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Friends and Family: A Novel
Win a free print copy of this book!
4 days and 01:37:14
20 copies available
U.S. only
From the author of Queen Sugar, a piercing examination of friendship and loyalty as two best friends find themselves at odds over their beliefs on race, identity and allyship, especially when it comes to their teenage children
Babs and Nora became friends thanks to their kids. Now, the desire to protect their children might tear them apart.
Babs and Nora have spent a decade’s worth of morning walks sharing family secrets, local drama, and advice—everything from tips on lingerie choices to Babs’s suggestions to Nora, a white woman, on how to raise Nathan, her adopted Black son.
But their worlds are turned upside down when the cops are called on their kids while they’re home alone, leading to a traumatic police encounter for Nathan. In the aftermath, Babs and Nora find themselves divided as never before, and Nathan looks for refuge with Babs and her family, where, unlike in his own home, race, identity, and culture are always up for discussion. Babs can see that Nathan is a young Black man without community trying to find himself. Torn between respecting Nora’s boundaries and embodying the values so important to her own family, Babs will make a choice that will shape their lives forever.
Set in a tight-knit enclave in the Bay Area, Friends and Family is an eye-opening exploration of friendship and privilege, race and community, and what it means to truly be a good friend and ally.
Babs and Nora became friends thanks to their kids. Now, the desire to protect their children might tear them apart.
Babs and Nora have spent a decade’s worth of morning walks sharing family secrets, local drama, and advice—everything from tips on lingerie choices to Babs’s suggestions to Nora, a white woman, on how to raise Nathan, her adopted Black son.
But their worlds are turned upside down when the cops are called on their kids while they’re home alone, leading to a traumatic police encounter for Nathan. In the aftermath, Babs and Nora find themselves divided as never before, and Nathan looks for refuge with Babs and her family, where, unlike in his own home, race, identity, and culture are always up for discussion. Babs can see that Nathan is a young Black man without community trying to find himself. Torn between respecting Nora’s boundaries and embodying the values so important to her own family, Babs will make a choice that will shape their lives forever.
Set in a tight-knit enclave in the Bay Area, Friends and Family is an eye-opening exploration of friendship and privilege, race and community, and what it means to truly be a good friend and ally.
Audible Audio
First published October 6, 2026
About the author
Natalie Baszile
7 books500 followersNatalie has a M.A. in Afro-American Studies from UCLA, and is a graduate of Warren Wilson College’s MFA Program for Writers where she was a Holden Minority Scholar. An early version of Queen Sugar won the Hurston Wright College Writer’s Award, was a co-runner up in the Faulkner Pirate’s Alley Novel-in-Progress competition, and excerpts were published in Cairn and ZYZZYVA. She has had residencies at the Ragdale Foundation where she was awarded the Sylvia Clare Brown fellowship, Virginia Center for the Arts, and Hedgebrook. Her non-fiction work has appeared in The Rumpus.net, Mission at Tenth, and in The Best Women’s Travel Writing Volume 9. She is a former fiction editor at The Cortland Review, and is a member of the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. Natalie grew up in Southern California and lives in San Francisco with her family.
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⌗ ──🍋🟩🐈⬛ᝰ .ᐟ pre-read.
i saw many great reviews about this book and i was so excited when i got the arc, hehe, i practically devoured it!
thanks to netgalley and the author for an arc in exchange of an honest review.
i saw many great reviews about this book and i was so excited when i got the arc, hehe, i practically devoured it!
thanks to netgalley and the author for an arc in exchange of an honest review.
Want to Read
October 2, 2026gotta be two of my favorite kids of people
April 26, 2026
Friends and Family is a solid story about friendships, but not the easy, feel good kind. However, the book is truly about how race can play into the mix into day to day interactions.
For me, reading this felt like experiencing two stories in one.
The first is a complex portrait of a bond between two friends: Babs, who is Black, and Nora, who is white. Babs daughter Reese and Nora's adopted son Nathan have been best friends since they were just kids.It serves as a stark reminder that life altering situations will really show you what a friendship is made of and not always in a good way.
