I'll Be Right Here

by Amy Bloom

An epic, intimate novel about an unconventional and irresistible family—from the New York Times bestselling author of In Love, White Houses, and Away

Immigrating alone from Paris to New York after the crucible of World War II, young Gazala becomes friends with two spirited sisters, Anne and Alma. When Gazala’s lost, beloved brother, Samir, joins her in Manhattan, this contentious, inseparable foursome makes their way into the twenty-first century, becoming the beating heart of a multigenerational found family.

The decades are marked by the business of everyday life and the inevitable surprises of erupting passions, of great and small waves of joy and despair, from the beginning of life, to its end. Gazala and Samir make a home together, Anne leaves her husband for his sister, and Anne’s restless daughter grows up to raise a child on her own and join a throuple, becoming who she wants to be. Through it all, and the tumult of these decades, the four friends, and their best beloveds, stand by one another, protecting, annoying and celebrating each other, steadfastly unapologetic about their desires and the unorthodox family they have created. As the next generation falls in and out of love, experiencing life's triumphs, mistakes and disappointments, the central pillars of their lives are the indomitable people they call “the Greats”.

In I’ll Be Right Here, Amy Bloom embraces the complexity and richness of humanity, the lawlessness of love, bringing her trademark voice, wry humor, and compassionate eye to the many, often mysterious ways we live as we love, and hope to be loved in return.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Relationships

272 pages, Hardcover

First published June 24, 2025

About the author

Amy Bloom is the New York Times bestselling author of White Houses; Come to Me, a National Book Award finalist; A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You, a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist; Love Invents Us; Normal; Away; Where the God of Love Hangs Out; and Lucky Us. Her stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories, O. Henry Prize Short Stories, The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction, and many other anthologies. She has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, O: The Oprah Magazine, Slate, Tin House, and Salon, among other publications, and has won a National Magazine Award.

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 2 out of 5]

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During World War II, Gazelle leaves Paris for New York and becomes friends with sisters Alma and Annie. Eventually, her brother joins them, and the four become fast friends and family. I loved how furiously these four loved each other and stood behind each other, which couldn't have been easy during the mid-twentieth century. It's a great look into family dynamics. The characters were very typical in the way they dealt with their struggles. I could recognize their issues easily, but their individual strengths didn't shine through. I felt like their journeys held no surprises.

There's a lot of internal dialogue in this one, and I usually enjoy that because I can get inside a character's head, but this just seemed to drone on and on. It was more style than substance. Bloom's writing is beautiful, but the emotional impact I was expecting wasn't there. There is a lot of love, loss and longing between the pages, but I felt the author was being a little too safe. I wanted to be immersed in the raw messiness of life and generational grief in all its horrible glory. I found the plot a tad confusing to follow as the timeline jumped around. The book seemed to be written in snippets instead of a flowing, linear timeline.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Betsy Robinson]

I'll Be Right Here is a sprawling, expanding family portrait that is more like a painting or a mosaic than a novel or a story—it's as if the painter had a huge canvas, and in no particular order, made portraits of the characters whenever and wherever they were in carefully developed swatches. There is no chronological order, and sometimes it was hard for me to remember who everybody was. But as with Amy Bloom's other books, the writing is so lush and colorful with warmth that practically radiates off the page that you just keep reading.

In all her books, Bloom writes messy characters with messy lives, and this book epitomizes that: the family here includes blood relatives as well as chosen relations, and the relationships incorporate incestuous love, spouse swapping with siblings, polyamorous and gay characters being who they are unapologetically even before it was legal. The title, although never explained, says it all: "I'll be right here," is the line E.T. The Extraterrestrial (in the movie by the same name) says to the little boy Elliot when he is leaving. I don't know if this is where Bloom got it, but to me, it feels right: all these people who make up a chosen family remain "right here" in our heads/hearts, no matter if they are here or living or dead.

I had a bizarre reaction early on. I didn't even make the connection, but suddenly I had a craving for heavy, high-thread-count cotton sheets; the longing was so strong, I actually bought some. Then I went back to the book and realized I'd been so seduced into a world of objects, including hotel sheets, that are so warm they seem animated.

