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Finding Family

3.56 of 5 stars 3.56 · rating details · 71 ratings · 35 reviews

Delana has never known her parents. Raised by her Aunt Tilley and a reclusive grandfather, Delana has led a sheltered existence, nurtured on her aunt's wild family histories. But when Aunt Tilley dies, Delana confronts her pent-up curiosities and embarks on a quest to unravel her aunt's fictions and draw out her mysterious grandfather. In searching for her true history, De...more

Hardcover, 192 pages

Published August 31st 2010 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

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Dec 05, 2012 Ed added it

Bolden, Tanya. (2010). Finding Family. New York: Bloomsbury. 192 pp. ISBN 978-1-599-90318-7 (Hard Cover); $15.99.

Delana does not know her parents. Aunt Tilley has provided Delana with a very comfortable picture of who she is, but when Aunt Tilley dies, cousin Ambertine, “Trash and trouble,” is asking Delana to look deeper. Ambertine turns many of Aunt Tilley’s stories upside down forcing Delana to find her own truths about Aunt Tilley, Ambertine, and the parents she never knew. Finding her famil...more

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Apr 21, 2012 Meredith rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mock-newbery

Photograph - REM w/Natalie Merchant

I found this photograph
Underneath the picture glass
Tender face of black and white
Beautiful, a haunting sight
Looked into an angels smile
Captivated all the while
From the hair and clothes she wore
I'd place her in between the wars

Was she willing when she sat?
Posed the pretty photograph
Save her flowering and fair
Days to come, days to share
A big smile for the camera
How did she know?
The moment could be lost forever
Forever more

I found this photograph
Stashe...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Ari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

The ending was unsatisfactory. Delana sends a postcard to a certain family member but the book ends before she gets a response. I didn't think I had enough of a grasp on the personality of that family member to be able to decide how they would have responded. As a lover of historical fiction I wanted to know the exact time period the story was set but it's not clear, only that it's the early 20th century. The biggest problem I had with the book is that there is no plot and the problem is exacerb...more The ending was unsatisfactory. Delana sends a postcard to a certain family member but the book ends before she gets a response. I didn't think I had enough of a grasp on the personality of that family member to be able to decide how they would have responded. As a lover of historical fiction I wanted to know the exact time period the story was set but it's not clear, only that it's the early 20th century. The biggest problem I had with the book is that there is no plot and the problem is exacerbated by the lack of development of the characters (except for the main character). The book starts off slowly and there's a bit of mystery about halfway through the book, but if I wasn't the type of reader who has to finish every book (and who loves historical fiction) I probably wouldn't have finished it. It's too short of a book for there to be no plot or development of the other characters (for example the story between Grandpa and Miss Ida is predictable but so little mention is made of Miss Ida that it came off seeming random).

The most appealing part of this book is the concept behind it. The author collects photographs and gradually decided to write a story based on the photos she found. Delana is drawn to the photos and she imagines their stories and personalities based on how they appear in the picture. Delana has a voice. As the main character, I was relieved that she at least had some significant character development. At first, Delana accepts everything her Aunt Tilley tells her, once she dies, Delana feels lost. "Why didn't Ambertine just lay everything out for me, like Aunt Tilley and now Miss Ida laid out my clothes. What did Ambertine want me to decide-and want me to want?" (pg. 94) Delana feels lost without her Aunt Tilley not just because Aunt Tilley was fiercely protective of her and had lots of rules for her to floow but also because Delana's grandfather basically ignored her. Once Aunt Tilley has passed away, Delana is essentially all alone since her grandfather rarely talks to her. It's rewarding to see Delana growing more confident in herself. She works up the courage to talk to her grandfather along with other adults in her secret-filled family.

Finding Family suffers from little plot (and the little there is develops very slowly) and second dimensional characters but Delana as the main character avoids being presumptuous, instead she is refreshingly average if not a little timid. Her timidity/naivete are understandable since she's been reared by a domineering woman and once Aunt Tilley is gone, both her grandfather and herself are rather stupefied. Delana's growth is shown and that makes the book much more interactive. Plus learning about the members of Delana's family through the photos included makes this book unique and kept me turning the pages. Through the stories of Delana's family, more unusual (or at least less-well-known_ aspects of the Black experience are presented, reaffirming that there is no one universal Black experience. However, my guess would be that if you don't like historical fiction, you wouldn't be particularly drawn to this book. I wish though that we could have delved deeper into the stories of Delana's relatives (especially Ambertine, Emma and Grandpa).

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Jan 07, 2011 M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

For many years the author collected 19th and early 20th century photographs, tintypes, postcards, etc. She spent a lot of time looking at the faces of the long gone people in the pictures and she imagined stories for them. She thought about the post cards and how they could fit into these people's lives. And Finding Family is the result.