The second story is an exploration of race and privilege, centered on Nora’s complex experience as she navigates life with Nathan.
Throughout the book, there lies Babs and her husband Galen's complex marriage, perfect descriptions of San Francisco (not many writers can navigate the city streets correctly and Baszile does it well), and the contradictions between rich versus the comfortable middle class.
Through Nathan’s character, the book also dives into the terrifying and specific reality of how Black men are perceived and treated by the police. It highlights the anxiety that comes with raising a Black son in a world where a simple encounter can turn life threatening. This particular layer of the story shows how privilege isn't just about what you have, but about what you don't have to fear.
It’s clear that Baszile wasn't interested in shying away from uncomfortable conversations, and I truly appreciated that boldness.
I devoured this book in two days and can’t wait to see how readers react to this exploration of race, and what friendships truly mean when put to the ultimate test.
Thank you Viking and Pamela Dorman for the advanced copy!
For me, reading this felt like experiencing two stories in one.
The first is a complex portrait of a bond between two friends: Babs, who is Black, and Nora, who is white. Babs daughter Reese and Nora's adopted son Nathan have been best friends since they were just kids.It serves as a stark reminder that life altering situations will really show you what a friendship is made of and not always in a good way.
The second story is an exploration of race and privilege, centered on Nora’s complex experience as she navigates life with Nathan.
Throughout the book, there lies Babs and her husband Galen's complex marriage, perfect descriptions of San Francisco (not many writers can navigate the city streets correctly and Baszile does it well), and the contradictions between rich versus the comfortable middle class.
Through Nathan’s character, the book also dives into the terrifying and specific reality of how Black men are perceived and treated by the police. It highlights the anxiety that comes with raising a Black son in a world where a simple encounter can turn life threatening. This particular layer of the story shows how privilege isn't just about what you have, but about what you don't have to fear.
It’s clear that Baszile wasn't interested in shying away from uncomfortable conversations, and I truly appreciated that boldness.
I devoured this book in two days and can’t wait to see how readers react to this exploration of race, and what friendships truly mean when put to the ultimate test.
Thank you Viking and Pamela Dorman for the advanced copy!
October 5, 2026
He'd started to pack his invisible suitcase and would forever feel the weight of it.
4.5/5
Friends and Family is an unflinching examination of the relationships that shape us — the ones we choose, the ones we're born into, and the ones that force us to confront who we believe ourselves to be. Natalie Baszile's exploration of race, cultural identity, privilege, and the many forms of bias embedded in American life is courageously raw without ever becoming reductive. This is a book that refuses to whitewash difficult experiences into something more comfortable for the reader, while equally refusing to manufacture easy answers to questions that simply do not have them. That honesty is one of its greatest strengths. Stepping into the perspectives of these characters is at times profoundly uncomfortable, but it is also deeply illuminating, because Baszile trusts the reader to sit with that discomfort rather than resolving it for them.
The character work is exceptional. These people are unapologetically themselves — strong and vulnerable, defensive and generous, flawed and evolving, painfully and gorgeously human. Baszile's narrative voice is particularly adept at exposing the mental acrobatics required to navigate a world in which race and identity are never simply background characteristics, but forces that shape how a person moves through nearly every interaction. The portrayals of harm and its aftermath are equally impressive, particularly in the examination of allyship. Intentions are not results, and good intentions do not neutralize the consequences of careless or uninformed behavior. The novel understands that genuine allyship requires more than identifying oneself as an ally; it requires listening, accountability, humility, and a willingness to confront the possibility that the person trying to help may itself be contributing to the harm.
Friends and Family is the kind of novel that made me reconsider how I understand the relationships between individual good intentions and collective harm. It is a remarkably human story about navigating identity, friendship, family, privilege, and the biases that continue to shape American life, and it does so without reducing any of its characters to representatives of an argument. I genuinely believe this is a book worth reading widely, but especially for anyone who considers themselves an ally to the BIPOC community. There is something invaluable in being asked to step outside your own assumptions and witness, however briefly, the calculations another person has to make simply to move through the world. This is an important, challenging, and deeply memorable novel — the kind of book that doesn't hand you the answers because its greatest gift is making you understand why there aren't easy ones.
