Congratulations to award-winning author Julie Ryan McGue on the release of Twice the Family, the much-anticipated prequel to McGue’s debut memoir, Twice a Daughter.
"Through the lens of her personal history, McGue explores human nature, family, and connection." ~Kirkus Reviews
Twice the Family: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood
New release: February 4, 2025#1 New Release in Twins & Multiples Parenting on Amazon
Genre: Twins & Multiples Parenting, Adoption, Women's Biographies
From: $12.99
In this coming-of-age memoir set in Chicago’s western suburbs between the 1960s and ’80s, adopted twins Julie and Jenny provide their parents with an instant family. Their sisterly bond holds tight as the two strive for identity, individuality, and belonging. But as their parents continue adding children to the family, some painful and tragic experiences test family values, parental relationships, and sibling bonds.
Faced with these hurdles, Julie questions everything—who she is, how she fits in, her adoption circumstances, her faith, and her idea of family. But the life her parents have constructed is not one she wants for herself—and as she matures, she recognizes how the experiences that formed her have provided her a road map for the person and mother she wants to be.
Praise for Twice the Family
"A memoir about faith, family, and doing right by others." ~Foreword Reviews
"A heartfelt exploration of connection, community, and the unbreakable bond between sisters." ~Simone Knego, author of The Extraordinary UnOrdinary You
"Intimate coming-of-age memoir about fragility and preciousness of life." ~Rikki West, Rootlines
Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging
Genre: Memoir, Creative Nonfiction, Adoption, Parenting, Personal Transformation4.5 stars, 1162 ratings
From: $12.99
Julie is adopted. She is also a twin. Because their adoption was closed, she and her sister lack both a health history and their adoption papers—which becomes an issue for Julie when, at forty-eight years old, she finds herself facing several serious health issues.
To launch the probe into her closed adoption, Julie first needs the support of her sister. The twins talk things over, and make a pact: Julie will approach their adoptive parents for the adoption paperwork and investigate search options, and the sisters will split the costs involved in locating their birth relatives. But their adoptive parents aren’t happy that their daughters want to locate their birth parents—and that is only the first of many obstacles Julie will come up against as she digs into her background.
Julie’s search for her birth relatives spans eight years and involves a search agency, a private investigator, a confidential intermediary, a judge, an adoption agency, a social worker, and a genealogist. By journey’s end, what began as a simple desire for a family medical history has evolved into a complicated quest—one that unearths secrets, lies, and family members that are literally right next door.
Praise for Twice a Daughter
"An engaging, endearing chronicle of a woman’s quest to find her origins." ~Kirkus Reviews
"A compelling, poignant memoir about the search for truth and belonging." ~Readers' Favorite
Awards:
- National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist in Parenting & Family
- International Book Awards Winner in Parenting & Family
- International Book Awards Finalist in Best New Nonfiction, Nonfiction: Narrative, and Women’s Issues / Women’s Studies
- Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorite in Parenting & Family
- CIBA Nellie Bly Book Awards Finalist
- NYC Big Book Awards Winner in Personal Growth
- NYC Big Book Awards Distinguished Favorite in Parenting & Family
- Living Now Awards Gold Winner in Memoir—Female
Belonging Matters: Conversations on Adoption, Family, and Kinship
Genre: Nonfiction, Family & Personal Growth, Parent & Adult Child Relationships, Adoption4.9 stars, 26 ratings
From: $0.99
Belonging Matters supports the adoption community while creating a conversation with those not directly touched by adoption. The collection explores the pursuit of identity and the boundaries of family and kinship. It challenges the reader to embrace all of who we come to be, and to discern with whom and where we belong. Because belonging defines the human experience, and it is what nourishes our spirit, fuels us with purpose, and compels us to soar beyond the limitations of our lived experience.
Praise for Belonging Matters
"Rich with compassion and wisdom." ~Midwest Book Review
"A narrative where the pursuit of identity intersects with human connection." ~American Writing Awards Book Reviews
Awards:
- Literary Titan Book Award Winner
- Finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards
- Firebird Book Award Winner
- Finalist in the Annual National Indie Excellence Awards for Book Cover Design and in the Personal Growth category
- Finalist in the International Book Awards in Parenting & Family category
- Nonfiction Winner, Honorable Mention in New York Book Festival
About the Author
Julie Ryan McGue is an award-winning American writer. Her weekly blogs focus on identity, family, and life's quirky moments. If she's not at her computer writing, she's out exploring with her camera, or on the tennis court. She is the mother of four adult children, a grandmother, and splits her time between NW Indiana and Sarasota, Florida. Learn more at JulieMcGueAuthor.com.Bonuses:
- Get a free download of Empathy: The Ripple Effect by signing up for Julie's free bimonthly newsletters. (See the pop-up sign-up form on her website.).
- Connect with her via podcasts and in-person events. (See the list of dates and events under "Follow Me" on her home page—including an appearance at Anderson's Bookstore in Downers Grove on February 18 for our friends in the Chicago area!)
- Finally, be sure to follow Julie online:
