An Uncommon Family (Family Portrait, Book 1)

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An Uncommon Family (Family Portrait, Book 1)

by Christa Polkinhorn (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 51 ratings · 17 reviews

A chance meeting between a middle-aged woman, a widower, and a semi-orphaned child in the city of Zurich, Switzerland, brings together three people who grapple with a past of loss and betrayal. Six-year-old Karla, whose mother died in a car crash, has a hard time accepting the loss. Anna, her aunt and guardian, struggles with her former husband’s deception and her shattere...more

Paperback, 296 pages

Published August 25th 2011 (first published January 28th 2011)

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Aug 11, 2011 Linda Lewis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-women, womens-fiction

In Christa Polkinhorn’s debut novel Love of a Stonemason, she introduced us to the adult Karla Bocelli and in this prequel, she takes us back to Karla’s childhood. We learn more of what life was like for the child artist Karla as she dealt with the death of her mother and a long-distance father, but the heart of the book is a love story, complicated by secrets.

This time around it’s Karla’s aunt Anna, hardened toward love by a devastating secret in her past, who must decide whether to let artist...more

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May 01, 2012 Marti rated it 4 of 5 stars

As the book opens, 6 year old Karla is sure she has just seen her mama and runs to catch up to her. As she falls on a busy street in Zurich, Switzerland, she sees the woman's face and realizes it's not her mama after all. As she falls, a man she's convinced must be St. Nicholas himself comes to her aid. We find that Karlas's mother has fairly recently died along with Karla's grandmother in a violent car crash. Karla was also in the car but was not seriously injured. As her aunt, Anna catches up...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Susan Eisenberg rated it 5 of 5 stars

I spent the past two days reading Christa Polkinhorn's poignant novel, AN UNCOMMON FAMILY. The book tells the story of Anna, an emotionally cautious bookstore owner, who becomes the guardian of her sister's daughter, Karla, after the girl's mother dies. Aunt and niece forge a bond of mutual sorrow, but it's their serendipitous encounter with Jonas, a generous widower with sorrows of his own, that finally allows Anna and Karla to set aside their grief and embrace new possibilities.

Set in Switzerl...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Martha Cheves rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An Uncommon Family – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“Mama?” she whispered. She saw the woman only from behind, but the bounce in her step, the long, reddish-blond hair flowing down her back, swaying left and right, the tall, slender figure – it must be her mother. She tossed the rest of the ice cream into the trash can, got up, and ran after the woman. “Mama!” she called as the woman got ready to cross the street. The light turn...more An Uncommon Family – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“Mama?” she whispered. She saw the woman only from behind, but the bounce in her step, the long, reddish-blond hair flowing down her back, swaying left and right, the tall, slender figure – it must be her mother. She tossed the rest of the ice cream into the trash can, got up, and ran after the woman. “Mama!” she called as the woman got ready to cross the street. The light turned from blinking red to solid red, just as the woman reached the other side. Karla rushed after her, barely aware of the honking around her or of the shrill warning bell of the blue-and-white streetcar. She heard someone yell at her but by then she had arrived at the other side. The woman was walking along the river toward the Lake of Zurich. “Mama, wait!” Karla bumped into someone. “Watch it, kiddo.” A man stepped aside. “Mama…” The woman finally turned around and looked back, scanning the people behind her, then walked on. Karla stopped dumbfounded. It as the face of a stranger.

Six year old Karla is devastated when she realizes the woman she followed wasn’t her mother. The disappointment she felt when finding out she had been mistaken brought her to her tears causing her to fall and skin her knees. Jonas Bergman was walking by at that time and helped the little girl up and tried to ease her pain until her Aunt Anna made it to her side. When Karla explained that she thought the lady was her mother, Anna had to explain to not just her but Jonas as well that her mother wouldn’t be coming back. Karla’s mother and grandmother had both been killed in a car accident. This was something that Karla knew but wasn’t ready to accept.