Thank you sincerely to Pamela Dorman Books for sending me an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. It was a privilege to read and review this remarkable novel, and I look forward to the next opportunity.
4.5/5
Friends and Family is an unflinching examination of the relationships that shape us — the ones we choose, the ones we're born into, and the ones that force us to confront who we believe ourselves to be. Natalie Baszile's exploration of race, cultural identity, privilege, and the many forms of bias embedded in American life is courageously raw without ever becoming reductive. This is a book that refuses to whitewash difficult experiences into something more comfortable for the reader, while equally refusing to manufacture easy answers to questions that simply do not have them. That honesty is one of its greatest strengths. Stepping into the perspectives of these characters is at times profoundly uncomfortable, but it is also deeply illuminating, because Baszile trusts the reader to sit with that discomfort rather than resolving it for them.
The character work is exceptional. These people are unapologetically themselves — strong and vulnerable, defensive and generous, flawed and evolving, painfully and gorgeously human. Baszile's narrative voice is particularly adept at exposing the mental acrobatics required to navigate a world in which race and identity are never simply background characteristics, but forces that shape how a person moves through nearly every interaction. The portrayals of harm and its aftermath are equally impressive, particularly in the examination of allyship. Intentions are not results, and good intentions do not neutralize the consequences of careless or uninformed behavior. The novel understands that genuine allyship requires more than identifying oneself as an ally; it requires listening, accountability, humility, and a willingness to confront the possibility that the person trying to help may itself be contributing to the harm.
Friends and Family is the kind of novel that made me reconsider how I understand the relationships between individual good intentions and collective harm. It is a remarkably human story about navigating identity, friendship, family, privilege, and the biases that continue to shape American life, and it does so without reducing any of its characters to representatives of an argument. I genuinely believe this is a book worth reading widely, but especially for anyone who considers themselves an ally to the BIPOC community. There is something invaluable in being asked to step outside your own assumptions and witness, however briefly, the calculations another person has to make simply to move through the world. This is an important, challenging, and deeply memorable novel — the kind of book that doesn't hand you the answers because its greatest gift is making you understand why there aren't easy ones.
Thank you sincerely to Pamela Dorman Books for sending me an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. It was a privilege to read and review this remarkable novel, and I look forward to the next opportunity.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Over the years, between morning walks in the Bay Area and raising their kids, Babs and Nora have formed a deep friendship. But when an incident involving their teenaged children and the police occurs, the ties to their bond begin to fray. As Nathan, Nora's adopted Black son, struggles with the traumatic event, he seeks refuge and comfort within Babs's family while the two women find themselves at odds with each other over race and privilege.
With high potential to be a celebrity BC pick and begging to be a BC pick in general, 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 is a novel rife with hot button topics to dissect and discuss. Through complex characters, Baszile gives a piercing examination on race and allyship, and she does not shy away from having the uncomfortable conversations. It's hard-hitting, insightful, and extremely relevant in its timeliness.
My only slight hiccup is there's an infidelity thread revealed in the beginning that I ultimately think could have been cut; it feels more distracting from the scope of everything else this novel packs into its pages.
Navigating racism in America unfortunately remains a continual journey for both sides, and one thing Baszile does beautifully is showcase that no one has all the answers. We still have a lot of work to do, but that's doesn't mean we ever stop putting in the work or trying.
✨ Thank you Viking for the gifted ARC via NetGalley! [𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦: 10•6•2026]
With high potential to be a celebrity BC pick and begging to be a BC pick in general, 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 is a novel rife with hot button topics to dissect and discuss. Through complex characters, Baszile gives a piercing examination on race and allyship, and she does not shy away from having the uncomfortable conversations. It's hard-hitting, insightful, and extremely relevant in its timeliness.
