This book was bad on so many levels, I'm not sure where to begin. The characters were flat, unsympathetic, and completely stereotypical. (A bit ironic, given that I *think* the point was an observation of race relations and perceptions.) The writing was ok at best, with the dialog often coming across as forced. The plot was completely unbelievable from page 1 to the end.I don't give books such scathing reviews lightly, so let me delve into some details...I'm afraid I was completely unable to suspend disbelief while reading this book. Beginning with the first chapter, in which a woman's water has broken and they linger for a very long time before getting around to leaving for the hospital. I did try to set that minor point aside when we got to the punch line -- this lily white couple has given birth to an African American baby, complete with curly black hair and brown skin. I did understand that the point of the book was that there had been no affair and that hidden African traits had come together to create this highly improbable baby, but when the idea that the woman had cheated barely came up, I lost all faith in the book. I am not convinced that it's possible for this genetic pairing to come up. I could find no precedent (although plenty of mixed and black couples have had white babies) save terrible fertility clinic swaps. There does seem to be one case in South Africa where a darker skinned child of a white couple was caught up in the racism there, but in that case the genes came from both parents and she did not also have the traditional hair, which is a separate gene (probably more than one separate gene...I did learn that skin color is based on 7 different genes and that it is one of those traits that blend rather than having one gene express itself while the other lies dormant).This novel tries to suggest that after 3 generations and with no help from the other parent, a baby might suddenly come up with brown skin and curly African hair.At best, this is so utterly improbable that the first question should logically be: Did she cheat?It wasn't for most of the characters in this book and I just didn't buy that. I don't care how good and pure this woman was, in real life there is no omniscient narrator to tell us what's inside someone else's head and heart. The odds of someone not being who we thought they were are a million times higher than the odds of several genes (these features would take more than one) suddenly springing to life without pairing up. I may even have tried to suspend disbelief about the genetics part had the woman been alone in her knowledge that she did not cheat while she sustained cruel ridicule and accusations from everyone. Maybe...it's still awfully hard to swallow. :=)There is eventually a paternity test, but only because the baby's father is influenced by his family to get one. These stereotypical rich people are the only ones who seem inclined to believe the woman may have cheated. The father himself never really believes that his wife has cheated, although he has a moment. The mother's family and friends are instantly accepting of the situation. They were not racists or bigots. The father's wealthy family and friends were instantly judgmental. They were racists and bigots. Awfully black and white for me. And, if all that isn't bad enough, I found myself actually looking up whether or not this author had ever had a baby. The mother's grandmother is injured and with a one-week-old baby, she takes her place at a family-owned shop. The baby just lies in a cradle between feedings. The feedings themselves don't seem to take much time or effort. I don't know...I admit that I haven't met all the babies in the world to know if there are any who would do that, but that experience is so radically different from my own newborn experience (which was just 2 years ago) that I occasionally found myself yelling at the book. The entire newborn experience was off, especially for a first time mom. Sleep deprivation barely came up and didn't seem to have any impact on the characters or plot. If I had not been reading this book for a book club, I would not have finished it.
I was first attracted to this book by the cover, it intrigued me, so I picked it up. At first, when I looked at the cover, I thought that it was about an adoption story. White woman, dark-skinned child, that’s the first thing that popped in my head. Hugh and Dana, who are both white, are about to have their first child. When Dana gives birth, they are surprised that their baby, Lizzie, is dark-skinned. Hugh’s family ancestry can be traced back to the Mayflower, whereas Dana has never known who her father was.With the birth of their child, Hugh begins to struggle with his emotions. Although he trusts Dana, his family keeps on suggesting that she might have had an affair (especially as they are close friends with their neighbour, a single black man). Eventually, he asks Dana to do a DNA test on the baby, insisting that it is the only way to prove that it is really his child. After the test proves that Lizzie is his, Dana begins a quest to search through her family tree, to try and discover who her father was.It was a very readable book, easy to read, and interesting. I felt myself wanting to smack Hugh at times for not having more trust in Dana. I suppose that it’s easy for women, the baby is always definitely theirs, whereas men never know for certain. And if you are both white, suddenly getting a dark-skinned baby must come as a huge shock, thus breeding doubt in the man’s mind.I wouldn’t nominate the book for any awards, but it’s definitely an enjoyable book to read if you’ve got a few hours free time!
