍️Sofia and Antonia have been dear friends since the beginning。They went to the same school， lived next door to one another and also belong to the treacherous world of 'The Family'。 The Mob。 This book tells the story of their lives growing up within the bounds of the Family and getting married， having children and becoming enmeshed and put in jeopardy until they decide to do something about it。This was a profounding， compelling， heartrending and fabulous story。 I loved the manner in which the narratives kept alternating to different point of views throughout the whole story。 It's always engrossing to hear various character perspectives and attitudes。The writing style was graceful， articulate and lilting。 The story was brought to life by the expressive and poignant imagery。 The storyline was cleverly devised。 I enjoyed the complex characters。 I was enamoured from beginning to end。 。。。more

Steve Capel ，

I was drawn to this book by the Mafia connections in the storyline。 It is however much more than a book about "The Mob"。 The precis and cover could lead to it being classed as a book for a mainly female audience but its a 76-year-old male writing this review:The story follows the lives of two young women from birth to mid-twenties with a timeline running from 1927 to the late 1940s。 Both are born into families with strong mafia connections hence the title of the book。 As you would expect from t I was drawn to this book by the Mafia connections in the storyline。 It is however much more than a book about "The Mob"。 The precis and cover could lead to it being classed as a book for a mainly female audience but its a 76-year-old male writing this review:The story follows the lives of two young women from birth to mid-twenties with a timeline running from 1927 to the late 1940s。 Both are born into families with strong mafia connections hence the title of the book。 As you would expect from the subject matter there is some violence but it is written about in such an understated way that it feels more real and shocking than a lot of more graphic scenes in other books。 The title of the book is ambiguous in that it can refer to the family of the two main characters or the wider Mafia Family。 The plot vividly portrays the tensions that arise trying to be loyal to both versions as the girls grow up and start to experience adult life。 Both marry into the wider "family" and become mothers at a young age。 The bonds of friendship are strained but never broken as the friends' lives start to take different directions。This is a novel of high quality， about friendship and the meaning of family which drew me in with its clever plotting and the quality of the writing。 A book I can recommend without reservation 。。。more

Lolly K Dandeneau ，

via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲。𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧， 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬。Sofia and Antonia are more than best friends， close as sisters from the beginning but not interchangeable。 Living in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook， at the order of their fathers boss （in a business you know better than to talk about）， the girls live next door to each other， and their families are close as blood relations， via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲。𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧， 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬。Sofia and Antonia are more than best friends， close as sisters from the beginning but not interchangeable。 Living in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook， at the order of their fathers boss （in a business you know better than to talk about）， the girls live next door to each other， and their families are close as blood relations， spending every possible moment together， knotted in the business。 Loyalty to this family ‘is everything’。 The girls parents understand how important it is to have a place where you belong， a community。 Carlo， Antonia’s father， having arrived in America from Italy in the early 1900’s， with no knowledge of this new world， desperate to be shown the way and ease the hunger in his belly was lucky to find a ‘mentor’。 Joey came over on the boat when he was a baby， his parent’s dream of finding roots in America lay heavy on his head。 He learned fast how hard life is when you’re different and expected to ‘stick to your own’。 Both do what they must for their children’s future， under the rule of Tommy。 Sofia is wild as an animal and as free， so much like her important， dangerous father。 Burning up with life， hungry to devour the world， she will not be broken。 Antonia is the steady one， a good girl who would love nothing more than to feel as alive in her body， as lit up with passion and confidence as Sofia。 Alongside her vibrant friend， she is someone else， freer， more real somehow。 Antonia has a far better grasp on their world， intuiting the emotions， expressions of the people around her。 Even seeing something inside Sofia that alarms her， for reasons she does not quite understand。One morning， Carlo is gone。 Once connected in the world of crime， you never get out。 Antonia and her mother Lina are left with the lightning strike of loss。 Lina blames ‘The Family’， refuses to be a part of it any longer。 Despite the rift， Antonia remains close to Sophia’s growing family， though never feeling as safely ‘cocooned’ as her friend。 There is life brewing at Sophia’s， where emptiness reigns supreme in her own home。 Despite Lina’s blaming Joey， they still make sure that Lina and Antonia are well cared for。 They come of age during the great depression， outsiders from the other children at school， tied as they are to the criminal syndicate。 Through proximity and circumstance， they have only each other。 Both wish to escape their restricted， narrow world。High School finally gives Antonia a sort of anonymity she has been dying for。 Antonia isn’t looking for a future others have outlined for women。 She doesn’t want to end up in her own mother’s desperate circumstances。 Yet， no longer enlivened by Sophia’s constant presence， separated in high school as happens， it is so much harder to be seen， to find definition。 She turns to studying。 Sophia becomes popular， going through boys and friends with an endless appetite。 Testing limits， always。 Both want to discard the demands being a woman puts on them， in this way they are the same。 As they ride the waves on this ‘sea of change’， their friendship is paused but it waxes and wanes through time。 They fall in love， infatuations， search for courage or ways to temper desires， through war， marriage， and children。 The future they’ve made isn’t as either envisioned it， despite being the ones who made the choices that led them in their current roles。 Both women breathe life into each other in surprising ways。 How far have they escaped their origins？ Why are there so many wounds and how to close them？ Is there still a whiff of danger， threatening their happiness？It is a story of friendship between women and the confines of society。 The novel also highlights the price children pay for the choices their parents make。 By the end， it is about resilience。Publication Date: November 2， 2021Penguin GroupPutnam 。。。more