My only slight hiccup is there's an infidelity thread revealed in the beginning that I ultimately think could have been cut; it feels more distracting from the scope of everything else this novel packs into its pages.
Navigating racism in America unfortunately remains a continual journey for both sides, and one thing Baszile does beautifully is showcase that no one has all the answers. We still have a lot of work to do, but that's doesn't mean we ever stop putting in the work or trying.
✨ Thank you Viking for the gifted ARC via NetGalley! [𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦: 10•6•2026]
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Well I guarantee this will be a celebrity book club pick. My moneys on Jenna, probably.
Set in the suburbs of San Francisco, Natalie Baszile tells the story of two longtime friends whose lives have become deeply intertwined. Babs is Black and the mother of a teenage daughter, Reese. Nora is white and the adoptive mother of a Black teenage son, Nathan. When the police are called while the teens are home alone, a traumatic encounter forces both families to confront the event—and everything that led up to it—from very different perspectives.
This is, first and foremost, a novel about friendship, but it’s equally a novel about race, privilege, parenting, and the ways our identities shape both how we move through the world and how the world responds to us. Baszile doesn’t offer easy answers or tidy resolutions. Instead, she invites readers into uncomfortable conversations that feel honest and deeply human.
As a middle-aged white woman, I want to read books like this. For far too long, much of publishing has presented stories about race in ways that allow white readers to remain comfortable. Fiction has the power to build empathy, challenge assumptions, and help us understand experiences beyond our own. That isn’t always an easy process, and this novel never pretends otherwise.
Despite the weight of its subject matter, the characters are what stayed with me. Babs and Nora are richly drawn, but it was the supporting cast that truly elevated the novel for me. Babs’s husband is one of my favorite characters I’ve read this year—steady, compassionate, and wonderfully written. The teenagers, especially Nathan, feel authentic in ways that many adult authors struggle to capture.
The writing reminded me of books like Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, while also carrying the issue-driven emotional weight of many of Jodi Picoult’s novels. It’s the kind of story that sparks conversation long after you’ve finished reading, making it an outstanding choice for book clubs.
Content warnings: racism, racial trauma, and a traumatic police encounter involving teenagers.
Rating: ★★★★¼ (4.25/5)
Expected publication: October 6, 2026.
Thank you to Pamela Dorman books for providing an advanced reading copy.
Set in the suburbs of San Francisco, Natalie Baszile tells the story of two longtime friends whose lives have become deeply intertwined. Babs is Black and the mother of a teenage daughter, Reese. Nora is white and the adoptive mother of a Black teenage son, Nathan. When the police are called while the teens are home alone, a traumatic encounter forces both families to confront the event—and everything that led up to it—from very different perspectives.
This is, first and foremost, a novel about friendship, but it’s equally a novel about race, privilege, parenting, and the ways our identities shape both how we move through the world and how the world responds to us. Baszile doesn’t offer easy answers or tidy resolutions. Instead, she invites readers into uncomfortable conversations that feel honest and deeply human.
As a middle-aged white woman, I want to read books like this. For far too long, much of publishing has presented stories about race in ways that allow white readers to remain comfortable. Fiction has the power to build empathy, challenge assumptions, and help us understand experiences beyond our own. That isn’t always an easy process, and this novel never pretends otherwise.
Despite the weight of its subject matter, the characters are what stayed with me. Babs and Nora are richly drawn, but it was the supporting cast that truly elevated the novel for me. Babs’s husband is one of my favorite characters I’ve read this year—steady, compassionate, and wonderfully written. The teenagers, especially Nathan, feel authentic in ways that many adult authors struggle to capture.
The writing reminded me of books like Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, while also carrying the issue-driven emotional weight of many of Jodi Picoult’s novels. It’s the kind of story that sparks conversation long after you’ve finished reading, making it an outstanding choice for book clubs.
Content warnings: racism, racial trauma, and a traumatic police encounter involving teenagers.
Rating: ★★★★¼ (4.25/5)
Expected publication: October 6, 2026.
Thank you to Pamela Dorman books for providing an advanced reading copy.
