Book Review: ‘The Family: A Novel’ By Naomi Krupitsky

The debut novel from Naomi Krupitsky is really good. It’s a well-written, character driven story that has you reading along with the characters and rooting for them. You don’t want to put it down. Sofia Colicchio and Antonia Russo were born around the same time and grew up together as best friends. They’re also the daughters of mobsters in Brooklyn and past of The Family. The story starts in 1928 and we follow along with the girls and their parents as the days and years go on. But tragedy strikes and one father is ‘gone’ and one daughter is confronted with the reality of what the dads did. As the girls grow older their friendships are tested by High School, boyfriends, husbands, kids and The Family. Both get married and have a kid. Their husbands are put of The Family and it worries Antonia the most that something could happen to him, just like her father. Sophia wants a job and her father brings her into the business on a small scale. As the years go by each couple experiences growing pains and a want for more than they have. Then a shocking betrayal will lead to shocking climax, where one of them will do something they never thought they would have to.

You can pick up The Family in stores on Tuesday, November 2nd from Putnam.