Tonstant Weader ，

The Family is the story of two girls who became best friends。 This seemed inevitable as their fathers were best friends and inevitably， so were their mothers。 They were family， but in more ways than one。 Their fathers were also part of “The Family” in the organized crime sense of the word。 When Antonia’s father wanted out of the family， Sofia’s father chose loyalty to “The Family” over loyalty to his best friend。 Antonia’s mother sunk deep into grief leaving Antonia even more dependent on Sofia The Family is the story of two girls who became best friends。 This seemed inevitable as their fathers were best friends and inevitably， so were their mothers。 They were family， but in more ways than one。 Their fathers were also part of “The Family” in the organized crime sense of the word。 When Antonia’s father wanted out of the family， Sofia’s father chose loyalty to “The Family” over loyalty to his best friend。 Antonia’s mother sunk deep into grief leaving Antonia even more dependent on Sofia and her family。The character of their friendship evolves over time as their very different personalities lead them in diverging directions in high school， but adulthood and marriage bring them back together each of them helping each other in sometimes harrowing circumstances。I loved The Family for many reasons。 The characters were complex and intriguing。 Sofia and Antonia were so different and it could have been so easily about the dominant， vibrant Sofia and the passive， subdue Antonia， but Naomi Krupitsky did not fall into that trap， allowing Antonia to have a different kind of strength。 It was interesting to see the machinations of organized crime during the Depression and World War II， adapting their business model to changing circumstances。Most of all， the language of The Family is entrancing。 Krupitsky writes with an elegant formality that makes reading her book like seeing language a new way。 There is such a deep understanding of humanity coupled with a fresh way of writing that every page was a joy for anyone who loves the supple and subtle English language。The Family will be released on November 2nd。 I received an e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley。The Family at Penguin Random HouseNaomi Krupitsky author sitehttps://tonstantweaderreviews。wordpre。。。 。。。more

Big Bertha ，

Sofia Colicchio and Antonia Russo are friends。 Their parents are friends and their childhood world is a small neighbourhood of Red Hook， Brooklyn。 Its a neighbourhood where outsiders arent welcome and The Family comes first， always。I found this a powerful and moving novel that showed the good， the bad and the ugly in glorious technicolour， perfectly describing both the relationships and the setting。 I was captivated from start to finish。If you liked Elena Ferrante's novels I suspect you'll like Sofia Colicchio and Antonia Russo are friends。 Their parents are friends and their childhood world is a small neighbourhood of Red Hook， Brooklyn。 Its a neighbourhood where outsiders arent welcome and The Family comes first， always。I found this a powerful and moving novel that showed the good， the bad and the ugly in glorious technicolour， perfectly describing both the relationships and the setting。 I was captivated from start to finish。If you liked Elena Ferrante's novels I suspect you'll like this one too。My thanks to the publisher HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the review copy， I was under no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more