After her sister and mother were killed, Anna took custody of Anna. She was a single woman with memories of a happier, yet devastating time when she was younger. Twenty years ago she was married to a wonderful man and living in New York. Live couldn’t be better. But it could be worse and that’s exactly what it became.

Jonas was a widower. The love of his life had died of cancer leaving him with an emptiness that no one would ever fill again. His life now consisted of his art work and teaching. And after seeing some of Karla’s work, he knew she would be a master student.

Now, can you take 3 very lonely people and make them into one happy family? Can you take the lack of trust from a woman that has been hurt so badly that she swore to never trust another man and turn her into a loving companion? Can you take a man who spends his free time talking to his deceased wife as if she is there and convenience him to take a step toward healing and happiness? This is what Karla and her best friend Maja plan to do.

An Uncommon Family was an extremely heart touching book. When I read a book to review I normally make notes or post stickies on pages marking events I want to remember. I didn’t do that with this book. I didn’t have time. I became so engrossed that I turned page after page and forgot the notes. This is a truly beautiful story about love and the loss of love.

Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com

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Aug 09, 2011 Helen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An Uncommon Family by Christa Polkinhorn is the story of three people: Karla, a six year old girl, living with her aunt, Anna, and Jonas, an artist who comes to play a pivotal role in their lives. Primarily set in Zurich, Switzerland, the story also ventures to New York and Guadalajara, Mexico.

The story is not nearly as “dark” as you might think by reading the cover blurb, although it does have its moments of tenseness and stress, misunderstandings and pain. It also has love, forgiveness and und...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers who enjoy novels about relationships, foreign settings (Europe and Mexico)

AN UNCOMMON FAMILY is a beautiful, restful, deeply satisfying novel about good people.

A prequel to LOVE OF A STONEMASON, it is about the forming of a family: six-year-old Karla Bocelli, who lost her mother in a car crash and whose father lives in Peru; Anna, her aunt and guardian; and Jonas, Karla's 52-year-old art teacher. Anna and Jonas -- no strangers to hurt, loss, and betrayal -- maneuver toward each other cautiously.

Christa Polkinhorn has insight into relationships of all kinds -- what hap...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Six-year old Karla's mother died in a tragic accident. Anna, her aunt, having no experience with children, takes her in to live with her.

Jonas is Karla's art teacher whom Karla refers to as St. Nick because his looks remind her of him. Jonas, through his tender ways, draws Karla out of her grief. They become good friends. Anna, through Karla's relationship with Jonas, gets to know Jonas, and Jonas gets to know Anna.

Neither Anna nor Jonas are looking for romance. He's a widower. She's ... well,...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Larry Enright rated it 5 of 5 stars

“An Uncommon Family” is about just that – a six year-old girl who lost her mother in a car crash and still has nightmares about it, her aunt who survived a failed marriage and remains bitter and distant in her relationships with men, and an artist whose marriage ended in the tragic death of his wife. The story is about the intertwining of their lives from when Karla, the young girl, is six until her twelfth birthday. At the outset, she and Anna, her aunt and guardian, by chance, encounter Jonas,...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Kirsty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, read-for-review, read-2011

An Uncommon Family opens with the character of six-year-old Karla in Zurich, Switzerland. She begins to run after a character whom she believes is her mother, but who turns out to be a total stranger. It transpires that Karla's mother and grandmother passed away in a car accident six months ago and she is being cared for by her Aunt Anna. The novel is essentially about Karla overcoming her grief and about Anna accepting that she now has full responsibility for her niece.

The novel revolves almost...more An Uncommon Family opens with the character of six-year-old Karla in Zurich, Switzerland. She begins to run after a character whom she believes is her mother, but who turns out to be a total stranger. It transpires that Karla's mother and grandmother passed away in a car accident six months ago and she is being cared for by her Aunt Anna. The novel is essentially about Karla overcoming her grief and about Anna accepting that she now has full responsibility for her niece.

The novel revolves almost entirely around Karla as it is clear that the other characters would not know one another if not for the young girl. She is their link, the element which brings them both together. Karla loves drawing and painting and is seen as talented by the other characters. She is a very pious character and looks to God for answers. Karla's story has many twists and turns as the novel progresses.