I read Amy Bloom for her voice, and will continue to read anything she writes.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (rounded up from 2.5)
My review: The reader has to pay attention in this novel. There is not a lot of dialogue and much is written in the MCs' trains of thought. So many of the sentences are long, meandering, and lack important detail. It is easy to miss things. That being said, the book definitely shows the "found family/created family" and how people can find others that support and love them and blood ties are not primary.
The book's jumps back and forth in time (again, pay attention) and that could be confusing. Gazala is very strong. She fights and blends in at the same time in order to get ahead and stay safe. Her relationship with Samir was surprising and I'm not sure I understood the need for that aspect of the book. It added salaciousness but not a lot of explanation was given to it. In the same vein, the reader has to put the pieces together to understand Alma, Anne, Honey and Lily. I appreciate the writing about the MCs' Jewish lives. Samir leading a Seder and telling stories was very timely.
I am sure there is an audience for this novel, and while I didn't dislike it entirely, it took determination to get through it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a haphazard kind of story about an unconventional family. The jumps in time are confusing as we get glimpse of their lives over the years. I wish the author had made Samir and Gazala's non-biological relationship more clear/fleshed out. I swear it was just one line that said when Samir's parents died, Gazala's adopted him. What was the relationship between their parents to have that happen? And how many years did the two live as siblings? Their romantic love came out of left field to me. After their time in Mexico, did they continue to be lovers? So many questions!

I didn't love this, but didn't hate it either. Probably would really give it 2.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. This wasn't even on my list; I likely would not have read it if not for the gift.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.


I had enjoyed the author's White Houses and so I was intrigued with this title. Following a series of characters, some biological family, some found family, across decades of world events, I'll Be Right Here is like an intimate snapshot of the various relationships within the family.

Nice message. Amy Bloom created this feeling of the reader looking in the window to watch these characters. It took me a long time to finish the novel, and I find myself without a lot to say about this book.


#IllBeRightHere #NetGalley
Publication Date 24/06/25
Goodreads Review 28/07/25

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first taste of Amy Bloom's writing. I decided to request an arc of this novel via NetGalley because a book reviewer I respect raved about her writing. The story is about several people who become great, fierce friends, a created family of sorts, through many of life's happy and tragic experiences. One character says in a toast: 'To my people. Wherever I go, I know that I have a home, and my home is with all of you.' That pretty much sums it up. This is also a love story, with both hetero- and homosexual relationships.

My favorite character is Gazala who is introduced to us at the beginning as she lays dying. Her story takes us back to WWII and her experiences in Paris. I thought that section was the most interesting part of the book.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will definitely win awards. It is an epic family saga/historical fiction about the making and remaking of families. There is a lot of love, of the modern type. It is presented in a disjointed way with beautiful descriptions. The juxtaposition of beauty and disorganization works into an artistic story. I loved how so many characters, places, and items were revisited. Difficult to describe but definitely worth the read. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a book years ago by Amy Bloom, and it really didn’t do anything for me. But when given the opportunity to read an advance copy of I’ll Be Right Here, I decided to give her another chance. This was clearly a mistake on my part, because I liked this book even less than its predecessor. I know the heart of the book is about the dynamics of an unconventional and mostly found family, which I could get behind in a different context. Here it bumps and grinds through multiple narrators, back and forth across times, through every type of consensual relationship you could have among consenting adults, and with characters randomly introduced that take you another quarter of the book to figure out their connection to the story. The book starts with Gazala as a young girl during WWII, then follows her to New York, where she has discovered a found family with the Cohen sisters, Alma and Anne. Then it gets slightly icky for me when her long lost adopted brother Samir shows up and they proceed to have an open romantic relationship for the rest of their lives. Which isn’t technically incestuous, but falls in the ew, no thank you, category for me. Anne divorces her husband Richard and shacks up with his sister Honey instead. Another character (Honey) that it took me a while to figure out and then when I did I still felt icked out by it. Not because it was two women, but because I’m not generally fond of relationships where one sibling replaces another. As the group ages the next generation starts to appear in the form of Anne and Richard’s daughter Lily and Bea (the also unidentified character that ends up being the unofficially adopted daughter of Gazala and her unofficially adopted brother/significant other Samir). A third generation also comes along in the form of Lily’s son Harry, who is the product of at least one of multiple marriages between a man and a woman that should have never gotten married but did because a woman wanted babies. Are you exhausted yet? No? How about a chapter long soliloquy by Lily of the expectations in a polyamorous relationship, which has kind of become her vibe after marrying a man for babies didn’t turn out to be rainbows and unicorns? It also feels odd that the book starts out completely centered around Gazala and her dying serves as a kind of focal point, but after the beginning of the book she turns into more of a bit character. This is a relatively short book, but there’s so much crammed in with so little regard for the reader’s ability to follow it that if I hadn’t been reading it for review I would not have bothered to finish it. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Seawitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always in the mood for a good family saga. This was a rather unusual one. It begins in Paris during WWII and features a young woman (Gazala) of Algerian background who ends up working for the famous author Colette. One thing leads to another and Gazala ends up in the US - first in NYC and later in the Poughkeepsie area (Vassar is in Poughkeepsie and there is a connection but I can’t recall it).