September 5, 2026
Thank you to Viking and NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.
Simply put, I loved this book.
This is my first read by Natalie Baszile, even though I am familiar with Queen Sugar. Like the book/show, this one packs a punch that calls for intense reflection during and after reading.
I was fortunate enough to read this with another group of readers who had ARCs. This was a diverse group of women, and the takeaways/conversations we were able to have while reading were what really made this read impactful.
Like Babs, I have had a Josie in my life. I am well-versed in the wounds that linger after having a friendship like that in childhood, especially one that ends because of circumstances beyond your own control--in this case, the color of your skin. Opening the book with that flashback really provided the reader with a foundation for understanding some of the racial dynamics that are present in the book, especially why Babs would befriend Nora.
I think this was an incredible character study, providing insights into what it is like to navigate the world as a Black person, but also what it feels like to navigate interracial friendships, specifically those between Black and white people. Like Mecca and Galin, both express to Babs, I understood Babs on the level in which it seemed like she was pandering to the white gaze, seeking validation from white people by overcompensating to make her Blackness more palatable. I understood the gravity of what it felt like to navigate white spaces as "one of the only" while trying to simply understand your place in the world.
Here's what I loved most:
-I loved the interiority of Babs' character, and at times, the thinking of Galin as well. I think this is an incredible way of showing the mental gymnastics that Black people face daily. I loved how it showcased their hopes, dreams, and fears, but also how it centered the ways in which they felt a sense of belonging in Black spaces.
-I loved the relationship between Babs/Galin and Reese and eventually Nathan. This parenting reminded me of the great parenting in the show, Forever, and I really appreciated how open and honest they were with the young people.
-I loved Mecca! I appreciated her viewpoints and her unapologetic Blackness. I think her character served as a great counter to Babs and really contributed to the "growth" that Babs experiences after the incident.
-I loved what this has to say about race and about the people who consider themselves allies. I think it provides a deeper level of understanding in the ways in which those who consider themselves allies still have blindspots/shortcomings. I think in a lot of ways, it shows how sometimes allyship feels performative, especially when someone considers themself to be "doing the work" and beyond reproach.
-I loved the way in which it demonstrated how harm can linger, and even after years, the wound is still raw.
-I loved the ending. I think it works well to show that situations such as this do not have "happy endings," and they don't allow those involved to move on without forgetting.
I think this is a book that everyone should read, but I think specifically those who consider themselves allies to Black people. It's an incredible portrait of navigating the world as a Black person and the casually violent ways in which "allies" can let. us down.
Read this book. Read it with others. Read it with your Black friends.
Simply put, I loved this book.
This is my first read by Natalie Baszile, even though I am familiar with Queen Sugar. Like the book/show, this one packs a punch that calls for intense reflection during and after reading.
I was fortunate enough to read this with another group of readers who had ARCs. This was a diverse group of women, and the takeaways/conversations we were able to have while reading were what really made this read impactful.
Like Babs, I have had a Josie in my life. I am well-versed in the wounds that linger after having a friendship like that in childhood, especially one that ends because of circumstances beyond your own control--in this case, the color of your skin. Opening the book with that flashback really provided the reader with a foundation for understanding some of the racial dynamics that are present in the book, especially why Babs would befriend Nora.
I think this was an incredible character study, providing insights into what it is like to navigate the world as a Black person, but also what it feels like to navigate interracial friendships, specifically those between Black and white people. Like Mecca and Galin, both express to Babs, I understood Babs on the level in which it seemed like she was pandering to the white gaze, seeking validation from white people by overcompensating to make her Blackness more palatable. I understood the gravity of what it felt like to navigate white spaces as "one of the only" while trying to simply understand your place in the world.
Here's what I loved most:
-I loved the interiority of Babs' character, and at times, the thinking of Galin as well. I think this is an incredible way of showing the mental gymnastics that Black people face daily. I loved how it showcased their hopes, dreams, and fears, but also how it centered the ways in which they felt a sense of belonging in Black spaces.
