A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser

A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser – 384 pages 

Book Blurb:

When two strangers are linked by a mail-in DNA test, it’s an answered prayer―that is, for one half-sister. For the other, it will dismantle everything she knows to be true.
But as they step into the unfamiliar realm of sisterhood, the roles will reverse in ways no one could have foreseen.
Caroline lives a full, happy life―thriving career, three feisty children, enviable marriage, and a close-knit extended family. She couldn’t have scripted it better. Except for one thing: She’s about to discover her fundamental beliefs about them all are wrong.

Sela lives a life in shades of gray, suffering from irreversible kidney failure. Her marriage crumbled in the wake of her illness. Her beloved mother and lifelong best friend passed away. She refuses to be defined by her grief, but still, she worries about what will happen to her two-year-old son if she doesn’t find a donor match in time.
She’s the only one who knows Caroline is her half-sister. That Caroline may be her best hope for a future. But Sela’s world isn’t as clear-cut as it appears―and one misstep could destroy it all. After all, would you risk everything to save the life of the person who turned yours upside down?”
From the moment Caroline meets Sela, both must reexamine what it really means to be family, the depths of a mother’s love, and the limits and the power of forgiveness.

My Review: 4 stars – Guest Review

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A Million Reasons Why is a totally engrossing, provocative, and thought provoking book that deals with DNA testing, which has been a recent hot topic, both in the news and in many books. This story of half-sisters who discover each other through a DNA test, and the resulting ethical conflicts, immediately intrigued me and drew me in. Carolyn and Sela are the protagonists and narrators of the story and it is told in their alternating points of view. As the story unfolds, the reader learns more of Sela’s and Caroline’s complex, individual stories and there is exploration of many family dynamics and secrets from both of their families.

This was a slow-burn character-driven story with relatable and believable characters. The author’s great descriptive writing and storytelling brought the story and all of the primary and secondary characters to life. The dialogue was always genuine and honest.   

Even though this book is a family drama (or melodrama), there were many suspenseful and surprising plot twists and turns, some of which were totally unpredictable. To say any more about the plot would be wandering into spoiler territory. There were so many secrets and twists I often didn’t know what would happen next. There is so much more to the story than you might expect. There are numerous themes including: motherhood, friendship, chronic disease, love, sacrifice, letting go, family dynamics, infidelity, loss, betrayal, hope, familial bonds, and loyalty. In addition, there was a lot of interesting information woven in about organ donation from several perspectives. Even though the recent trend of mail-in DNA tests is a common occurrence, Strawser elevates this topic by incorporating so many other themes. What I liked the most about this book was that with so much going on, you can’t help but put yourself into the same situation and ask, “What would I do if faced with these same decisions?” This would really be a great book for a book club discussion since it is filled with many moral dilemmas, and each character is faced with difficult decisions. A book club would have a lot of material to debate about the issues and the decisions that these characters made. 

This book was endorsed by Jodi Picoult and would appeal to her fans. I highly recommend this book for fans of family dramas, with a little suspense thrown in. This was my first book by Jessica Strawser and I am looking forward to going back and reading some of her other work. Guest Fairy Review from Ronna W.