The story revolves around a little family Gazala creates via a Jewish family who take an interest in her as a young woman and her brother. (The story of the brother and the relationship between the two is a bit confusing. He’s been adopted by Gazala’s parents after his own parents die when he is a month old.)

There are a number of places in the story where I got a bit confused. The timing jumps around rather drastically and so does the character who’s telling the story.

The theme is what makes a family, and how to navigate being different - either due to heritage such as Jewish or Algerian or sexual orientation.

This book is more than three stars but not quite four - let’s say 3.5.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jessie Weaver · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only finished this book so I could complain about it.

[Laura Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful story that ties together an unconventional family , and love in all its forms. It tells the story of Gazala as she finds her way after the war up until the 21st century. There were times that I struggled to keep up with the many characters, and there were a few things that I wasn’t expecting when I sat down to read this one. However, I felt when I was finished that the love and lives that were shared were so precious and heartwarming. These four friends supported each other through so many ups and downs. I have read one other book by Bloom and it too got me right in the feels. Thanks to Amy Bloom, Random House and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

[Cheri · Rating 1 out of 5]

The jumping from timeline to timeline was too distracting. Starting in WWII Paris and ending in 2015 Poughkeepsie, NY, was weird. The soooo many characters and their varied sexual lives was also distracting. I actually had to look up what a Garden Party Polyamory vs Kitchen Table Polyamory relationship is. Who knew ????? I am very happy that I did not select this book for either of my book clubs.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the beginning of this book. Gazala and her older brother Samir are orphans in World War Two era Paris. Samir takes over their father's work in a bakery, but the children are still starving until Samir finds Gazala a position as companion and masseuse to the famous author Colette. The children are witness to what it takes for even the well-to-do to survive in occupied France.

But most of the book takes place in the decades that follow the end of the war, after Gazala and Samir immigrate to the U.S. Gazala comes first, finds work and friends, and Samir follows. They eventually own a successful department store. They maintain deep friendships with Gazala's first American friends, Alma and Anne Cohen, all of their lives.

Almost everyone in this book has an unconventional sexual relationship. Gazala and Samir - brother and sister - are also lovers. Anne divorces her husband so she can have a relationship with his sister Honey. Anne's daughter Lily ends up living in a throuple. And that is about all we know about these characters.

A good novel should be driven by desire, by obstacles, by striving. But we never see the desires of any of these characters. We never see them want, suffer for, or work hard for anything, once Gazala and Samir make it to the U.S. (and even their migration seems to happen by magic). We only see the satisfaction of their desires. Therefore, the novel is boring and the characters elicit no sympathy. They seem spoiled, self-centered, and careless of the feelings of anyone outside their little friendship group.

Also, I did not need two boring pages about the psychology of different types of throuples, as though there are somehow only two or three types instead of the wonderful variety that all other types of relationships exhibit. Could not find any will to finish this book.

[Charlie]

DNFed as soon as the incest started. not for me.

[Katy O.]

I made it halfway and thoroughly appreciated the writing - so witty and original. I put it down at the same spot I imagine many readers will and while I applaud Bloom for her ingenuity, it just … wasn’t for me.