-I loved the relationship between Babs/Galin and Reese and eventually Nathan. This parenting reminded me of the great parenting in the show, Forever, and I really appreciated how open and honest they were with the young people.
-I loved Mecca! I appreciated her viewpoints and her unapologetic Blackness. I think her character served as a great counter to Babs and really contributed to the "growth" that Babs experiences after the incident.
-I loved what this has to say about race and about the people who consider themselves allies. I think it provides a deeper level of understanding in the ways in which those who consider themselves allies still have blindspots/shortcomings. I think in a lot of ways, it shows how sometimes allyship feels performative, especially when someone considers themself to be "doing the work" and beyond reproach.
-I loved the way in which it demonstrated how harm can linger, and even after years, the wound is still raw.
-I loved the ending. I think it works well to show that situations such as this do not have "happy endings," and they don't allow those involved to move on without forgetting.
I think this is a book that everyone should read, but I think specifically those who consider themselves allies to Black people. It's an incredible portrait of navigating the world as a Black person and the casually violent ways in which "allies" can let. us down.
Read this book. Read it with others. Read it with your Black friends.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read Friends and Family by Natalie Baszile in one day because I simply could not put it down. It’s a compelling story with interesting characters and a tight plot, even as it takes on some uncomfortable questions.
At its center is Babs, whose marriage is strained, and her best friend Nora, a white woman raising an adopted Black son. Their relationships give Baszile room to explore how race shapes everyday life and the things people may understand very differently, even when they love each other. I especially appreciated the idea of the “invisible suitcase” Black people carry. That image helped me understand the story more deeply, especially Galen and Nathan. It gave me a way to think about how experiences of racism accumulate and shape the way they move through the world, even when other people can’t see the weight of them.
San Francisco and the Napa Valley are vividly drawn, too. Baszile’s descriptions of the landscape and local landmarks made the story feel rooted in a real place.
I’ve seen reviews criticizing the book for focusing too much on racism, but I didn’t feel that way at all. That focus belongs to this story and these characters. I was absorbed from beginning to end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
At its center is Babs, whose marriage is strained, and her best friend Nora, a white woman raising an adopted Black son. Their relationships give Baszile room to explore how race shapes everyday life and the things people may understand very differently, even when they love each other. I especially appreciated the idea of the “invisible suitcase” Black people carry. That image helped me understand the story more deeply, especially Galen and Nathan. It gave me a way to think about how experiences of racism accumulate and shape the way they move through the world, even when other people can’t see the weight of them.
San Francisco and the Napa Valley are vividly drawn, too. Baszile’s descriptions of the landscape and local landmarks made the story feel rooted in a real place.
I’ve seen reviews criticizing the book for focusing too much on racism, but I didn’t feel that way at all. That focus belongs to this story and these characters. I was absorbed from beginning to end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
August 2, 2026Friends and Family by new to me author Natalie Baszile is a stand alone novel.
I read the blurb and was intrigued. I started reading and soon it became clear, that isn't the book for me.
I couldn't for the life of me connect with the story or the characters and I really didn't like the writing.
2.5 stars bcause I'm in a generous mood.
I read the blurb and was intrigued. I started reading and soon it became clear, that isn't the book for me.
I couldn't for the life of me connect with the story or the characters and I really didn't like the writing.
2.5 stars bcause I'm in a generous mood.
October 4, 2026
Thank you to #VikingPenguin and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #FriendsandFamily. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Could not put this book down. Had to know what was going to happen to all the characters. This is a book about what it means to belong - to family, friends and a community - and how relationships can survive hard things when people are true to themselves.
Set in contemporary San Francisco, the story revolves around the friendship of Babs and Nora. When one of their children is racially profiled by the police, the dynamic shifts and both women are forced to evaluate what's important to them and how they move forward.
This is a really well-written story about the complexity of relationships and hidden biases.
Could not put this book down. Had to know what was going to happen to all the characters. This is a book about what it means to belong - to family, friends and a community - and how relationships can survive hard things when people are true to themselves.
