Review: The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness by Maddie Dawson

The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness

by Maddie Dawson

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 372

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Three women, three lives, and one chance to become a family…whether they want to or not.

Newly orphaned, recently divorced, and semiadrift, Nina Popkin is on a search for her birth mother. She’s spent her life looking into strangers’ faces, fantasizing they’re related to her, and now, at thirty-five, she’s ready for answers.

Meanwhile, the last thing Lindy McIntyre wants is someone like Nina bursting into her life, announcing that they’re sisters and campaigning to track down their mother. She’s too busy with her successful salon, three children, beautiful home, and…oh yes, some pesky little anxiety attacks.

But Nina is determined to reassemble her birth family. Her search turns up Phoebe Mullen, a guarded, hard-talking woman convinced she has nothing to offer. Gradually sharing stories and secrets, the three women make for a messy, unpredictable family that looks nothing like Nina pictured…but may be exactly what she needs. Nina’s moving, ridiculous, tragic, and transcendent journey becomes a love story proving that real family has nothing to do with DNA.


Kritters Thoughts:  A book that reminded me that family is how you define it and you are responsible for finding your happiness.  And what a title!

Two women who knew they were adopted never tried to search for their birth mother until one has her adoptive mother pass away and she feels lost.  She decides that connecting with her birth mother will help her feel tethered to something.  In the midst of the search she finds a sister and together they hunt for the woman who gave them up and the reasons why.

What a great story about family.  With multiple points of view which if you follow this blog you know I adore and just enough family drama and not an ounce of too much!  

I was surprised that each sister hadn't done a search prior to this book starting, so that made me wonder, but I still enjoyed watching them search and then find what happiness meant to them.  

I am giving this book to my mom and hoping that she passes it along, it is such a good read, especially if you are a sister.  It made me appreciate growing up knowing my roots and being to love them from the beginning of my life.

I own both of Maddie Dawson's previous books, but haven't read them, after reading this they are jumping up the to read list!  Have you read any of her books?


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.