For the record though, it wasn’t her BLOOD brother. Still, Flowers in the Attic scarred me for life.

Source: public library hardcover

[Janet Mabrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t get into this book. I read a third of it and stopped. Not my kind of writing style and I found the story so disjointed and weird.

[Kelly (miss_kellysbookishcorner) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: I'll Be Right Here
Author: Amy Bloom
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 1.75
Pub Date: June 24, 2025

I received a complimentary eARC from Random House Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Intimate • Complex • Messy

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Immigrating alone from Paris to New York after the crucible of World War II, young Gazala becomes friends with two spirited sisters, Anne and Alma. When Gazala’s lost, beloved brother, Samir, joins her in Manhattan, this contentious, inseparable foursome makes their way into the twenty-first century, becoming the beating heart of a multigenerational found family.

The decades are marked by the business of everyday life and the inevitable surprises of erupting passions, of great and small waves of joy and despair, from the beginning of life, to its end. Gazala and Samir make a home together, Anne leaves her husband for his sister, and Anne’s restless daughter grows up to raise a child on her own and join a throuple, becoming who she wants to be. Through it all, and the tumult of these decades, the four friends, and their best beloveds, stand by one another, protecting, annoying and celebrating each other, steadfastly unapologetic about their desires and the unorthodox family they have created. As the next generation falls in and out of love, experiencing life's triumphs, mistakes and disappointments, the central pillars of their lives are the indomitable people they call "the Greats".

💭 T H O U G H T S

Every now and then I request an ARC based solely on the cover and I'll Be Right Here is one of those times. Sometimes it works out, while others it doesn't. This was my first time reading Amy Bloom and it was one of those times where it just didn't work for me.

This felt like one long and confusing tangent, where I didn't necessarily care for or about any of the main characters. While it explores a wide variety of relationships and the theme of found family, there's no real story here. I was often lost in both time and place as it spans 80 years and various continents.

I appreciated the exploration of love in many forms, however, it seemed like the author was eager to include every type of relationship possible. Instead of representing variations in couples, it ended up feeling like checking the boxes on a list. I was expecting more of a historical fiction book but got more of an exploration of passion, attraction, and sex in all of its forms.

At the end of the day, I'll Be Right Here was a long, drawn out saga that I wish I had DNFed as I didn't gain much from having read it. It's quite possible if I'd actually taken the time to read the synopsis ahead of time I'd have foregone picking it up altogether. Live and learn right? Honestly, the cover really was the best part.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• found family
• learning about relationship types

⚠️ CW: infidelity, sexual content, polyamory, grief, adoption, war, death

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloom’s latest novel opens with “the Greats,” the dying Gazala surrounded by her brother, Samir, and her sisters, Anne, Alma, and Honey. We are then transported back to 1930s Paris where Gazala declares that her neighbors are “criminal masterminds” for denouncing the Jews. We move ahead to 1942 Paris where Gazala, “the little Algerians with the good hands,” is hired by the famed French novelist Colette to address her crippling arthritis while Colette’s Jewish husband hides from the Nazis in Gazala’s attic room.

After the war, during which Gazala claims to have single-handedly killed three Germans, Colette gives her the funds to come to America where she finds work in a Manhattan bakery. It is there that she meets the Cohen sisters, Anne and Alma, and the three become inseparable. “The Cohen girls and Mrs. Cohen and Mr. Cohen . . . gave me my American life. Without them, I would have stayed the lying, thieving murderous corpse that I was when I met them.” In 1947, a painfully thin Samir arrives at Gazala’s doorstep after having served in the war in Algeria.

We move ahead to 2010 and learn that Samir and Gazala had bought a store and a house and maintained strict rules regarding their relationship. Bloom recites the resort vacation the two enjoyed in 1984 in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Gazala just “wants to lie with the love of her life and be naked together, naked even though Gazala cannot say much for their nakedness, at this late date, but it is theirs. . . .”