Set in contemporary San Francisco, the story revolves around the friendship of Babs and Nora. When one of their children is racially profiled by the police, the dynamic shifts and both women are forced to evaluate what's important to them and how they move forward.
This is a really well-written story about the complexity of relationships and hidden biases.
reading-next-arc-approvals
July 23, 2026PUBLISH DATE: Oct 6, 2026
BOOK TITLE: Friends and Family
AUTHOR: Natalie Baszile
PUBLISHER: Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 384
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
BOOK TITLE: Friends and Family
AUTHOR: Natalie Baszile
PUBLISHER: Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 384
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Read
October 2, 2026With this examination of friendship, family loyalty and inherent racism, Natalie Baszile hits this one out of the park, One aspect I appreciated was the locale. San Francisco, which she knows very well, is well used, surprisingly so since that city has a reputation for acceptance and tolerance. The fact that people of color can feel threatened there indicates that it can happen anywhere. The two major protagonists, Babs and Nora, lead upscale lives and yet are not exempt from the dangers of the streets. As I have had the good fortune to have lived in that city, settings were familiar, which is why some events were surprising.
March 11, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was really anxious to read Friends and Family after reading the synopsis. It tries to tackle some pretty serious issues, infidelity, transracial adoption, interracial friendships. I found that the infidelity issue kind of took over everything, and it just didn't feel believable to me how it was handled.
Babs is a mess. She made bad decision after bad decision. Few of the characters were likable except for her sister, Mecca, and friend, Logan. They felt the most realistic to me. Friends and Family just didn't land for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the ARC.
Babs is a mess. She made bad decision after bad decision. Few of the characters were likable except for her sister, Mecca, and friend, Logan. They felt the most realistic to me. Friends and Family just didn't land for me. Thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the ARC.
March 25, 2026
Such a real book. I had to go back and check it was fiction and not a memoir because of how real the storytelling felt.
This book really addresses race, Transracial adoption, friendship, marriage. Basil’s shows how people can exist in the same world but have different perspectives and experiences and how that can affect friendships.
There is a lot of build up and explaining in this book to be able to understand and feel the full effect of this story.
I think this was a really good book that addressed a lot of important topics going on today.
This book really addresses race, Transracial adoption, friendship, marriage. Basil’s shows how people can exist in the same world but have different perspectives and experiences and how that can affect friendships.
There is a lot of build up and explaining in this book to be able to understand and feel the full effect of this story.
I think this was a really good book that addressed a lot of important topics going on today.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5⭐
Friends and Family is an unflinching examination of friendship as two best friends find themselves at odds over their beliefs on race, identity and allyship, especially when it comes to their teenage children. Babs, Black mother of Reese, and Nora, adopted mother of a black son Nathan, have been friends since the kids have been just barely toddlers. When Nathan finds himself targeted by policy in a scary situation, Nora and Babs have very different ways of how to support him and how to deal with the situation.
This one GOES DEEP on the racial issues that Babs and her family experience and live with on a daily basis Nora is not painted as a bad person or racist, but STILL she makes several serious missteps and gross mistakes in how she supports her son. As a Girl Who is White (one of Bab's terms), I found many of these interactions honestly very deeply uncomfortable but also very enlightening. Babs finally finds herself asking herself 'why is it up to me to explain to Nora why what she's doing is so painful?! Shouldn't she be the one to do the work to figure this out!?" Honestly this is a whole new level of thinking and I'm ashamed to realize that I identified with Nora many times. Baszile does not shy away from the tough stuff and I had several lightbulb moments.
Notwithstanding all of the above, the storytelling on this one is top-notch on it's own. As a former (north) Bar Area native, I have to add how much I loved the rich descriptions of SF and other areas in the Bay Area and how the setting really adds a richness to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman for access to this eARC.
Friends and Family is an unflinching examination of friendship as two best friends find themselves at odds over their beliefs on race, identity and allyship, especially when it comes to their teenage children. Babs, Black mother of Reese, and Nora, adopted mother of a black son Nathan, have been friends since the kids have been just barely toddlers. When Nathan finds himself targeted by policy in a scary situation, Nora and Babs have very different ways of how to support him and how to deal with the situation.
