The Two-Family House by Linda Cohen Loigman

The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman- 304 pages

ARC courtesy of Net Galley and St. Martins Press

Book Blurb:

Brooklyn, 1947: in the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born minutes apart to two women. They are sisters by marriage with an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic night; but as the years progress, small cracks start to appear and their once deep friendship begins to unravel. No one knows why, and no one can stop it. One misguided choice; one moment of tragedy. Heartbreak wars with happiness and almost but not quite wins.

My Review: 3.5 stars

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The Two-Family House was a light read, perfect during my holiday vacation. It’s a story of two Jewish families, with brothers as the patriarchs of each family, and the ensuing drama that happens within the shared home.

This situation of living with family was not uncommon during that time, but a life-changing decision of the two matriarchs completely changes from simple and friendly to complex and caustic. Although the plot was engaging, for me, it was a bit too predictable so I found myself rushing through the story.

The author did a good job at having the characters evolve into their truest nature and captured much of the angst settling within each of them. I look forward to reading what’s next from this author.

Quotes I liked:

You just summed up the difference between men and women, sweetheart. Men kvetch, and women suffer in silence!”

-“Some things we just have to accept, so we can save our strength for other problems.”

-“We always think our own grief is the worst—worse than everybody else’s. But the truth is, we never know for sure what the people around us are feeling. I have had some bad things happen, but then a lot of wonderful things happened to me, too. An awful thing happened to you yesterday. But you mustn’t let it ruin the happiness that lies ahead for you, dear.”