Family is … complicated. So is love. And when the two intersect — well, it’s almost impossible to look away, which is exactly what makes the television show This Is Us so compulsively watchable. The hit NBC series chronicles the Pearsons — parents Jack and Rebecca and siblings Kevin, Kate and Randall — through the decades as they make seemingly small choices that reverberate in unexpected ways. As with any tight-knit crew, there are plenty of laughs and loads of tears as the Pearsons challenge and support each other on the rollercoaster that is life.
Can’t get enough of the show? You’ll fall for these five novels, too.
I Know How This Ends by my Impellizzeri
I Know How This Ends by Amy Impellizzeri (March 2020)
Impellizzeri’s upcoming novel is a follow-up to her earlier Lemongrass Hope, but you don’t needto be familiar with her work to dive into I Know How This Ends. Worlds collide — quite literally — in this well-wrought and hopeful story about several people who may or may not be destined for each other. Expect connections you never saw coming, multiple timelines and at least a few transcending love stories. I Know How This Ends is perfect for fans of This Is Us — and anyone who’s ever wondered about life’s many what-ifs. Be sure to pre-order it!
You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley
You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley (January 2020)
You know a story hits all the right notes when you don’t mind the fact that you can’t stop weeping. In Oakley’s unputdownable new novel, Mia has a nearly picture-perfect life — except she’s just learned that the guy she’s been dreaming about since her teens is real. Even stranger? He’s been dreaming about her, too — and now Mia must decide between the man she loves and the one that fate may have chosen for her. As with many an episode of This Is Us, You Were There Too made me ugly cry in the best possible way. (Read BookTrib’s review here.)
Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev
Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev (2019)
Family comes first … but should it? Trisha Raje is a neurosurgeon who’s done everything her overachieving Indian-American family has expected her to — but she’s still considered their black sheep. She knows that chef DJ Caine’s rough edges make him a bad choice for someone who’s already on the outs with her parents, but that may not be enough to keep them apart. Yes, this deliciously smart novel may invoke Jane Austen, but it’s also sprinkled with the ingredients that make This Is Us a standout.
The Key to Happily Ever After by if Marcelo
The Key to Happily Ever After by Tif Marcelo (2019)
In Marcelo’s new book, a tight-knit trio of sisters decide to take over their family wedding boutique after their parents announce their retirement. Naturally, calamity ensues. But, like the Pearson siblings, if Jane, Pearl and Mari know one thing (well, other than weddings!), it’s how to support each other when the going gets tough. Good thing, because things tend to get tough when bridezillas are involved. Marcelo hits all the right notes in this witty and engaging novel. (Read the Tall Poppy review here.)
The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go by Amy Reichert
The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go by Amy Reichert (2018)
Multiple generations? Check. Multiple timelines? Check. Scenes that will make you laugh and cry? That’s right: The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is another perfect fit for This Is Us fans. When Gina, a recent widow who’s barely holding on, must tend to her mother, Lorraine, after she suffers a stroke, long-hidden secrets quickly come to light. At the same time, Gina’s teen daughter, May, is grappling with the double whammy of grief and a painful crush — and often takes it out on Gina. Family may be what threatens to unravel Gina’s sunny view, but it’s the very thing that has the power to restore her optimism, rendering Reichert’s novel a feel-good read.
