“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 * Frolic Jessica 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 … 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
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This book is smart, timely, moving, and thought-provoking. Put it on your To Be Read list for 2021.
This book brought tears to my eyes at times. This was a beautiful novel about family packed full of emotions. It was about the beautiful and the difficult times when two women get the results of their DNA tests. Both of their lives changed so much. How their lives are effected and those around them is presented beautifully. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. This reminded me of the emotional style of Jessica’s earlier novel Almost Missed You.
I have loved Strawser’s previous books, but with this one, her writing and storytelling are elevated to another level. I was immediately drawn in to this incredibly emotional and powerful novel. The story centers on Caroline, a suburban mom in a happy marriage with three children. When she gets a random message from the company where she’d sent a mail-in DNA test on a whim, she begins to question everything she’s every known and trusted. As Caroline tentatively begins communicating with Sela, the half-sister she’d never known existed, she is unaware of Sela’s motive for sending in the test—she has advanced kidney failure and desperately needs a donor kidney. Strawser deftly alternates between Caroline’s and Sela’s perspectives, showed two sides of the complicated, emotional and heartbreaking situation. Kudos to Strawser for doing meticulous research; the medical sections are on point, with just the right amount of detail to make the story believable. This is the kind of book I wish I’d written.
I absolutely loved this novel. All of Strawser’s books are winners, but this one knocks it out of the park. Yes, it’s definitely a page-turner, with twists I didn’t see coming (and I usually anticipate the twists in novels). But this is also a deep and insightful dive into human nature and relationships, both in sweeping themes, and in closely, carefully observed moments. Strawser also brings to life all the character motivations and relationships. Plus, it’s heartfelt in the best of ways, without being sloppy or sentimental. Highly, highly recommend. Bravo!
(4.5/5)
What an interesting and thought-provoking book. Makes you wonder what you’d do if, after taking a DNA test, you find out that you have a half-sibling. And not only finding out about a half-sibling but also one that’s in need of a kidney transplant. What would you do? I loved not only the two main characters in the book, Caroline and Sela, but the supporting cast of characters as well. I especially liked Caroline’s husband, Walt, and nurse Janie, such kind and understanding souls. This was a moving and heart wrenching story about family secrets, betrayals, love and forgiveness. There were a couple of twists that I did not see coming at all. I highly recommend A Million Reasons Why.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy.
This is absolutely the best book this author has written. It’s almost to lyrical. Like reading with your whole heart. It hits your soul. It’s told through the eyes of Sela and Caroline. Each with a beautiful, painful, and heartfelt story to share. One that will stick to you long after you close the book. It hits you full force all the way through. From beginning to end.
One of two of my favorite quotes from this book: 1) What kind of woman would be upset when her husband confesses that he’s grown to love her more with time, a climb so steady they never stopped to notice the heights they’d reached, even as couple all around them lost hold, tumbling to their demise?
2) Organ transplantation and donation are acts of charity, agape love, and self-sacrifice. We recognize the life-giving benefits of organ and tissue donation and encourage all people of faith to become donors as part of their love and ministry to others in need.
I believe everyone who can should be an organ donor. I lost my youngest brother who needed a liver transplant. He was so close… I miss him everyday and wonder what would have life been like had he gotten that transplant. If you can donate please do.
This is truly a heartfelt story of two sisters who never new the other existed until they did. Until one did the DNA test to find out if she had any family. To find out if she had anyone who could possibly donate a kidney that would save her life. From there things go full force towards a whole new life. New relationship. Two sisters getting to know each other as grownups. Despite the fact that mothers kept them apart.
I loved almost all the characters in this book. They were open, honest, caring, and loving. The parents of the two woman, Sela and Caroline, I did not like. I thought of them as selfish and even if they were doing things for what they thought was the right reason it was just wrong. Some things are just not right to keep to yourself. I especially thought Caroline’s dad was a jerk. That is my opinion of him. A first rate jerk. But only after he knew the truth. Before that he was in the dark as much as everyone else that counted.