Delana was raised by her widowed grandfather and his sister after her mother died. She knows nothing about her father, not even his name--her great-aunt clearly...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Doret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Its 1905, 12 yr old Delena is being raised by her grandpa and aunt Tilley. Both are very cautious when it comes to what Delena is allowed to do. (usually the answer is no) The house is filled with family photographs. Delena wonders about everyone's story. Her grandpa isn't talking and aunt Tilley only shares a little, sometimes. Since, Delena was little, her Tilley was telling what to be wary of (pretty much everything). Delena's aunt also told her many stories about the mother's she's never see...more Its 1905, 12 yr old Delena is being raised by her grandpa and aunt Tilley. Both are very cautious when it comes to what Delena is allowed to do. (usually the answer is no) The house is filled with family photographs. Delena wonders about everyone's story. Her grandpa isn't talking and aunt Tilley only shares a little, sometimes. Since, Delena was little, her Tilley was telling what to be wary of (pretty much everything). Delena's aunt also told her many stories about the mother's she's never seen, who died giving birth and her father who was never heard from again.

In the beginning Delena's grandpa, Samuel Hannibal is very quiet. He doesn't talk much about his years in slavery. After, Delena's grandpa brought his freedom, he settled in Charleston, WV. By the end, Samuel is opening up about searching for family members by putting ads in newspapers and going to churches in hopes of hearing any news.

After aunt Tilley dies, Delena learns many of aunt's stories weren't true and there's no need to be afraid of everything.

Bolden uses her very own antique photographs in the novel. It's a beautiful touch, even more so with Delena using them to guess everyone's personalty.

" I liked the way aunt Rachel decorated herself. She had the same sense about her as Eula. Top boss of her world! And I was hoping aunt Tilley had mixed Eula up with somebody else. I wanted her name to be Emma, like was on the back of her photograph. "Emma" sounded more bouncy. Above all, may she not be passing. Or dead. that way when she came for the funeral she'd tell me all about her life as an opera singer or something that had her traveling around the world, but now she was tired, so tired. Tired of crossing oceans. Tired of keeping up with hatboxes and steamer trunks. She was ready to stay put where she had family. "

I really liked Delena and enjoyed watching her slowly begin to sort things out for herself, beginning with the photographs. Delena also learns the truth about her parents. Bolden surrounds Delana with well developed characters. I loved the straight forward telling of this novel, it made it very easy for me to connect with Delana.

Finding Family was very good and a pleasure to read(less)

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Nov 06, 2011 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gscba-2013, historical-fiction

Set during the early part of the 20th century, twelve-year-old Delana Hannibal lives with her Aunt Tilly and grandfather in rural West Virginia. Delana’s mother died shortly after childbirth and she was told that her father had run-off and left her. Aunt Tilly loved Delana as if she were her own and shared rich stories with her about her family’s past. She would take out pictures of kinfolk on Sunday afternoons and place them all around the living room. Then she and Delana would take a walk arou...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5th-grade-preview-books

"Delana has never known her parents. Raised by her Aunt Tilley and a reclusive grandfather, Delana has led a sheltered existence, nurtured on her aunt's wild family histories. But when Aunt Tilley dies, Delana confronts her pent-up curiosities and embarks on a quest to unravel her aunt's fictions and draw out her mysterious grandfather. In searching for her true history, Delana finds herself, and a home in the one place she never thought to look. This moving fictional story is imagined from real...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Erin Sterling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, character, story, youth-fiction

Sweet story set in the (early 1900s? one of my complaints about the book was that it was never clear what the date was, but sometime fairly soon after the end of slavery) about a girl who lives with her grandfather and her aunt, leading a somewhat sheltered life. When her aunt dies, she decides to learn more about her extended family and who her mother and father really were. It becomes a mystery when she learns that the story wasn't exactly the same as she was told growing up. Gentle, sweet sto...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I liked this one for several reasons. Besides having a well-rounded out African American character, it had an intriguing story line involving geneology. Finding Family plays a part ontwo levels: Delana trying to find her own and her grandfather's inability to find all of his. I LOVED Aunt Tilley...her voice rang so true! The other part I found interesting, and can remember being facinated with this as a young reader, were the photographs interspersed throughout the story and the family tree diag...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Deven Black rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school-lit

