Naomi Krupitsky’s novel The Family is an engaging, engrossing story about two young girls who grow up together in Brooklyn in the 1940s. Sofia and Antonia are neighbors and best friends whose immigrant fathers work in “The Family.” Sofia and Antonia do not understand what “The Family” is, exactly, but they do sense that people are afraid of their fathers, and once they begin school, they realize that other children are not allowed to play with them because of their “family” ties. This brings the girls closer, even though their personalities could not be more different, and the girls grow up more like cousins than friends.
Antonia is a quiet, responsible child while Sofia is bold and fearless. Antonia and her mother are left reeling when Antonia’s father “disappears” when his mafia boss realizes that he is trying to extricate himself and his family from the family business. Antonia’s mother is devastated and falls apart, leaving Antonia to fend for herself. Sofia’s family embraces Antonia and supports her as much as Antonia feels comfortable allowing.
As the girls grow up, some of their closeness dissolves but not completely; they never lose their friendship. They each want to make changes in their lives, and to become something bigger than the mafia housewives they were raised to become. Their paths take them in very different directions; Antonia is repulsed by the violence that is embedded in their neighborhood and surrounds the Family, while Sofia is drawn to the power that the violence offers those on the “right” side of the violence. They both fall in love and the girls remain close when they start their own families. Their friendship and support of each other strengthens as they get older, and their bond bolsters them as the book heads towards a dramatic ending.
I enjoyed this book more than I enjoy most mafia stories; seeing the Family in action through the eyes of two young girls is an interesting perspective. As the girls try to make sense of what the Family is, what it means and how it defines their roles and those of their relatives, the reader sees what kind of security the Family offers to those who find themselves drawn in. I was fascinated to learn how the mafia built its foundation in New York with the waves of immigrants entering the country, as well as how the mafia’s business model had to change as the country was recovering from its involvement in one world war and preparing to enter another. It is not a favorite book of mine, but it was engaging and kept me reading!