At the halfway point of the novel, Bloom expands the scope to encompass Anne, an accomplished woman who obtains a law degree in 1960, her wife, Honey, the sister of Anne’s ex-husband, the lackluster Richard Anderson, Richard and Anne’s daughter Lily, “the Jewish Grace Kelly,” Lily’s ex-husband, Roy, and their son, Harry, the “lover of sparkly outfits and showtunes since birth.” Lily, who once referred to herself as a “workaday secular nun,” enjoys a polyamorous relationship with a couple with whom she owns a bakery named Gazala, and a competitive relationship with Bea, the granddaughter of Gazala and Samir’s realtor and the “daughter they would not, could not, have. . . .”

Bloom has crafted a multigenerational tale of found family that spans decades and continents. The story that she unfurls is hardly linear, and she shifts perspectives from character to character and from point of view, but she expertly highlights that which is necessary at the appropriate time. Although kind Alma seems to get short shrift, for example, in just a few paragraphs, the reader learns all that they need to understand about this character — Alma confidently marries Isidore, the owner of a modest chicken farm and “the Toscanini of carving,” their daughter dies in infancy, Alma and Izzy comfort each other in their grief, and Izzy passes away just as Gazala is wearing down. Bloom’s embrace of love in its many forms is showcased in her depiction of an unconventional family whom she presents with humor and compassion. These are characters who will be remembered long after the book is closed. Thank you Random House and Net Galley for an advance copy of this moving saga of an irresistible family.

[Orla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll Be Right Here is a saga of found families, spanning time and place from wartime Paris to modern day Poughkeepsie. Because it's an Amy Bloom book it is preoccupied with how we love, who we love, and how much of ourselves we show to other people (even those closest to us).
Told in three parts consisting of short vignettes that hop forwards and backwards in time, it can be hard to adjust to the ever-expanding cast of characters, but in a way that mirrors life. Who among us remembers our life in perfect chronological order, especially as we age?
Something, or someone, mentioned in passing pops up again elsewhere to be expanded upon. Developments that could be shocking are simply stated, once, and never mentioned again. You only need to be told such things once, after all, it's not like you're going to forget them.
At times the book feels like an oral history of "The Greats" (I mean this as a compliment) as Gazara, her (adopted) brother Samir, and Gazara's dear friends the Cohen sisters Alma and Anne are known. There's also Honey, Anne's ex sister-in-law turned life partner, Anne's daughter Lily, and a host of others. All of them are well drawn and distinct, and bring something (sometimes literally!) to the table.
I may have needed to reread passages, or flick back to make sure I hadn't missed an earlier reference to someone, but that's okay because it's what listening to someone talk is like ("wait, who?!") and I trust Bloom enough as a stylist to know this is all very intentional.
I would have happily spent more time with the greats and their extended family, and I'm grateful to Granta and NetGalley for the chance to spend the time I had with them in the first place.

[Adeana Libman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Amy Bloom, Random House, and NetGalley for giving me access to this eARC!

I fell in love with Bloom's writing after reading In Love so I was extremely excited to receive a copy of her newest novel. First and foremost, the writing was just as beautiful in this book. Bloom has such lush and full of life imagery, she really makes the reader feel like they are fully immersed in to the book. There were so many interesting details and plot points in I'll Be Right Here. I think Alma and Izzy's story really got to me, it felt so innocent and pure, Alma's entire character was the purifier for this group. I also felt most intrigued when I was reading about Gazala and Samir's younger selves. They both lived hard and incredible lives, the historical aspects of this novel were certainly well researched. The ending was also truly beautiful, all about life and love and connections, I gobbled it up.

However, the romantic aspects of this story were largely unpalatable. A (non-biological but still familial) brother and sister turned lovers, a woman who leaves her husband for his sister, sudden polyamory, I just felt a bit inundated with taboo. I wouldn't have disliked any of these things if it was only one introduced and expanded upon but it felt like Bloom was trying to be trendy almost. I think Honey and Anne (the sister-in-laws turned wives) made sense together and would have rather just had more focus on that. Gazala and Samir did not need to have romantic love, they existed perfectly as siblings.

I still enjoyed this novel and it gets a solid 3.5 from me!

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is bit odd, quirky, and even eccentric. And though it can be confusing if you don't pay close attention to the narrative, it is superb!