Bolden selects more than a dozen antique pictures from a collection, adds in some historical details, and unleashes her powerful imagination to weave an engaging story that will captivate young readers, teen readers and adults who have ever wondered about a close relative they’ve never met. This is a story about family, about imagination, about coming of age and wondering where you have come from, where you are going.
Young Delana’s father ran off before she ever met him and her mother is dead...more Bolden selects more than a dozen antique pictures from a collection, adds in some historical details, and unleashes her powerful imagination to weave an engaging story that will captivate young readers, teen readers and adults who have ever wondered about a close relative they’ve never met. This is a story about family, about imagination, about coming of age and wondering where you have come from, where you are going.
Young Delana’s father ran off before she ever met him and her mother is dead. She’s being raised by her stoic, almost silent grandfather and voluble Aunt Tilley who tells outrageous stories and maintains a 'Book of Bewares' to help keep Delana in line. When Tilley dies, Delana’s imagination, what Tilley called her “spacious mind,” flares and focuses on the father she’s never known. As the story progresses Delana learns more about her family than she ever imagined and discovers her place in the world.
Coming of age stories are a staple of young adult literature. Adolescence is a time of doubt, of reinvention, of self-discovery and also of loss; loss of childhood, often of innocence, and the loss of a sense of who you are while you are in the process of becoming a grown up. Bolden captures most of these feelings in Delana, whose coping with the loss of Aunt Tilley is a metaphor for the loss of innocence. This is foreshadowed when Tilley tells Delana that she will have a formal portrait taken when she turns 13. When Delana asks why at 13, Tilley replies, “Because that is the age of accountability...you sins start to count.” (p. 58-59)
Looking at the photographs Bolden includes it is easy to start forming impressions about the people in them. This woman looks so stern and that man seems so proud. Bolden doesn’t know the people in the photographs, almost all formal portraits of African-Americans from the latter parts of the 19th Century, but she brings them to life through her powerful story-telling skills. While the story she creates is anchored in the American South near the turn of the 20th Century, the timeless issues Bolden deals with — conflicts within families that shatter and reshape them, the value of memory and imagination, and the various guises of love — resonate strongly throughout this very accessible book.
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Mar 13, 2011 Brian Kelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the most appealing aspects of Tonya Bolden's YA novel Finding Family is how it came to be put together. Bolden writes that she has collected all sorts of things over the years, but most notably she has collected old photographs. Several of these photographs have been pieced together to create a fictional family and history--a history which has been kept a secret from her young female protagonist Delana Hannibal.

The author writes, "So in the making of Finding Family I had the great thrill...more One of the most appealing aspects of Tonya Bolden's YA novel Finding Family is how it came to be put together. Bolden writes that she has collected all sorts of things over the years, but most notably she has collected old photographs. Several of these photographs have been pieced together to create a fictional family and history--a history which has been kept a secret from her young female protagonist Delana Hannibal.

The author writes, "So in the making of Finding Family I had the great thrill of combining my passion for history with my wonderings about long ago lives: the millions of every day people from the past..."

"Thankfully in museums and historical socities, in libraries and private collections, we have people's diaries, family Bibles, handicrafts, letters, and other artifacts--like photographs. Such treasures not only give us insights into history but also allow our imaginations to take flight."

This use of old photographs is particularly appealing to me because I keep many old photographs around my home. They are filled with pictures of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins--some date as far back as the early 1930s as far as we can tell. I've found myself staring at them wondering what they were talking about, what was in the news that day, or even who took the picture and what they were thinking when they snapped it.

Regarding the writing style, Bolden's strength is the voice she creates with her pen. Voice is powerfully strong in this novel. I plan on using an excerpt or two with my own creative writing classes. Written from Delana's perspective, we seem to cover several years of her young life. We settle in around her 12th and 13th year when family secrets begin to unravel in front of her. This is a novel of discovery...an emotional journey where a young girl begins to learn the truth about her mother and father. She doesn't know either, and can't remember ever being with either.

Here is an example of the entertaining and vivid voice established in Finding Family:

Aunt Tilley had only let me have candy once in a blue moon. Said too much would curdle my mind. Cousin Richard didn't think candy was bad for me--or him, I learned when I helped him tote his things down to the library. I held my candy bag open to him, and he took a whole handful.

He popped jelly bean after jelly bean into his mouth as he swiveled in the chair before the rolltop desk. He was smiling at everything in the library, from the little table and chair by the window to the tiny maypops dotting the wallpaper. Scanning the bookshelves, he smiled even more. "I can still see her in here, curdled up in the chair, nose in a book, lost in some adventure."

I had a little bit of difficulty getting into the story early on, but the whole thing felt like a freight train taking off as it gained incredible momentum once Delana's family secrets came to light quickly. Delana didn't know any secrets existed--we learned with her. Truly, I hung with the story at first because of the wonderful storyteller's voice. Then Delana's journey kept me straight through till the end. Once it took off, I didn't put it down.

The fact that the novel ends a little open-ended...we are left to wonder something for ourselves...works well. Delana finds acceptance with herself and her family secrets and makes the determined first steps to reach out and confront them. What happens next is left to us to consider.

