This column, featuring Omaha Public Library's staff recommended reads for found family, appeared in the November 10, 2024, edition of the Omaha World-Herald (NE), page 2E of the Living Section. It is also available at Omaha.com (opens in a new tab), opens a new window.
OPL offers ideas for exploring the family we find
Omaha Public Library wants to help readers find new books - or at least books new to them. Staff members recommend books based on various writing genres, themes or styles. This month, the focus is on found family. Find these books and more at your local branch or omahalibrary.org.
"All Adults Here" by Emma Straub. This novel explores how our childhood experiences shape our adult lives, and how we can find happiness in surprising places when we finally accept certain truths about ourselves. - Sarah Lewald, assistant branch manager at the W. Clarke Swanson Branch
"All the Lonely People" by Mike Gayle. Hubert Bird migrated to England from Jamaica in 1958. Although the story begins 60 years later, the book is split between Now and Then sections. As Hubert navigates through loneliness in the Now, the reader learns his back story through the Then. This is where you meet his great love, Joyce, their children Rose and David, and a cast of friends and relatives. - Theresa Jehlik, strategy and business intelligence manager
"The Briar Club" by Kate Quinn. Set in Washington, D.C., from 1950 to 1954, the book is a character study and a mystery. The plot revolves around Grace, a new boarder, who brings life to the house with her Thursday Supper Clubs and sympathetic ears for all residents. Each character represents a type of personality that didn't quite fit with the era's relentless portrayal of the happy homemaker with 2.5 children and an adoring husband. - Jehlik
"Cuckoo" by Gretchen Felker-Martin. This is so far my favorite book of 2024 and the only book in recent memory to actually terrify me. It tells the story of a group of LGBT teenagers who are kidnapped and taken to a conversion therapy camp where a sinister presence awaits to steal their skins and take their place. They must band together and rely on each other to get out, hence the strong theme of found family. Recommended for fans of Stephen King's "It" and the John Carpenter film "The Thing." - David Dick, library specialist at the Benson Branch
"The Foundling" by Paul Joseph Fronczak. Absolutely riveting - it has everything: family history brick walls, DNA, abandoned children, adoption .... The one thing missing is a genealogical chart to keep new-found relatives straight. This is the story of a child who discovered he was not who he thought he was, and how, as an adult, he began the search for his identity - and found it. It raises interesting questions about how we define ourselves and the nature of families. - Martha Grenzeback, genealogy and local history librarian
"How to Age Disgracefully" by Clare Pooley. This book is a delightful romp of a read told from multiple perspectives as a ragtag group tries to save their local community center. The characters in the novel span generations, and it is a treat to see septuagenarians who are set in their ways create a found family with toddlers from a daycare and with people every age in between. This was a heartwarming book with distinct characters that kept a near constant smile on my face. - Gabbi Anzalone, library specialist at the Charles B. Washington Branch
"The Manhattan Girls" by Gill Paul. This novel centers around Dorothy Parker and her friends who make up a "bridge club" in the early 1920s. They gather to gossip, share bootleg cocktails, discuss their work and romance woes, and try to learn the game of bridge. It's a fascinating glimpse of a time when women had new freedoms after World War I, and New York City is a literary hub for the likes of Alex Woolcott, Robert Benchley, Ruth Hale and others. - Jehlik
"On a Sunbeam" by Tillie Walden. This queer romance and sci-fi graphic novel has found family as one of its major themes. The main character, Mia, works on a spaceship with a crew that travels to distant planets, restoring abandoned ruins. The crew members grow close as they embark on an adventure to help Mia reconnect with her long-lost love. I love how this story highlights the importance of care within community and chosen family. - Joelle Sandfort, genealogy and local history specialist
About Omaha Public Library
Omaha Public Library (OPL) strengthens our communities by connecting people with ideas, information, and innovative services, acting as an essential catalyst, collaborator, and connector. Learn about OPL's collections, facilities, services, programs and more at omahalibrary.org, opens a new window.
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