J。J。 ，

When I began reading this book， I was completely entranced by the rhythm and poetry of Naomi Krupitsky’s writing。 Sofia and Antonia were as real to me as if I actually knew them。 The slow pace and the intricate detail of every aspect of the girls’ lives was beautifully done。 I found this to be so of all the female characters， every one of whom suffered doubts， fears and discrimination as members of ‘The Family’。 The male characters never came alive for me in the same way because I felt I was onl When I began reading this book， I was completely entranced by the rhythm and poetry of Naomi Krupitsky’s writing。 Sofia and Antonia were as real to me as if I actually knew them。 The slow pace and the intricate detail of every aspect of the girls’ lives was beautifully done。 I found this to be so of all the female characters， every one of whom suffered doubts， fears and discrimination as members of ‘The Family’。 The male characters never came alive for me in the same way because I felt I was only seeing one side of them。 Although Krupitsky didn’t go into quite the same depth as she did with the women， there was enough pain and angst there to sympathise with them （to a limited extent）。 What I found lacking was any sense of the coldness and brutality they should have brought to the story （with one exception）。I found the middle section of the book interminable and nearly gave up in spite of the wonderful writing。 I’m glad I didn’t because the ending was so unexpected that it brought me back into the story again。 I had guessed some of it but there was a neat little twist at the end which I appreciated。Sadly， the drag of the middle section cost this otherwise excellent book its fifth star。I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more

Leslie ，

A debut novel with a fresh take on the traditional mob story。 The Family tells the story of two best friends and daughters of a mob family in Brooklyn。 If you enjoyed the Sopranos， be sure to read this book by Naomi Krupitsky。Antonia Russo and Sophia Colicchio have very different personalities but are connected by their family since childhood。 Raised amidst mandatory Sunday dinners and the secrets behind the family business， the girls grow into women， wives and mothers。 They each break the bound A debut novel with a fresh take on the traditional mob story。 The Family tells the story of two best friends and daughters of a mob family in Brooklyn。 If you enjoyed the Sopranos， be sure to read this book by Naomi Krupitsky。Antonia Russo and Sophia Colicchio have very different personalities but are connected by their family since childhood。 Raised amidst mandatory Sunday dinners and the secrets behind the family business， the girls grow into women， wives and mothers。 They each break the boundaries of the family’s expectations and develop into a role of strong， modern and independent women。I enjoyed the new twist of a female perspective on this subject and the coming-of-age tale of two friends bonded by more than blood。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced readers copy。 。。。more

BeautyntheBook ，

This was an incredible novel based on family life in the Italian mafia in Brooklyn。 Everyone knows that every family has drama and it takes the strength of the entire family to pull through the most trying times， but these two family dynamics， takes it to a total different level。 Loyalties are tested and bonds are broken and I had several jaw-dropping moments because most of it came unexpectedly。 Overall， I enjoyed the book and it gave me insight to a lifestyle I truly didn’t know much about。 I This was an incredible novel based on family life in the Italian mafia in Brooklyn。 Everyone knows that every family has drama and it takes the strength of the entire family to pull through the most trying times， but these two family dynamics， takes it to a total different level。 Loyalties are tested and bonds are broken and I had several jaw-dropping moments because most of it came unexpectedly。 Overall， I enjoyed the book and it gave me insight to a lifestyle I truly didn’t know much about。 I would agree with other reviews， that this gives off major Godfather vibes！ 。。。more

