The English American: A Novel by Alison Larkin

The English American by Alison Larkin is an insightful and humorous look into the world of adoption

My book review rating: 5 stars – a wonderful read that I hope will one day make it to the big screen

As she approaches her 30th birthday Pippa Dunn begins to wonder about her family origins. Adopted at birth by her ‘parents’ Pippa has always felt different from the rest of the family and longs to learn more about her birth parents.

When fate paves the way for a meeting with her mother and father Pippa finds herself whisked off to America where she recognises traits in herself in these strangers who gave her life.

In a wonderful insight into the world of adoption and the effects it can have on everyone involved Larkin leads us through a year in Pippa’s life as she learns that things aren’t always what they seem. As she finds the half that makes her whole she learns to accept herself as well as those around her.

This book is funny, endearing, romantic, heart wrenching and heart warming, and I dare you not to devour it in as few a sittings as possible. It’s the perfect book for a Sunday afternoon curled up by the fire with your cat, and one day I hope to see it on the big screen as I think it would make a fantastic movie.

Girly chick lit this is not, but you walk away from it with the same warm feeling and a smile on your face.