A Secret Shared

July 5, 2021
When deeply bonded twins Ben and Nora accidentally discover, through a DNA sample test their mother orders as a subject for her newspaper column, that their beloved younger sister Birdy is Swedish—not Irish, like their mother, or Italian, like their father—they are dumbfounded. Secretly uncovering more of Birdy’s story, and trying to decide whether the new information matters, they struggle together to process the stunning realization that their kind and affectionate parents have concealed the truth. This slim story of a loving cued-white family confronting a well-meant deception unfolds slowly, with quiet emotional drama and sometimes improbable gentleness; the children are uncommonly wise and the parents uncommonly calm. MacLachlan’s (Wondrous Rex) signature short, careful sentences, delivered in Nora’s first-person narration, imbue each phrase with significance, creating a lyrical ambiance that draws readers into the close family circle, particularly as their mother explains the poignant circumstances through which Birdy became part of their family. Especially moving is the depiction of the parents’ love for each other as well as their children as they move forward into their newly shared truth. Ages 8–12.

August 1, 2021
Twins Nora and Ben uncover a family secret: Their little sister, Birdy, was adopted. The White family's ancestry is European: Mother, a newspaper columnist, is Irish; Father, an art professor, is Italian. When Mother administers a home DNA test for her column about ancestry, Birdy copies her, preparing a test for herself using the kit Father rejects. When the results come back, the twins realize Birdy substituted her sample for Mother's and that Birdy's ancestry is Swedish. Confused, the twins confide in a former teacher who asks them if it matters. They decide it doesn't but continue to probe the mystery; meanwhile, Mother makes weekly trips to place flowers on her best friend's grave. The tale unfolds gently, with MacLachlan's signature grace and luminous simplicity, but the complex subject--poised where nature and nurture intersect--both calls for and deserves more nuanced treatment than plot or format allow. Even though Birdy's atypical adoption sidesteps difficult issues, young readers may wonder why Birdy's birth mother made her choice and why her birth father's unknown. Overall, the story has a comfortably old-fashioned sensibility, but the depiction of adoption, understandably simplified, is also outdated, conflating problematic adoption secrecy with secrets trivial and benign. Beyond outing family secrets, DNA testing has given parentage and ancestry renewed prominence in how we identify ourselves. The message that, in a loving family, being adopted "doesn't matter," while well-intentioned, is misleading. A rare misstep from a first-rate author. (Fiction. 6-9)

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August 1, 2021
Grades 3-5 With simple, repetitive language, much of it offered as dialogue, MacLachlan's latest is perfect for readers just transitioning into chapter books with slightly more narrative depth. This story of a happy, artistic family centers around a secret seemingly at odds with the family's openness. Nora, twin sister to Ben, narrates. When her younger sister, Birdy, secretly sends in her DNA as part of an ancestry test, the results Nora and Ben intercept reveal that Birdy is not related to them. Suddenly her Scandinavian looks make sense, but they don't know what to make of the secret their parents (with Irish and Italian roots) aren't sharing. Their mother's visits to a local graveyard; a picture of their mom's best friend, Linnea, at their parents' wedding; and papers hidden in a locked cabinet all seem to point to information the twins think their parents' should share. Familial concern about honesty gives the twins' questions weight, and a resolution about adoption that ties up happily works well for the target audience. A sweet look at what really makes for a family.

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September 1, 2021

Gr 4-6-MacLachlan examines the question "What makes a family?" in her latest middle grade book. White-cued twins Ben and Nora Rossi uncover a family secret when a DNA test kit reveals that their younger sister, Birdy, is not Irish like their mom or Italian like their dad, but Swedish. Ben and Nora quickly conclude that Birdy was secretly adopted, but they don't understand why their parents would conceal such important information. MacLachlan's lyrical writing emphasizes that love is what makes a family. This short novel is immersed in love-between friends, within a married couple, between siblings, parents and their children, and even in the devotion for a favorite teacher. However, while the relationships and writing are beautiful, the novel shows an idealistic, best-case scenario of acceptance from all family members when the secret is revealed. VERDICT With a warm message and gorgeous prose, this story grounded in fact and love nevertheless comes off feeling a bit too much like fantasy.-Heather Webb, Worthington Libs., OH

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