Synopses & Reviews
With the storytelling power of Wally Lamb and the emotional fidelity of Lorrie Moore, this is the searing drama of an American family on the brink of dissolution, one that explores adoption, gay marriage, and true love lost and found
For years, Matthew Greene and Daniel Rosen have enjoyed a contented domestic life in Northampton, Massachusetts. Opposites in many ways, they have grown together and made their relationship work. But when they learn that Daniel's twin brother and sister-in-law have been killed in a Jerusalem bombing, their lives are suddenly, utterly transformed.
The deceased couple have left behind two young children, and their shocked and grieving families must decide who will raise six-year-old Gal and baby Noam. When it becomes clear that Daniel's brother and sister-in-law had wanted Matt and Daniel to be the children's guardians, the two men find themselves confronted by challenges that strike at the heart of their relationship. What is Matt's place in an extended family that does not completely accept him or the commitment he and Daniel have made? How do Daniel's complex feelings about Israel and this act of terror affect his ability to recover from his brother's death? And what kind of parents can these two men really be to children who have lost so much?
The impact that this instant new family has on Matt, Daniel, and their relationship is subtle and heartbreaking, yet not without glimmers of hope. They must learn to reinvent and redefine their bond in profound, sometimes painful ways. How does a family become strong enough to stay together and endure when its very basis has drastically changed? And are there limits to honesty or commitment—or love?
Review
“I Loved it! Read it non-stop. These people catch you by the heart so powerfully you can hardly believe it is a novel. Ive already had to loan it to a friend.” Dorothy Allison, award-winning author of < i=""> Bastard out of Carolina <>
Review
“A tender novel that deals with the emotional riptides left by an act of terrorism long after the headlines have faded. It is a brave, moving, and deeply compelling book, written with grace, about the ways even love and family devotion are challenged when the worst occurs.” Scott Turow, #1 < i=""> New York Times <> bestselling author
Review
“[This is] strong storytelling driven by emotionally complex characters: first-rate commercial fiction.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
“Deeply moving . . . Frank shows profound empathy for her characters, making this book heartbreaking, yet jubilantly hopeful.” Publishers Weekly
Review
“A thoughtful look at how grief isolates survivors and how families may, or may not, come together in crisis.” Library Journal
Review
“This tender, intricate domestic drama both engages and informs what is arguably one of the critical issues of our time. It feels quite revolutionary, not just in the political sense, but in terms of the kind of stories we value.” Alison Bechdel, < i=""> New York Times <> bestselling author of < i=""> Fun Home <>
Review
Review
“In this wonderfully rich, absorbing novel, Frank sheds light on gender and identity, the anguished politics of the Middle East, the limits of love and one familys struggle to stay intact.” People
Review
“[A] timeless story… beautiful, expansive, and deeply humanistic… Frank is a perfect storyteller, creating vivid landscapes and characters and events…. We have little choice in how we, or those whom we love, die. But when it comes to life, we can choose. Judith Frank shows us how.” Huffington Post
Review
“This is a big American story, a tapping into the zeitgeist that few other novelists have really traveled --- taking the life of gay American couples beyond the struggle for marriage equality and giving a look at the usual challenges of any relationship.” Bookreporter.com
Review
“A powerful novel about love, loss and the will to endure after inconceivable tragedy.” BookPage
Review
“Brilliant, thoughtful, [and] unexpectedly funny.” Lambda Literary Review
Review
“The book explores numerous hot button issues - gay rights, the Israel/Palestine conflict, child custody and Jewish identity - yet retains a surprising degree of humor and good will, making it an excellent and gripping read.” Western Massachusetts Jewish Ledger
Review
“All I Love and Know is notable not only for its literary craft and emotional power but for its exploration of several hot-button social and political issues including gay marriage and the Israeli/Palestine conflict.” latelastnightbooks.com
Review
“Frank delves into politics, both on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and on gay rights. The first is handled with a deft hand, the second, with almost a sleight of hand, making the impact of this novel, which is ultimately about the resilience of love, all the more powerful.” Boston Globe
Review
Descriptions of ‘honest, lesbionic Northhampton provide moments of comic relief throughout, enhancing the steady human warmth of this important novel. From the darkest moments to the lightest, Franks empathy for her characters transforms front-page news into literary fiction.” Newsday
Review
“This beautiful novel is old-fashioned in its approach . . . and yet it feels wholly fresh. . . . A compassionate, utterly compelling story of how family members, torn apart by tragedy, must reach deep within themselves to meet their greatest challenge.” Booklist (starred review)
Review
“It seems quite possible the mens relationship will not survive these stresses, which Frank explores in depth and without reassuring sentimentality. . . . [Its] moving to watch them work through to reconciliation. [This is] strong storytelling driven by emotionally complex characters: first-rate commercial fiction.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
About the Author
Judith Frank is a professor of English at Amherst College. She was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, has held residencies at Yaddo and MacDowell, and is the author of a previous novel, Crybaby Butch.