All of the characters in An Uncommon Family are broken in some way. They are fragile, abandoned and desperately trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. Although the characters are described well both in terms of past stories and appearances, something seems lacking at first and they do not seem fully fleshed out. The story itself really picked up around one third of the way through for me. I found the pasts of the characters far more interesting than their presents.

In An Uncommon Family, a third person omniscient narrator is used, which allows the reader to view all three main characters - Karla, Anna and Karla's painting teacher Jonas - objectively. Polkinhorn's narrative style and similes seem a little childish at first, but the effect helps the reader empathise more fully with Karla. Some of the dialogue did read like a natural conversation but in other instances - where Jonas is speaking to his next door neighbour, for example - seemed like rather clumsy exchanges.

I did have a few small issues with the overall reliability of the novel. Karla's friend Maja seems a little too wise for a seven-year-old - the age she is when the novel begins - and her speech seems slightly too advanced to be realistic. Other characters, particularly Jonas, talk to Karla as if she is much older than she is and try to explain confusing concepts to her in several instances. He is incredibly blunt in his dialogue towards her and does not try to save her feelings or protect her from the horrid details of her mother’s and grandmother’s deaths. Some of the 'coincidences' - finding a painting teacher, the half-Danish widower Jonas Bergman, by chance in Zurich after Karla has an accident - do seem a little unlikely. Although the narrative voice was consistent, it sometimes seemed a little repetitive. Some of Anna’s dialogue was also a little clumsy in places.

The dialogue used is incredibly Americanised. Words such as ‘highway’, ‘icky’, ‘hon’, ‘sweetie’, ‘cool’ and ‘Mom’ and phrases like ‘neat, huh?’, ‘oh gee, what a bummer’ and ‘pulled a snit’ really don’t fit with the Swiss characters. I recognise that the author divides her time between Switzerland and America but the speech used sadly makes the characters seem less realistic.

There is an inclusion of several mundane, unnecessary details, some of which are either repeated from early narrative or character conversations, or seem obvious in context. Karla often speaks to her dead mother and tells her redundant things that the reader presumes she will have already known. Examples of this are the way in which she describes her father and says that Aunt Anna does not have any expensive furniture in her house. This is evidently all for the benefit of the reader - filling in details and so on - but it does seem a little wooden in consequence. Some details didn't really add up overall - for example, how Karla is able to speak two fluent languages and then parts of another at the age of eight.

With regard to the style of the novel, the chapters themselves were rather short and concise. This made it easy for the book to be put down and picked up again without the story being lost. The atmosphere of Zurich is captured from the outset and Polkinhorn's scenic descriptions are great. The wonderful descriptions of Christmas were a lovely touch. The historical details of World War Two were well-researched, as was the general geography of Zurich.

In conclusion, I found Jonas' and Anna's back story a lot more interesting than Karla’s. The novel definitely picked up for me when these characters began to speak about their pasts. I found that the pivotal essence of the novel is building relationships with others and learning to trust and love again.(less)

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Aug 01, 2012 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

An Uncommon Family is about 6 year old Karla who lost her mother in a car crash, her Aunt and guardian Anna and an artist names Jonas. A chance meeting brings themm all together until a sinister secret in Jonas's past comes out.

This is a beautifully written book that touches on all subjects, love, loss, betrayal, forgiveness. A must read. I won this book from Goodreads.

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Jul 09, 2011 Lisette Brodey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Six-year-old Karla lost her mother in a car crash and now lives with her aunt Anna, who years before had lost her husband in a plane crash, immediately after learning of a life-changing betrayal. By chance one day in Zurich, they meet artist Jonas Bergman, who had lost his beloved wife to cancer.

Karla begins to take art lessons from Jonas, and over the years, a relationship forms between Anna and Jonas, but each character’s past threatens to destroy the love they are building.