This book draws you in and will hold you captive until the very end. You will root for the sisters. You will also find some pretty intense things going on. Some things that are not as they seem. A bunch of lies being told but some for reasons that are not meant to hurt or harm anyone.
This book shows you what it’s like to have some mental health issues and feel like no one cares or that there is nowhere to turn. Or that you just can’t or are not ready to let go. It’s about organ transplantation. About needing something that will save your life. Knowing that without it you will die. There is no way to survive. It’s about the possibility that you may want it to end. All the things you can’t do or have anymore. All the things that can go wrong with just one slip. Even the fact that you can’t drink as much water as you want. This is a very emotional book. One that makes you feel like you are right there with these two young women. A part of what they are going through. You will feel their pain.
The last several chapters had me weeping so hard it was hard to read. My eyes were so full of tears that I had to get up and move around. My heart broke so many times. But it’s a beautifully written story. The way the two tell their story is so realistic you will believe it. You will not doubt that this actually happened. The sad thing is it happens every day. People depend on people to survive.
Thank you #NetGalley, #JessicaStrawser, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.
5/5 stars and I recommend it to everyone who loves a good cry and a good heartfelt story. It’s truly perfection.
This is a thought-provoking and heart-tugging domestic drama. The story revolves around two half-sisters who have just discovered their relationship via a mail-in DNA test. Caroline has a dream life, with a solid marriage, three healthy children and a great job. Sela, on the other hand, is a struggling graphic artist, a single mom to a toddler and suffering from kidney disease that requires a transplant. When we meet them, Caroline is blissfully ignorant that she even has a sister, and Sela is hopeful that she will be able to survive until a kidney donor is found. Both women provide their points of view in this contemporary fiction that had me thinking long and hard about what it means to donate an organ and what it means to be the recipient. Since I was born with only one kidney and have had to be tested regularly to make sure that it’s still functioning okay, this book really touched me deeply. It is a powerful story about choices, acceptance and forgiveness. It also opens the door to learning about organ donation and even being an altruistic donor. I had never heard that term before, but the author did a good job of researching kidney disease and organ donation, presented by Sela’s caregiver Janie in such a way that the information flows seamlessly into the story. By no means are Caroline and Sela the only ones facing tough choices and forgiveness in this complex tale of family. The minor characters, too, must face their own demons and come to make a ultimate life-changing choice. I really enjoyed this book and totally looked forward to a new book by this author. It was different in that I didn’t really have any “aha” moments or times when I was amused. I was inspired to think about choices and consequences and unselfishness vs. selfishness. I highly recommend this book, especially for book clubs, because I am convinced that more than one group will be gathered around, discussing the dilemma of Caroline and Sela.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Jessica Strawser’s A Million Reasons Why is a searingly poignant examination of sisterhood, found family, and the weight of what’s left unspoken.
From the novel’s description: “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.” If that isn’t an apt description without giving too much away, I don’t know what is.
One of the most striking things about the narrative is the way that Strawser deftly begins to entwine the lives of her protagonists, Caroline and Sela. Told in alternating perspectives, the reader is able to dive into the mind of both characters, and examine each through a different lens.
Throughout the story, the reader begins to realize that things aren’t always as they seem, and that what is thought to be true isn’t always that case. Nothing in this story is simple. And isn’t that the way in real life? The examination of the interpersonal relationships that both Caroline and Sela have give insight into who they are as women, and who they are as people. There are undercurrents of resilience, perseverance, and forgiveness that permeate throughout the book. And the way that all of the threads and stories end up coalescing together is absolutely beautiful.
Be prepared to go through the gamut of emotions and cry all of the tears with this one. It may not be the easiest read, but I promise that the ending is worth it.
An ARC has generously been provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review.
An emotional family drama with well-developed characters and a lot to think about in an entertaining women’s fiction novel.
