A Million Reasons Why

DNA tests in books seem to be all the rage and I get it, with all the sites where you can send in a swab to discover or learn more about your ancestry, which countries you are from, etc. DNA tests can bring people together, even help you find a sibling you did not know you had!

Caroline is married with three children. She is close with her parents and in-laws.

Sela is divorced and suffering from Kidney failure. Her mother has passed away and while she is still grieving, she needs to find a donor. She has learned that Caroline is her half-sister….

What would you do if you learned you have a sibling close to your age? What if you learned that your parents are not perfect? Will you image of them change? What would you risk for someone you just met? What would you do if you were either woman? How would you feel if your world were turned upside down? What makes a family? What sacrifices are you willing to make for your family?

There are quite a few surprises in this book. Also, a lot of “what’s as in what would you do or what- ifs?” Also, plenty of secrets and denial to keep piling on the drama – and there is a lot of family drama! As you know there is no drama like family drama. This book gives new meaning to the term “save that drama for your mamma.” As the secrets come out, characters in this book must take a long hard look at themselves, those he/she loves, and things he/she thought was the truth and examine his/her life choices. Who will you root for? Will you feel for each character or just certain ones?

You will also learn some about kidney donations, asking for help, not wanting help, and the stain of stress on individuals. Organ donation, we are asked if we want to be organ donors when we get a driver’s license, that is an easy yes or no and something that will happen in the event of death. But ask yourself, would you donate an organ now, today, to a family member? Would you donate an organ to a stranger? That is a BIG decision. This part was very thought provoking for me.

There are a lot of themes in this book – love, marriage, infidelity, missed opportunities, loneliness, chronic disease, regret, secrets, deception, motherhood, friendship, choices, and family. I was all over the place on how I felt about certain characters while reading this. This would make a really good book club book as there is a lot to discuss.

I found this to be an enjoyable thought-provoking book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.