Tara ，

Sofia and Antonia are best friends- closer than best friends， as are their parents。 But being in 1940's Brooklyn in the Mob is a hard life。 This saga is a mob story， centered around these two women and their families in The Family。Love The Godfather or the Soprano's but wish you knew what the women were thinking？ This book is for you。 The omniscient narrator tense took a little getting used to， but it also provided a glimpse into people's thoughts and motivations。 I loved the family members' fri Sofia and Antonia are best friends- closer than best friends， as are their parents。 But being in 1940's Brooklyn in the Mob is a hard life。 This saga is a mob story， centered around these two women and their families in The Family。Love The Godfather or the Soprano's but wish you knew what the women were thinking？ This book is for you。 The omniscient narrator tense took a little getting used to， but it also provided a glimpse into people's thoughts and motivations。 I loved the family members' friendships and loyalties and their silent desperations。 I really， really liked this book （and had just watched the new Soprano's prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark so I was thirsty for some more mob stories。） I loved the time span， hearing about the family's origins， and how the gangster life affected them， particularly the women。 If you like any of these things， pick up this book。 Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review。 Scheduled to come out Nov 2， 2021。 。。。more

Claudia Silk ，

If you are a fan of Sopranos， Godfather etc and like the perspective from the women this is a really good read。 It was interesting to read a historical fiction novel about “the family” and this time period In Brooklyn。 I couldn’t put it down。

Book Clubber ，

Family。 The unit created by parents and children where love， trust and safety are assured。 Unless your family is the Family， where the men are gangsters， the women are long-suffering and duty is everything。 At page 26， I knew I was going to give this book five stars。 The writing is exquisite。 It’s like a word painting， the imagery is so vivid and evocative。 If you enjoy literary fiction， this is a real treat。 Spanning the 1920s to the 1940s， this historical fiction is written in present tense， g Family。 The unit created by parents and children where love， trust and safety are assured。 Unless your family is the Family， where the men are gangsters， the women are long-suffering and duty is everything。 At page 26， I knew I was going to give this book five stars。 The writing is exquisite。 It’s like a word painting， the imagery is so vivid and evocative。 If you enjoy literary fiction， this is a real treat。 Spanning the 1920s to the 1940s， this historical fiction is written in present tense， giving it a sense of immediacy which serves the story beautifully。 It follows Antonia and Sofia， best friends from birth。 Their fathers are part of the Family。 One wants a better life for his family， away from violence and crime。 He tries to escape but pays the ultimate price。 This changes Antonia and Sofia’s friendship forever， however their bond is unbreakable。 Together they grow up， fall in love， marry and have children - all within the confines of the Family。 They are forced to surrender control over their lives and resign themselves to the needs and expectations of their husbands， children and parents。 The book simmers with the tension of power struggles， secrets and treachery， the heat gradually increasing in intensity until it reaches boiling point， when the women decide to take matters into their own hands。 I encourage you to pull out your diary， flip forward to January 6 – the release date of this debut novel by Naomi Krupitsky – and write yourself a note to buy it。 It has bestseller written all over it。 。。。more

Kerrie Kellner ，

A good read with well developed characters， not my usual fare。 The twist at the end was not what I expected。

Mary Robinson ，

The Family is a deep dive into friendship and family， as well as The Family。 Antonia and Sofia have been together their whole lives， growing up neighbors， both of whose fathers were "made men"， in the mob。 Their friendship ebbs and wains， as each realizes her place in their world and thinks of leaving the Family or delving deeper into it。 Through WWII， through high school， through marriage and motherhood， they lose and find each other repeatedly。 The disappearance of Antonia's father never far f The Family is a deep dive into friendship and family， as well as The Family。 Antonia and Sofia have been together their whole lives， growing up neighbors， both of whose fathers were "made men"， in the mob。 Their friendship ebbs and wains， as each realizes her place in their world and thinks of leaving the Family or delving deeper into it。 Through WWII， through high school， through marriage and motherhood， they lose and find each other repeatedly。 The disappearance of Antonia's father never far from their minds， it affects their choices and personalities， but their devotion to eachother overides their fears and their loyalties throughout everything。 The writing in this novel is lucious and includes deeply described smells， feelings， sights， and tastes。 I enjoyed every page！ 。。。more