Written by Amy Bloom, this is the story of siblings Samir and Gazela, who are orphaned at a young age while living in Paris during World War II. Algerian by descent, they manage to elude authorities and remain together. Samir goes to work in a bakery, while Gazela gets a job as a caretaker for the author Collette. Thanks to Collette's generosity, Gazela emigrates to the United States; Samir goes back to Algeria but eventually finds his way to Gazela in Poughkeepsie, New York. Gazela meets two lively sisters—Anne and Alma Cohen—and the three become inseparable.

The novel is then the story of their lives together until their deaths, bouncing back and forth in time from 1930 to 2015—so pay close attention to the chapter headings. After Samir joins them, the four become the head of an unconventional family. Secrets abound, especially sexual secrets, but the unconditional love they feel for one another buoys and protects them throughout their lives.

This is a multigenerational family saga with lots of sex and intimacy in a story about power and love that is more focused on the women than the men.

While this book won't be beloved by everyone, I thought it was ingenious, beautifully written, and just idiosyncratic enough to make it special.

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up - This started out strong but then my interest quickly began to wane by the time Gazelle got to NY. The timeline jumped around a lot, as many reviewers noted, which made it feel very piecemeal and hard to follow. It also made it difficult to keep track of the various characters and who was related to who & how, and who was sleeping with who. On that note, this is my second polyamory themed book in a row (by accident and after never (?) reading one before - must be a hot topic - though this one came with a dash of sort-of-incest, as well...) Not that I'm bothered to read about any of it but also feel pretty 'eh' about the topic. Ultimately, by the end, I was pretty checked out. Completely agree with another reviewer who mentioned, 'I felt like their journeys held no surprises.'

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy Bloom is a writer of short books. I hadn’t realized this until I finished “I’ll Be Right Here,” then went back to the other three Bloom books I’ve read to check their page counts. I left this story wanting more - more time with the characters and more backstory (Gazala goes from post WWII Paris to NYC over the course of one sentence, or, a major character turns over in bed and dies and that’s the last we know of them). Colette is an important character who gets only a few pages. I suppose these elisions are intentional but I needed more time with the four (really five, but one sister, Alma, gets very little attention) main characters, the “Greats.” An aside: After writing and promoting her memoir “In Love,” about the assisted suicide of her husband, was it emotionally difficult or easy to create Gazala and Samir, and their beautiful love story?

[Dajana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe even 1.5 ⭐️. This book had potential with the storyline.. with that being said, it seemed jumbled with some stories seemingly useless to me.

Although I love the premise / idea of it and the love between friends becoming family, what I didn’t love was everyone just being okay with one of the characters cheating on her husband with his sister and then leaving him for her. Not a big fan of glorified ideals of cheating. But even more so, the incest between the 2 main characters. I was convinced I was misunderstanding and even went back through some of the earlier pages so I was sure I was reading right.

[Carolyn Whitzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll Be Right Here is a good book to write - or read - after the death of a loved one. The story of Gazala and Samir, adoptive brother and sister, starts out grim. They are in Paris during the Second World War, a terrible time to be impoverished orphan Algerian Jews. And yet, somehow, they find kind people, and eventually create a chosen queer multigenerational family (shades of Greta and Valdin). The book unfolds against the aging of the older generation. The time jumps and occasional tweeness (almost too many good people and very little trauma - shades of Schitt’s Creek) can be a bit grating, but overall I loved reading about their lives.

[Dana]

Posting here so that if I come across "I'll Be Right Here," the newest novel by Amy Bloom, at a later date, I will know to pass it by. I have loved some of Amy Bloom's books, especially a memoir she wrote, but this novel just was not for me. I read a few chapters, did not like anything about it, not the characters, not the odd way it was written, and definitely not the subject matter, which I could not even describe. I did not get far enough to be able to summarize any of it. I cut my losses and it will be in my library tomorrow.

[Julie Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get into this book ever. The characters were flat. The story was disjointed. It was boring. Not a book I would ever recommend.

[Doug Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn't sure I'd like this one, but I fell in love with the characters in this found family. Poignant vignettes abound.

[Laura Hannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some touching moments but too much jumping around in time and between family members. Felt like I couldn’t get to know any of them as intimately as the author was hoping.

[Margi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked parts of the book but found the whole to be disjointed.