Wow! What a can of worms you can open with a fun gift of DNA tests. The author does an excellent job addressing how the test results affects multiple people. The characters are well developed and the way Caroline and Sela’s viewpoints are shared in alternating chapters is handled well. Because I have a friend who has had three kidney transplants … two cadaver donor and one personal friend donor that resulted in a three-way donation … this story really appealed to me. The decisions that have to be made and the way it affects so many people is touching. So many emotions are addressed … from loneliness, love, regret, infidelity … so many aspects that will have you giving serious thought to how life can present some major issues with which you will have to deal.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Thanks to Book Club Cook Book and St. Martin’s Press for a gifted copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
This was an engrossing read, alternatingly told from the point of view of two sisters, Caroline and Sela. The novel begins with a thought-provoking premise, when two women who are strangers to each other are suddenly connected by a mail-in DNA test that notifies them of their relationship as half-sisters. This discovery has often occurred in real life. But the author takes the premise and delivers a well-written story with family secrets revealed and relationships tested. The characters were believable, and the author gave them the opportunity to demonstrate the concept of what it means to be sisters. I didn’t want to put down this absorbing book and was rewarded with didn’t-see-it-coming plot twists and a poignant, hopeful resolution. I highly recommend this contemporary novel that explores themes of forgiveness and family.
For me this was a perfect example of a book that dives you deep into “what if”, placing you in the character’s shoes and making me question how I’d react in a similar situation?
What if… you accidentally discovered through a DNA test that you have a half sister — and she lives only a few hours away?
What if.. that sister had a secret , where she desperately needs your help, but is afraid to ask?
What if… your own parent knows more than they are letting on? And those secrets could tear your family apart?
Could you do the right thing, forgive the secrets, form a bond with that sister that lasts the rest of your lives?
These are the questions and so many more that this thought-provoking and carefully woven book posed for me.
Definitely recommend – a great page turner—with multiple several twists, turns, and complications that you won’t see coming!
A Million Reasons Why explores a popular contemporary topic: the disruptive impact upon families of DNA testing that yields shocking results.
When Caroline’s husband, Walt, gave DNA test kits to the family for Christmas, she didn’t complain. Although she had never seen the appeal of DNA testing, she was just happy that Walt helped with the shopping. An only child, she was confident there was no possibility that she would find a sibling she had no knowledge of. So when she receives an email from a woman claiming to be her half-sister, she dismisses it. After all, she reviewed her results and found no surprises.
Worse, Sela claims she is, like Caroline, thirty-five years old and their birthdays are just a couple of months apart. She lives in North Carolina, a half day’s drive from Caroline’s home.
Caroline determines that Sela’s results were uploaded into the company’s database after Caroline’s. And Caroline did not request notification of subsequently-discovered close relatives. So when she logs into her account, the database updates, announcing that Sela Bell is her half sibling. She logs into her parents’ accounts and discovers that they have not accessed the software. But when she clicks the opt-in box in her father’s account, he receives the same notification declaring that Sela Bell is his daughter.
Caroline’s life changes forever and irrevocably.
Strawser is not the first author to tackle the thorny topic of DNA testing bringing shocking and sometimes devastating results that change lives and shatter families. But she does so with compassion in a well-balanced story of half-sisters who would otherwise never have known each other existed.
The test results wreak havoc in Caroline’s well-ordered life and close-knit family, and her father is forced to confess the truth that she was never meant to learn. But he is determined not to hurt her mother further, insisting that he will not meet Sela. Caroline doubts everything she ever knew to be true about her parents, their relationship, and the family in which she was raised. Now she has to face the disappointment, disbelief, and distrust she feels toward the man who raised her, loving her unconditionally. She naturally resents “having to think of who else he might have failed along the way.” And further complicating matters, she learns that her mother has manipulated her life in unimaginable and, perhaps, unforgivable ways.
The two women forge a tenuous relationship. Caroline wants to meet Sela, feeling that her father failed Sela and her late mother, Rebecca. Meanwhile, Sela is being pressured to find a kidney donor while there’s still time. She actually attends a seminar where participants are coached about how to handle “The Big Ask: The Big Give.” After all, she needs to endear herself to her newly-found half-sister because she could be a match, a donor. But Sela is certain that she could never ask someone for a kidney, especially a sister she just found. But at every doctor’s appointment, she is warned that her condition is worsening. And Sela is terrified that she will die and leave her beautiful two-year-old son, Brody, without a mother.