Lesley Olariu ，

Stories about the Mafia in early 20th century Brooklyn are not ones I would normally be drawn to， but this novel by Naomi Krupitsky drew me in slowly。”The Family” revolves around the friendship of Sofia and Antonia whose fathers both work for the mob in Brooklyn。 As time passes， the growing knowledge that they are “different” to other children draws them closer together， puberty and romantic relationships cause confusion and rifts， marriage and motherhood tests and strengthens the bond。The eleph Stories about the Mafia in early 20th century Brooklyn are not ones I would normally be drawn to， but this novel by Naomi Krupitsky drew me in slowly。”The Family” revolves around the friendship of Sofia and Antonia whose fathers both work for the mob in Brooklyn。 As time passes， the growing knowledge that they are “different” to other children draws them closer together， puberty and romantic relationships cause confusion and rifts， marriage and motherhood tests and strengthens the bond。The elephant in the room however is the “disappearance” of Antonia’s papa when she was eight， leaving her mother bitter and remote， and Antonia dreaming of escaping the mob family。 Sofia also desires more than to be as her mother was before her。 But duty， responsibilities， obligations and debt chain them all together in a complicated ritual of family gatherings， secret meetings， liaisons and betrayal。 Love and guilt are driving factors。 The tension is omnipresent and the ending seems preordained…。but one is left wondering what next？The writing is thoughtful and considered， the characters are fleshed out so that we can empathise with or despise their motivations and actions。 Thanks to Better Reading for the advance copy for review。。 。。。more

Liz ，

The Family Is a story of friendship and family。 Not just any family – Brooklyn’s Italian crime family – and what people will do to be part of it or escape from it。 At its heart is the close bond between two young girls， Sofia and Antonia， as we follow them over the course of 20 years from 1928 to 1948 through love and loss， growing together and apart， wanting to fit in and wanting something different。 The disappearance of Antonia’s father who had tried to escape The Family for a simpler life， ha The Family Is a story of friendship and family。 Not just any family – Brooklyn’s Italian crime family – and what people will do to be part of it or escape from it。 At its heart is the close bond between two young girls， Sofia and Antonia， as we follow them over the course of 20 years from 1928 to 1948 through love and loss， growing together and apart， wanting to fit in and wanting something different。 The disappearance of Antonia’s father who had tried to escape The Family for a simpler life， hangs over the girls and influences their decisions throughout their lives。 The Family is a beautifully written debut novel and is as atmospheric as an Elena Ferrante novel。 。。。more

Christina Sweeney-Baird ，

I so enjoyed this - I’ve not read much historical fiction set in the early 20th century and this is vividly drawn and brilliantly researched。 Ann Patchett meets The Godfather。 The Family follows two girls - Sofia and Antonia - born into mob families and spans their childhoods through to their twenties。 The prose is divine。

Lisa ，

A debut novel looking at two girls growing up in the Mafia family in the 1960s。 A story influenced by The Sopranos。 This book did not shy away from the violence of the Mafia。 There is also a motherhood theme and the challenges of being a working mother。 But not in the traditional sense。An excellent debut。 I am looking forward to the next by this author。

Coley ，

Once you belong toThe Family you are in it for life。 Antonia and Sofia are destined to be best friends since birth， neighbors of the same age， in Brooklyn in the 1920's。 Their fathers both work for The Family， but we see it from the girls' eyes， as they are younger - we bounce back and forth between the two。 Antonia's father is troubled - he wants out and suddenly， he disappears。 Without a trace。 Antonia's mother is taken cared for， because that's how The Family works。 And because Sofia's father Once you belong toThe Family you are in it for life。 Antonia and Sofia are destined to be best friends since birth， neighbors of the same age， in Brooklyn in the 1920's。 Their fathers both work for The Family， but we see it from the girls' eyes， as they are younger - we bounce back and forth between the two。 Antonia's father is troubled - he wants out and suddenly， he disappears。 Without a trace。 Antonia's mother is taken cared for， because that's how The Family works。 And because Sofia's father has become the head of The Family。 As the novel sways back and forth， the reader is taken on a thick journey through two women's different journeys as a mafia daughter， wife， and partner。 Antonia and Sofia may have grown up as sisters， but they eventually grew apart， making their own decisions and life choices; only to be united by the same family in the end。 。。。more

