Australian author Madeleine Gray's sophomore novel Chosen Family is a poignant exploration of complex relationships, love, and identity. The story revolves around Nell and Eve, two women who meet at 12 at an Australian girls' school in Sydney, forming an unbreakable bond that transcends friendship.
Gray masterfully weaves the narrative across multiple decades, skillfully moving between high school, university, and parenthood. As they grow older, their lives become intertwined through coparenting a young daughter, which serves as the catalyst for re-examining their troubled past.
The novel's central question - can a deep love between women form a new kind of partnership, akin to family? - is skillfully interwoven with the terror of losing one's closest friend in the event that things go terribly wrong. The weight of secrecy hangs precariously over both Nell and Eve as they conceal aspects of their lives from each other.
Through Nell's artistic expression, Gray cleverly conveys the psychological impact of the girls' experiences - the crippling anxiety of being turned to stone like Medusa's victims. This powerful metaphor underscores the high stakes of the relationships between these women.
While conventional narrative structures often reserve female friendships for peripheral exploration, Chosen Family boldly asserts that deep love between women can form a distinct kind of partnership. The result is a nuanced examination of friendship, parenthood, love, lust, and deception, all intertwined with breathtaking vulnerability.
Ultimately, Gray asks us to confront the cruelties we inflict on those closest to us, prompting an honest reevaluation of our capacity for love. Chosen Family is a masterful, razor-sharp novel that deftly explores this liminal space between family, friendship, and something in between.
Gray masterfully weaves the narrative across multiple decades, skillfully moving between high school, university, and parenthood. As they grow older, their lives become intertwined through coparenting a young daughter, which serves as the catalyst for re-examining their troubled past.
The novel's central question - can a deep love between women form a new kind of partnership, akin to family? - is skillfully interwoven with the terror of losing one's closest friend in the event that things go terribly wrong. The weight of secrecy hangs precariously over both Nell and Eve as they conceal aspects of their lives from each other.
Through Nell's artistic expression, Gray cleverly conveys the psychological impact of the girls' experiences - the crippling anxiety of being turned to stone like Medusa's victims. This powerful metaphor underscores the high stakes of the relationships between these women.
While conventional narrative structures often reserve female friendships for peripheral exploration, Chosen Family boldly asserts that deep love between women can form a distinct kind of partnership. The result is a nuanced examination of friendship, parenthood, love, lust, and deception, all intertwined with breathtaking vulnerability.
Ultimately, Gray asks us to confront the cruelties we inflict on those closest to us, prompting an honest reevaluation of our capacity for love. Chosen Family is a masterful, razor-sharp novel that deftly explores this liminal space between family, friendship, and something in between.
I'm obsessed with Madeleine Gray's latest novel Chosen Family! 
The way she weaves the story across decades is pure magic 
. I love how Nell and Eve's bond grows stronger over time, it's like watching two best friends navigate life together 
. And I have to say, I'm a bit obsessed with the idea of "chosen family" - it's so true that we can find love and support in places other than traditional family structures 
. The way Gray explores themes of anxiety, vulnerability, and love is just masterful 
. I think what resonates most with me is how she encourages us to confront our own capacity for love and kindness 
. Definitely a must-read for anyone looking for a thought-provoking and emotional rollercoaster! 
! The way she weaves the narrative across multiple decades is genius 
. I love how Chosen Family doesn't shy away from exploring the complexities of female friendships, it's like she's holding up a mirror to our own experiences 
. And that metaphor about being turned to stone? Mind. Blown. 
. The writing is so evocative, especially the way Nell's art comes alive to convey her inner turmoil – it's like you're right there with her feeling all that anxiety 
. I'm totally hooked now and can't wait to dive into this one ASAP 
omg i just got back from the most amazing hike over the weekend 
and it reminded me of how much i love reading novels about complex female relationships 
i mean, madeleine gray's writing is so evocative and emotional 
art has always been my therapy, you know? 
anyway, back to the novel... what i love about chosen family is how it humanizes the concept of non-traditional relationships 
and how she highlighted the complexities of navigating those relationships without judgment or expectation 
it's so refreshing to see a story that doesn't shy away from the messy, imperfect parts of human connection 
I'm loving this book review, it's so in-depth! You know, back in my day, we didn't have all these fancy novels about same-sex relationships... 
But seriously, I think Madeleine Gray is a genius for tackling this topic with such finesse. The way she explores the complexities of Nell and Eve's bond is just fascinating 
It's like, we've always talked about how strong family bonds are, but what if that's not enough? What if we need something more? 
I'm totally down for a nuanced exploration of love and relationships... can't wait to dive into this novel! 
. I think it's so important to highlight authors like her who are breaking the mold of traditional storytelling. The way she explores complex relationships and identity is truly masterful 
... Reminds me of my own friendship with Rachel back in high school. We used to talk about our dreams and stuff like we were going to change the world together 
still sends shivers down my spine... This book really made me think about how we treat the people closest to us, especially women in our lives 
This book, Chosen Family, is literally EVERYTHING! 
Mind blown! And that central question about whether a deep love between women can form a new kind of partnership? 
Can we talk about how much I need to get my hands on a copy ASAP?! 
.
) in terms of how we talk about female friendships and love. It's a nuanced exploration that leaves you wondering what's possible when two women form an unbreakable bond 
The metaphor of being turned to stone is so powerful and relatable. It makes me think about all the ways we can hurt each other without even realizing it... 
. I love how the author weaves together all these different timelines to show how their bond changes over the years, it's like you're right there with them 
. I think Gray is saying something really important here about the kind of relationships women can form, and how we should be recognizing those as valid family bonds 
.
, another author trying to sell us on the 'deep love' trope between women being just like having a family... I mean, sure, it's sweet 
but have you read all the sappy rom-coms that do this exact thing already? 
And what's up with the "cruelties we inflict" vibe? It sounds like a total buzzkill 
. Also, who writes about anxiety being like Medusa victims? That's some pretty heavy-handed symbolism 