Add Finding Family to the ever-growing list of great stuff going on out there in the YA market and add it to your classroom. It is a clever story written from a great place within the author:

"As for your life, I hope you will take good care of artifacts from it, along with your family stories. A century in the future, what you have left behind may very well be prized by a writer working on a book of nonfiction. Or fiction."(less)

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Mar 04, 2012 Twuyen rated it 3 of 5 stars

this book was good not great but good.it was a little confusing but since it added pictures which i really liked about this book really helped me out.this book is a real southern feel to it!seriously when i read it i could feel it which was a great detail.the genre was historical fiction which really played off great.after all this book is 3 stars because it is confusing but this is just my opinion..i didnt give much detail because i dont like to spoil.

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Aug 07, 2011 Karen Arendt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family, independent-reader, historical-fiction

Set in the early 1900s, Delana learns about her mother who died when she was a baby and her father, whom she does not know. She lives with her Aunt, who passes away, and her grandfather. After her aunt dies, she starts to learn the secrets about her parents. I found the old photos used in the story fascinating and the inclusion of a family tree at the end of the book helpful. Good for fans of historical fiction, slavery fiction, and families with secrets.

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Jan 06, 2011 Susan Leland rated it 2 of 5 stars

Interesting concept -- story is based on the author's collection of old photographs, which are included throughout the book. But, I felt the story needed more plot. So many different people are mentioned but characters are not fully developed. The blending of primary materials with text has some similarity to Countdown, but Countdown is a much better book.

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Nov 04, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: work, elementary

Twelve year old Delana Hannibal lives a quietly sheltered life in Charleston, WV, with her grandfather and his sister (Aunt Tilly). Delana "visits kin" (looks at family photographs) while Aunt Tilly talks about the family's history and tells stories about their relatives. She learns right and wrong from a long list of "bewares" prescribed by overprotective Tilly.

When Aunt Tilly dies, Delana's world is turned upside down by cousin Ambertine, the family's black sheep. Who is this person and why do...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Renee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Summary: Raised in Charleston, West Virginia, at the turn of the twentieth century by her grandfather and aunt on off-putting tales of family members she has never met, twelve-year-old Delana is shocked when, after Aunt Tilley dies, she learns the truth about her parents and some of her other relatives.

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Dec 30, 2010 MJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, ya, african-american

Aunt Tilley talks about all the relatives but not the mother Delana knows nothing about. After Aunt Tilley’s death 12-year old Delana begins to find out. The use of old photos in the author’s possession really brings all the people to life at the turn of the century (1900 that is!).

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Feb 28, 2013 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved how the author created a story based around historical artifacts. This would be a great book to use to teach students that there is a reason it is called historical 'fiction'.

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Feb 03, 2011 Paula rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a wonderful story about a young girl's quest to figure out her family tree, and ultimately to learn something about her parents. The use of vintage photographs in the book was a touch of genius. A most enjoyable read!!

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Nov 05, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Monica Sheffo for TeensReadToo.com

Delana has never known her parents. Raised by her Grandpa and Aunt Tilley, she has very few clues to her past. And when Aunt Tilley suddenly dies, she fears that the last bit of her mother died, too.

An unexpected visit from a relative leads Delana to discover that everything she had been told about her parents was a lie. Can she piece together her mysterious past to discover who she truly is? Find out in FINDING FAMILY.

Tonya Bolden creates a story ri...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Danie P. rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good quick historical fiction book. I only gave it three stars because I wish there was more of the mysterious friend character and the girl's father.

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Sep 14, 2010 Edward Sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction

Tonya Bolden's first foray into novel writing and an impressive one. A beautifully written coming-of-age story set in early 20th century West Virginia.

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Dec 27, 2010 Shannon Kitchen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: african-american, family, alzheimer-s, historical, childrens, photography

I had no expectations going into this book. I really enjoyed it! It was a good little family saga-type of story. I loved the use of photography throughout and now I can't wait to meet her when she visits our library in February.

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Jan 10, 2011 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved the author's collection of vintage photos of African Americans and how they were woven into the story.

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Jan 05, 2011 Cassandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story took some sinking into but once I sank it was lovely and powerful.

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Jun 26, 2011 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: youngadult, historical-fiction

I read this book and really enjoyed the visual the old photographs gave to the story about a girl who is finding out the truth about her family after being sheltered from it her whole life. I definitely think it gives a look into the world during that time period in history and tells a story about family, grief and hidden family secrets. The author did a fantastic job with Delana's character of a girl who has been sheltered and finally breaking free from childhood into adolescence.

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Nov 02, 2010 Louisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: tweener

Cloying and obnoxious. I wanted family secrets, a ghost, something.

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Jun 22, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the language.

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Nov 17, 2010 Sarah marked it as to-order

Shelves: children-s-books, j-historical-fiction, bestbooklists2010

Kirkus Best Children's books 2010.

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Nov 21, 2010 Melissa added it

Shelves: cybils-2010, did-not-finish

Interesting premise...

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