Strawser credibly portrays the inner turmoil that Caroline suffers when she learns about Sela. The revelation causes her to question all aspects of her life and values, and the foundation upon which she created a family with Walt, all of which is compounded by her determined search for answers about the past and Sela’s actual circumstances. Strawser’s characters are fully formed, layered, and each is sympathetic in his/her own way, despite the choices and mistakes they have made. A Million Reasons Why is devoid of heroes or villains but is, rather, populated by deeply flawed characters, some of whom did terrible things for reasons they believed to be justifiable.
Strawser cleverly injects twists and turns along the way that keep the story interesting as readers attempt, along with Caroline, to piece together the shocking and heartbreaking truth. Including why Sela is seeking a kidney donor on her own, rather than waiting to be selected from a transplant candidate list.
Through her characters, Strawser unflinchingly examines what it really means to be part of a family, and what, if anything, family members owe each other. She addresses mental illness, grief, and the catastrophic damage both can inflict on marriage. The story is timely and believable, and illustrates how scientific processes made commercially available to consumers can unearth decades-old secrets that were meant to stay buried, with unforeseen and far-reaching consequences. Strawser thoughtfully questions whether damage done to relationships when secrets are revealed can be forgiven and if things can eventually be made right again. A Million Reasons Why is thoroughly imagined and impeccably crafted. It’s a poignant, sensitive, and thoroughly compelling story that would be a perfect choice for book clubs because of the numerous aspects of the story that invite discussion and debate.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
I received the digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. My review is voluntary and unbiased.
Caroline is a busy mother of 3, an event director who finds her life turned upside down the day she receives an email from her “half sister”. She initially disregards this claim as a mistake since her father, a market research analyst, has always served as a role model. Caroline and Walt are married with 3 young children: Riley, Lucy and Owen.
Like a lot of curious families they decided to send in DNA ancestry kits. No one expected it to uncover many lies from the past. Ironically, it’s Caroline’s own father who states, “data, while itself trustworthy, could always be skewed-and often was.”
Meanwhile, Sela lives in N. Carolina grieving the loss of her mother Rebecca (Ecca). Her mother raised her as a single mother while working as an artist in Brevard. She has always kept the paternity of Sela’s father a secret. Unfortunately, Sela’s health is slowly failing as she also separates from Doug her husband who she feels doesn’t understand her grief. She fears she will never see her son Brody grow up or play with their dog Oscar.
Certainly, there is much more to both these stories which eventually entwine and unravel the truths and lies which have been buried but not forgotten. Betrayals which changed the course of people’s lives.
This is an interesting story about the pros and cons of learning the “truth” of our ancestry. In these present days, finding out about unknown relatives is possible. Can knowing the truth of the past help the future? How does someone hide his past to protect his reputation? Sometimes, stories aren’t so black and white and seldom do they involve just the person himself. Secrets always have a way of rising to the surface over time.
A Million Reasons Why is the story of two women who’ve lived most of their lives not knowing they are half sisters, not even knowing the other exists until DNA tests give them the information. For one sister, the knowledge comes with the possibility of hope, for the other it threatens to tear her world apart. Both women, Sela and Caroline, are characters to root for. In a style reminiscent of Jodi Picoult, Jessica Strawser weaves a complicated tale of families, betrayal, loyalty, and love with a couple of gasp-worthy twists. A real page-turner!
Jessica Strawser’s A MILLION REASONS WHY had me hooked from the beginning. I have always loved looking into genealogy and have debated taking a DNA test. I doubt it would uncover anything shocking, but I bet that is what Caroline thought when her husband’s Christmas gift choice for everyone in the family was DNA kits. Expecting nothing more than ancestral information, she is shocked when she receives and email from Sela, claiming to be her half-sister. It’s definitely a mistake, right? Sela knew her father was out there somewhere but is happy when she finds that she has a half-sister. With her best friend and ex-husband encouraging her, she took the test and, with the results, reaches out to her sister. Sela only wants to get to know her sister, as she has no other family left, but she also is suffering from kidney disease that was brought on by pregnancy and needs a kidney transplant.
