Description
“A sweeping historical saga of a family’s life, hardships, travels, scandals and secrets. Fans of Kristen Hannah’s The Four Winds and Jeannette Walls’ Half Broke Horses will be captivated by this multigenerational tale that is based on the true story of author Francine Falk-Allen’s maternal grandmother. . . . This sprawling historical novel holds the emotional honesty of real life, and the compelling nature of fiction.”—BookTrib
“I was intrigued by the fascinating, well-drawn characters and plot twists in A Wolff in the Family. The author brings us into a time and a world she has researched well and portrays with historical accuracy. No spoilers here, but a surprise near the book’s conclusion grabbed me. I recommend this novel for an enjoyable read that will likely keep you wondering what will happen next.”
—Marcia Naomi Berger, author of The Bipolar Therapist: A Journey from Madness to Love and Meaning
“Heartbreaking at its core, A Wolff in the Family takes the bones of a long-hidden family secret and fleshes it out to include a large cast of characters who come alive on the page. Readers will despair with Naomi and her children as they navigate separate, but equal, hardships apart, with hope as their only beacon. Readers cannot help ask the questions: What skeletons are buried in my family lore? Do I dare uncover them? Kudos to Falk-Allen for taking this project on, making it both compelling and relatable, and shedding light into dark corners of family history. A bold and important read.”
—Ashley E. Sweeney, author of Eliza Waite
“A Wolff in the Family absolutely made me feel curiosity, apprehension, relief, outrage, hope, compassion, and more. The book’s cinematic storytelling, with vivid details about the characters, their habits, and their personalities, as well as the energetic pacing of events captivated me from the start. I could not put it down! The immersive descriptions of domestic life put me in the shoes of the Wolff women and girls, who, along with all the other family members, became real to me because of Falk-Allen’s excellent character development.”
—Ilze Duarte, PhD, writer and literary translator, recipient of the 2024 Sundial House Literary Translation Award
“A Wolff in the Family, historical fiction with a touch of memoir, belongs among the great multi-generational family sagas, such as The Forsyte Saga, East of Eden, and The Thorn Birds. Falk-Allen weaves a complex story of light and dark, of human failings compounded by the oppressive gender roles in traditional families. The characters come alive on the page, drawing you into a vivid world of yesterday.”
—Jude Berman, author of The Die and The Vow
“A Wolff in the Family lives up to its name, following the Wolff family through the early years of the 20th century. But it’s more than that—it’s a saga of life in the West, complete with vivid descriptions of injustices toward women and children, interrupted educations, love, and loss, all told in the vernacular of the era. This well-crafted novel will break your heart, bring you joy, and make you grateful to be living in the 21st century.”
—Susen Edwards, author of What a Trip and Lookin’ for Love
“Women have always wanted agency over their own lives, and in this fascinating fictionalized account of her family history, Falk-Allen reminds us that such agency has not always come easily. With its universal themes of love, sacrifice, and freedom, A Wolff in the Family shows us how far we’ve come, even as we recognize and find resonance with the characters’ deepest longings.”
—Ginny Kubitz Moyer, author of The Seeing Garden
“A moving and evocative family saga, consummately constructed, and beautifully narrated. Francine Falk-Allen delivers a novel that is emotionally engaging and powerful—but at the same time relentless in its probing of gender inequality, and how its consequences have manifested across generations in America.”
—Robert Steven Goldstein, author of the novels Will’s Surreal Period, Enemy Queen, Cat’s Whisker, and The Swami Deheftner
“An empathetic lesson in resilience and forgiveness, A Wolff in the Family takes an unflinching look at complex familial ties, gender roles, and the hardships of women in the early 20th century through one family’s story across the United States. With the kind of drama that builds, this captivating book is a multifaceted tale with flawed and human characters and the complicated decisions that make a life.”
—Joanne Howard, author of Sleeping in the Sun