This was a very w...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

*** This book was provided to me free-of-charge by the author through a First Reads Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks! ***

This book tells the bittersweet tale of three people whose lives become intertwined after each experiences a very personal loss. The story takes place in Switzerland and begins with the introduction of Karla, a 6-year old girl who loses her single parent Mom and Grandmother in a tragic accident. Haunted by memories of her mother, Karla chases her ghost down a street in Zurich, setti...more *** This book was provided to me free-of-charge by the author through a First Reads Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks! ***

This book tells the bittersweet tale of three people whose lives become intertwined after each experiences a very personal loss. The story takes place in Switzerland and begins with the introduction of Karla, a 6-year old girl who loses her single parent Mom and Grandmother in a tragic accident. Haunted by memories of her mother, Karla chases her ghost down a street in Zurich, setting up a fateful meeting between herself, her aunt Anna (a widow with custody of Karla), and Jonas (an artist who lost his wife to cancer a few years earlier).

The characters’ personal histories are slowly revealed through flashbacks as Anna and Jonas fall in love, but each carries scars and secrets in their past which build walls and create breaches of trust between the two. The reader is taken on an emotional ride as we see Karla develop from a devastated child into a confident, contemplative adolescent striving to re-create a loving family environment with the two loving, but difficult adults in her life.

Polkinhorn has a talent for creating and manipulating a story and setting to elicit a range of emotions from sadness to anger to delight. The topic itself is not light. The characters experience real tragedy in their lives (all involving death). What Polkinhorn does so well is reveal Anna’s and Jonas’ back stories slowly giving the reader time to contemplate how their histories affect their present lives. Polkinhorn also tidies up the stories so that there is resolution at the end of the book – something I personally really appreciate!

I have never personally been to Zurich but my understanding is that it is a beautiful city - - perhaps even to rival Vancouver, BC ;) Polkinhorn describes the city and surrounding area so beautifully that I felt I could be sitting on the veranda with a cup of coffee gazing out at the lake and the mountains. Aaaaahhhh!

Now, on to a couple little issues I had with this book. First, I’m sorry but I just don’t like the cover illustrations. They look a little hokey. I think it really should have a different cover. Also, the people on the cover don’t match the physical descriptions of the characters in the book. For example, Anna is referred to as a brunette on p. 113 and p. 218 but the lady on the cover has blond hair. I also thought there was mention of Jonah’s beard in the story, but the man on the cover has no facial hair and it looks like he’s wearing a wig.

Secondly, there is inconsistent information around Anna’s age. On p. 24, Anna indicates that she met her husband “25 years ago” just before she completed her degree. Let’s assume that one completes a degree at age 21. That would make her about 46 years old? On p. 151, Jonah guesses that she’s in her late 30’s or early 40’s from a conversation they had (not from the way she looks). Even Anna refers to herself as just hitting the 40’s. Something is just not adding up there.

So, at the end of the day, I really liked the story. In fact, the last chapter is so poignant it just brought it all together for me. You can literally feel this story moving from terrible sadness and distress in the first chapter to hope in the final chapter. Beautiful!
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Jan 22, 2013 Gareth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So good I read it twice!

A rich and emotive story around three principal characters, each with their own troubled pasts. Although each of the characters bears an entirely different burden to the others, all three become inextricably linked in the unfolding story of an unlikely union.

Karla, a precocious and talented young girl; her guardian aunt Anna, withdrawn and mistrustful of men, devoted only to her niece; and Jonas, a kindly, gentle-souled man who undertakes art tutoring of young Karla. In...more So good I read it twice!

A rich and emotive story around three principal characters, each with their own troubled pasts. Although each of the characters bears an entirely different burden to the others, all three become inextricably linked in the unfolding story of an unlikely union.

Karla, a precocious and talented young girl; her guardian aunt Anna, withdrawn and mistrustful of men, devoted only to her niece; and Jonas, a kindly, gentle-souled man who undertakes art tutoring of young Karla. In doing so, a warm yet cautious relationship develops between he and Anna – but one that the reader wonders how it may possibly develop with Anna so rigid and full of doubt.

