Jessica Russo knows nothing about her mother’s family or her Cuban culture. Every time she’s asked about it, her mother has shut down. But when the Cuban grandmother she’s never met sends her right-hand man, Luis, to offer Jessica the chance to come to Miami and meet her estranged family, she can’t help but say yes, even as she knows it will pain her mother.

The woman that Jessica meets is nothing like what she expected. Her grandmother is successful, intelligent, determined, and all too willing to take blame for what has happened to cause the estrangement, and, more importantly, to try and set things right. As Jessica spends time with her grandmother i,n her beautiful island home, she learns about her family’s history and what caused the schism between her mother and grandmother.,

As days with her grandmother turn to weeks, Jessica is determined to find a way to heal her fractured family. And in the end, Jessica might just learn something about herself and what it means to embrace the many facets of her identity.

Review:

Absorbing, romantic, and heartfelt!

The Family She Never Met is an uplifting, engaging tale that takes you into the life of furniture restorer Jessica Russo who, after years of secrets and misunderstandings, journeys to Miami to meet the grandmother she’s never met and to uncover her mother’s past that unfortunately seems to be littered with a multitude of hurts and regrets.

The prose is vivid and rich. The characters are multi-layered, torn, and sympathetic. And the plot is a well-crafted, heartwarming tale full of mystique, heartbreak, familial drama, secrets, history, culture, hard work, courage, forgiveness, self-discovery, hope, romance, and the struggles faced by Cubans under Castro rule to endure oppression, rebellion, economic instability, and forced exilement.

Overall, The Family She Never Met is a lovely blend of historical facts and compelling fiction. It’s a delightfully touching tale that’s nostalgic, interesting, heartbreaking, and sweet and does a wonderful job of highlighting Piñeiro’s passion for her familial heritage.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.