Sela’s appearance in Caroline’s life upends everything she knew about her family and her life before now, but, despite her reaction with her family, she is determined to get to know Sela and see where the relationship can go. Sela’s health is deteriorating, but despite this, she is hesitant to make the “Big Ask” of Caroline.
Strawser has written a book about family, its good points and its messiness and the relationships that go along with them. Despite this being a decision that both Caroline and Sela need to wrestle with, everyone has an opinion and feels strongly about it. She makes you think about what you would do if you were in either character’s position. Could you ask a near-stranger to donate a kidney? Could you ask the sister/brother you grew up with? Would you offer knowing the risks to you? I spent a lot of time wondering about this as I read, and, also, marveled at the strength of my cousin who did donate a kidney to his sister (my Godmother).
Strawser’s writing style and character development had me turning pages. There were unexpected twists as I barreled to the conclusion. This book was a highly anticipated read, not only for me, but many others and for good reason. It will stick with you for a long time to come. Don’t miss it!
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this novel. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#AMillionReasonsWhy #JessicaStrawser #BloomReads #TallPoppyWriter #TallPoppyBlogger
A very interesting read about some very current and real world issues. It makes me think of the old adage “Never wish for what you want because you might just get it”. A cautionary tale. Finding out that everything you have believed to be untrue can rock you to your very core. DNA testing can be life saving, can connect you with relatives you didn’t know about, offer insights to your heart and heritage, but can introduce some info that some may not want to know that can rock your very foundation. Kidney disease is devastating not only to the patient, but to that persons entire family and sphere and there are not enough live donors or people who have signed their donor cards. This is a beautifully crafted tale that takes us along on am overwhelmingly emotional journey. I don’t want to share more for I do not want to ruin anyones journey. I did at times find it truly difficult to read and wonder if it is because ESRD (end stage renal disease) has impacted someone close to me as has live kidney donation or because the author did such a great job in writing this story. Whatever the case may be, its an emotional and compelling read. I dare you to not lose track of time when reading! The author clearly did a great deal of research. Check out https://www.kidney.org for more.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review. My thanks to Netgalley, St.Martins Press and Jessica Strawser for the opportunity.
I received an ARC of this book, and was hooked from the first page! You will be on the edge of your seat til the last page. It definitely left me wanting more. I didn’t want it to end. This author is new to me, and I can’t wait to read more of her books!
So….to be honest, when I started this book and realized the premise—DNA test and newly discovered siblings, with one of them being sick and needing a donor organ—I was pretty sure I knew where this storyline was headed. Been there, read that before. Could this author really take the story down a different path than the one I was expecting?
Well, let me tell you, she most certainly did! There were so many unexpected aspects and details of these peoples’ lives that I found this to be a very unique story. I was totally drawn into the drama and thoroughly enjoyed everything about it.
I can highly recommend A Million Reasons Why and am excited that this story is now out in the world. Pick it up, you will not regret it!
Family secrets, domestic drama, and DNA tests all add up to a story that I could not put down. Caroline’s husband buys a great present for her family. Unfortunately, the present brings drama and hurt. The DNA test shows a surprise connection that Caroline is not able to let go. As she learns more about Sela, Sela’s mother, and the mother’s relationship to her family she realizes that there are many things about her own family that she did not know about. Family secrets are let out, feelings are hurt, and relationships are tested.
I enjoyed seeing Caroline and Sela learn to be sisters. Their relationship was not easy. They did not even know about each other, they find each other, and immediately their relationship was put to the test. The people surrounding Caroline and Sela put stress on the relationship and they both had to stand strong to their selves.
As the story went along, I thought I could see where it would end until the twist happen. The twist…amazingly perfect. It added just the right ah ha at the right time to make me want to talk to everyone about this book.