What do You think about Family Tree (2007)?
The novel “Family Tree” by Barbara Delinsky was recommended by my school librarian. I figured that I would give it a shot as the plot sounded incredibly interesting, but unfortunately it did not live up to the librarian’s great review. I think that the novel was decent but held a lot of potential that wasn’t thoroughly developed by Delinsky. The story is about a young Caucasian couple who have a black baby. The themes of judgment and acceptance are explored throughout the novel. I enjoyed the plot that Delinsky created; however I disagree with some of the details that were incorporated in the story. I don’t believe that an ancestor of a different race should have such an enormous effect on a person’s personality or way of life. After investigating her ancestry, Dana, one of the main characters in the story, believes that she is a whole new person because she is 1/16 black. She constantly goes on about being black and how she views her life differently. I believe that the novel should not have focused on an idea that the colour of your skin defines who you are. I have been raised in an environment where all races and ethnic groups are considered equal. Parts of this novel represent something I don’t stand for; inequality. I think that there should have been less emphasis on the “different” feeling the character’s experienced and more development of how heritage provides unique aspects to a person. Although there were parts of the novel that I didn’t enjoy, I truly liked how the novel was able to probe questions in the reader about their own views on judgment. The novel explores the harsh reality of the world we live in and the tough decisions that people must make on a day to day basis. Also, the exploration of different social class and the expectations that are accompanied were incredibly interesting. The automatic judgment that is made from a person of higher class on a person of lower class truly surprised me. As a person of middle class, I don’t really experience those types of situations and it was therefore interesting to read about.Overall, I believe that Delinsky created a skeleton for what could have been an amazing novel but unfortunately did not execute the story to its full potential.
—Lauren
An okay quick read. Not mind altering, but had moments of interest and made me itch to get my hands on some yarn!From the PublisherDana Clarke has always longed for the stability of home and family-her own childhood was not an easy one. Now she has married a man she adores who is from a prominent New England family, and she is about to give birth to their first child. But what should be the happiest day of her life becomes the day her world falls apart. Her daughter is born beautiful and healthy, but no one can help noticing the African American traits in her appearance. Dana's husband, to her great shock and dismay, begins to worry that people will think Dana has had an affair.The only way to repair the damage done is for Dana to track down the father she never knew and to explore the possibility of African American lineage in his family history. Dana's determination to discover the truth becomes a poignant journey back through her past and her husband's heritage that unearths secrets rooted in prejudice and fear.Barbara Delinsky's Family Tree is an utterly unforgettable novel that asks penetrating questions about race, family, and the choices people make in times of crisis-choices that have profound consequences that can last for generations.
—bookczuk
This is one of those books that could have been SO good. Two white parents, have a baby....she's awfully African American looking....hmmm.. let the fun begin. But it was so annoying and borderline offensive I nearly didn't finish it. The "startling surprise" was so predictable you can see it coming a mile away. The side story about the snobby knitter was unnecessary and had no real impact on the story except to make it longer. As the mother of three beautiful bi-racial children, I am intrigued by the genetics of it all. Do I find it interesting that two of my children are obviously mixed race and one looks completely white? Sure. Do I sit around like these people do and worry about how they will ever survive their skin colors? NOOOOOO. Of course racism still exists. Of course my children notice skin color and difference. Is that all that defines them? According to these characters, it sure does. But really? No. I was appalled by the characters' lack of depth. I'm thinking this was a subject this author knew too little about to actually tackle. I'm really annoyed I spent money on this book and didn't get it from the library. Anyone want to buy a book?
—Christy