All three have tragedies to conquer, from grief to betrayal to guilt. Yet a close bond forms as Jonas becomes closer to both his protégé Karla, and the woman of his increasing desire, Anna. But as secrets unfold, and memories of betrayal linger, even as childish mischief comes into play, it looks sadly like this trio of loveable characters are going to drift apart.

This is a story described in a beautiful literary prose style, the narrative detailed and lyrically descriptive. I’m especially fond of the portrayal behind each three personalities. In Karla I see the amazing, if tragic, devices that a child may employ to deal with grief. Imagining under certain circumstances that a crack opens in the sky and you can see into Heaven to talk to those you’ve lost. Very touching. In Anna, the stoic mentality that is her armour against another betrayal, yet her own self-doubt at her capability to be enough of a ‘parent’ to Karla. And in Jonas, the persistence and patience of a solid character with a heart of gold, but a mind full of guilt for a crime that, in my opinion, really isn’t his to bear.

And… wherever I may have suspected the story would lead, I could not guess at the surprise twist in Anna’s past, a revelation that changes Anna’s perspective and, perhaps, enables her to release some of her pain. Only by moving beyond the past and looking optimistically ahead, will she have any chance of happiness.

All of the texture in this story, the smooth passage of time through seasons and years, the crisp dialogue and smooth plot development, makes for a thoroughly rewarding read. I recommend you read it, and ease into the nourishing atmosphere of this charming and cleverly depicted story of love, loss, loneliness, and hope.
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Jul 15, 2011 Lee Holz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Christa Polkinhorn has crafted another wonderful and poignant story of love, loss, betrayal and redemption. It is remarkable that she writes so beautifully in a second language. She joins a distinguished and short list that includes Joseph Conrad and Erich Maria Remarque. Highly recommended.

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Feb 16, 2012 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Enjoyed this as another free kindle book. more sex then I would want my teen to read but a good story. Nice resilience for a child.

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May 21, 2012 Larry B Gray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was so easy to identify with the characters and get into the flow of the story. I especially liked the way Christa described events and the surrounding. I felt I could actually see the colors and smell the flowers. This is a great book to sit back in your favorite chair and get lost in.

I highly recommend this book.

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Feb 11, 2012 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: giveaway-wins, indie-books-read-2012, reviewed

This wasn't a bad story but the young girls in the story we way to 'mature' for their ages and this detracted from the book. It's a good story really, it just needs the little girls to be little girls, not little girls acting like 20 something girls.

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Jun 05, 2013 Becky marked it as to-read

Shelves: freebies

May 31, 2013 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

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May 04, 2013 Judy Santoski rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Shelves: kindle-cloud, kindle-freebie, purchased-102012

May 01, 2013 Patricia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 19, 2013 Fae Peace added it

Apr 10, 2013 Carol Soto marked it as to-read-contemporary-series

Apr 09, 2013 Vivek rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 07, 2013 Rachel Hilton marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, ebooks, incomplete-series, on-kindle-paperwhite, women-s-fiction

Apr 06, 2013 Gayle marked it as to-read

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The Indie Exchang...: An Uncommon Family - Free on Amazon 5/23 and 5/24	1	7	May 22, 2012 07:20pm
Goodreads Authors...: AN UNCOMMON FAMILY free on Amazon today	1	6	Mar 20, 2012 05:17am
The Indie Exchang...: 10 free copies of my family/romance	1	16	Jan 10, 2012 07:53pm
The Indie Exchang...: 10 free copies of AN UNCOMMON FAMILY (Family Portrait, Book 1)	3	17	Nov 29, 2011 03:22pm

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About Christa Polkinhorn

Born and raised in Switzerland, Christa Polkinhorn has always had a desire to explore the world outside of her beautiful but tiny country. As a young woman, she traveled through Europe, came to the United States on an exchange program, and ended up staying. Her travels led her to China and Japan as well as South America. She studied literature and linguistics in Zurich and California. Now, she liv...more

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