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Twice the Family: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood

by Julie Ryan McGue

In this coming-of-age memoir, set in Chicago’s western suburbs between the 1960s and ’80s, adopted twins Julie and Jenny provide their parents with an instant family. Their sisterly bond holds tight as the two strive for identity, individuality, and belonging. But as Julie’s parents continue adding children to the family, some painful and tragic experiences test family values, parental relationships, and sibling bonds.

Faced with these hurdles, Julie questions everything—who she is, how she fits in, her adoption circumstances, her faith, and her idea of family. But the life her parents have constructed is not one she wants for herself—and as she matures, she recognizes how the experiences that formed her have provided her a road map for the person and mother she wants to be.

Adoptee Author: Julie Ryan McGue

Publication Year: 2025


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Twice the Family: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood
Twice the Family: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Sisterhood
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