Candace ，

The daughters of Italian immigrants in 1920s Brooklyn， Antonia and Sofia are the closest of friends， more than sisters。 They do not have any other friends because the neighbors know that their families are part of the Family， the mob。 This seems like any other job the the girls until Antonia's father is called out for a walk with the boss and does not return。 Antonia is the last person in the world to imagine she would marry a Family man， but she does， as does Sofia。 They both want more in their The daughters of Italian immigrants in 1920s Brooklyn， Antonia and Sofia are the closest of friends， more than sisters。 They do not have any other friends because the neighbors know that their families are part of the Family， the mob。 This seems like any other job the the girls until Antonia's father is called out for a walk with the boss and does not return。 Antonia is the last person in the world to imagine she would marry a Family man， but she does， as does Sofia。 They both want more in their lives and will they find it？ Or is it too dangerous？"The Family" is written with a calm， powerful style， filled with the gravitas the Family men see themselves possessing。 It is not a flamboyant book， but one focused on relationships， and a sense of history。 There's a satisfying end， until you think about it for a minute and say， "oh， boy。 Now what？"Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for access to this title。 。。。more

Kristy Browning ，

First of all， thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for this ARC。 I was initially drawn to this title after reading the description。 I've always been fascinated with Mafia stories， but particularly those that delve into the families of the working men， so I instantly requested an ARC of this book。 This is a very slow burn， but the writing is just lovely。 The story of two girls who grow up together in the same Family （NYC Italian mafia， not blood） and form a bond that is stronger than b First of all， thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for this ARC。 I was initially drawn to this title after reading the description。 I've always been fascinated with Mafia stories， but particularly those that delve into the families of the working men， so I instantly requested an ARC of this book。 This is a very slow burn， but the writing is just lovely。 The story of two girls who grow up together in the same Family （NYC Italian mafia， not blood） and form a bond that is stronger than blood。 It begins as a heartbreaking story of two families that end up on different paths after the not-so mysterious disappearance of one of their fathers。 You follow the girls as they become women， wives， and mothers， lose each other and find each other again。 Krupitsky's writing is absolutely lovely， however， I find it hard to get hooked on a book that isn't very dialogue driven， so I would say it wasn't until I was about halfway done with this book before it got to the point where I couldn't put it down。 However， that's definitely not a criticism of the writing - it's more of just how my brain follows a book。 The foundation that Krupitsky builds for these characters is critical to your understanding of their actions once the story picks up， and boy does it ever pick up。 By the last quarter of this book I was reading wide-eyed and flying through it to see what would happen next。 To borrow some imagery from the book， I feel like this story moves much like the ocean。 Slow， rolling waves at first， and by the end the waves are crashing to the shore with much force。This book will be released on 11/2/2021。 。。。more

Belle ，

This book reads like a dream。 A dream that infiltrates other peoples imaginations。 It reads like poetry， in the form of a novel。 The style of writing is so smooth it skips from one character to another so seamlessly it feels like watching a movie。 And it's hearty。 How could it not be？ Centered around mafia life the story follows the journey of two girls from girl-hood to woman-hood and it captures layer upon layer emotions， of hopes， of fears， of dreams， of secrets。 Reading this I felt like I ha This book reads like a dream。 A dream that infiltrates other peoples imaginations。 It reads like poetry， in the form of a novel。 The style of writing is so smooth it skips from one character to another so seamlessly it feels like watching a movie。 And it's hearty。 How could it not be？ Centered around mafia life the story follows the journey of two girls from girl-hood to woman-hood and it captures layer upon layer emotions， of hopes， of fears， of dreams， of secrets。 Reading this I felt like I had a front row viewing to someone else's family。 But not just any family。 THE Family。 Completely absorbing。 Utterly enthralling。 Bellissimo。 。。。more

Kristen McDermott ，

My review of this book will appear in Historical Novels Review 98 （November 2021）。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Family

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Family&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Family&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0