REVIEW: The How & the Why

The How & the Why by Cynthia Hand
Published by HarperTeen on November 5, 2019
Pages: 450
Goodreads

A poignant exploration of family and the ties that bind, perfect for fans of Far From the Tree, from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.

Today Melly had us writing letters to our babies…

Cassandra McMurtrey has the best parents a girl could ask for. They’ve given Cass a life she wouldn’t trade for the world. She has everything she needs—except maybe the one thing she wants. Like, to know who she is. Where she came from. Questions her adoptive parents can’t answer, no matter how much they love her.

But eighteen years ago, someone wrote Cass a series of letters. And they may just hold the answers Cass has been searching for.

Alternating between Cass’s search for answers and letters from the pregnant teen who gave her up for adoption, this voice-driven narrative is the perfect read for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson.

I have always loved Cynthia Hand’s novels. I am not ashamed to say I have read every single one whether it’s the stand-alone titles or her series “Unearthly”.

When I found out this title was available to review through FFBC I absolutely HAD to have it. I am so glad I was chosen to be part of the tour because I love her new novel just as much if not more then the previous ones. She tackles a tough a number of tough subjects…from adoption itself to her adoptive mother needing a heart transplant she handles these issues with the care and class of her previous novels.

I am giving this title my very rare but well deserved 5 out of 5. This novel superb and I am very glad I was given the chance to review it. It’s told both in the past and the present. In the present, we get the story of the life of the adoptee Cass. The past narrative is told by her birth mother in a series of letters she wrote to her unborn baby (Cass) while she is in a home for wayward women. I don’t know the technical term would be in recent years.

What I found most interesting was her birth mother was the same age as me. It made me think of what I would have done if I had gotten pregnant at 16. My mom went through a similar circumstance having gotten pregnant with me at 17. I always wondered what it was like for her even though she did not give me up for adoption. This book helped me see things from her perspective though and were she still alive probably would be something we discussed.