This one GOES DEEP on the racial issues that Babs and her family experience and live with on a daily basis Nora is not painted as a bad person or racist, but STILL she makes several serious missteps and gross mistakes in how she supports her son. As a Girl Who is White (one of Bab's terms), I found many of these interactions honestly very deeply uncomfortable but also very enlightening. Babs finally finds herself asking herself 'why is it up to me to explain to Nora why what she's doing is so painful?! Shouldn't she be the one to do the work to figure this out!?" Honestly this is a whole new level of thinking and I'm ashamed to realize that I identified with Nora many times. Baszile does not shy away from the tough stuff and I had several lightbulb moments.
Notwithstanding all of the above, the storytelling on this one is top-notch on it's own. As a former (north) Bar Area native, I have to add how much I loved the rich descriptions of SF and other areas in the Bay Area and how the setting really adds a richness to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman for access to this eARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I finished Family and Friends primarily because I had committed to reviewing an advance copy. While I appreciated the technically strong writing and the vivid descriptions of San Francisco’s neighborhoods, there wasn’t much else about the book that worked for me.
The story centers on an angry, flawed female protagonist who makes a series of poor choices, only to leave readers expected to sympathize with her in the aftermath. I don’t mind flawed characters—in fact, they can be some of the most interesting—but books centered on angry people with chips on their shoulders aren’t for me. Neither are books that feel derisive or intent on dividing their characters and readers.
The author tackles several worthwhile and thought-provoking topics, including interracial adoption, interracial friendship, self-segregation, and racial profiling. Unfortunately, the execution felt too heavy-handed and one-sided for my taste. I could appreciate the issues the book was trying to explore, but I ultimately found the approach more alienating than engaging.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
The story centers on an angry, flawed female protagonist who makes a series of poor choices, only to leave readers expected to sympathize with her in the aftermath. I don’t mind flawed characters—in fact, they can be some of the most interesting—but books centered on angry people with chips on their shoulders aren’t for me. Neither are books that feel derisive or intent on dividing their characters and readers.
The author tackles several worthwhile and thought-provoking topics, including interracial adoption, interracial friendship, self-segregation, and racial profiling. Unfortunately, the execution felt too heavy-handed and one-sided for my taste. I could appreciate the issues the book was trying to explore, but I ultimately found the approach more alienating than engaging.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Friends and Family is a book that opens up a discussion that will last for more then one conversation, its a bookclub book, a controversial topic book and maybe even a reevaluate your relationship book.
It touched on racism, interracial relationships/friendships, and how to navigate in a world where you thought your closest friend would never betray you. This book and it's characters might even piss you off with some of their choices but then you realize that this could be and probably be someone's reality.
We have Babs and Nora, both married with children and we are brought into their home and their everyday lives and what it looks like for a Black woman with a white best friend and a white woman with a Black son. The bounds of friendship are tested and at some point the line in the sand is clear, which side will these two women land on.
I absolutely loved this book. It brought up so much emotion and conviction I don't even think I had. I will be buying a physical copy of this book to annotate.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for this ARC.
It touched on racism, interracial relationships/friendships, and how to navigate in a world where you thought your closest friend would never betray you. This book and it's characters might even piss you off with some of their choices but then you realize that this could be and probably be someone's reality.
We have Babs and Nora, both married with children and we are brought into their home and their everyday lives and what it looks like for a Black woman with a white best friend and a white woman with a Black son. The bounds of friendship are tested and at some point the line in the sand is clear, which side will these two women land on.
I absolutely loved this book. It brought up so much emotion and conviction I don't even think I had. I will be buying a physical copy of this book to annotate.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A novel of friendship that leans in hard on racism. Babs and Nora meet and become friends when their kids Nathan and Reese were in elementary school. All is well until it isn't, when a neighbor of Babs, who tells the story, calls the police on Nathan and no one knows how to help. Know that these are two privileged families, one with inherited wealth and one that has earned it. Babs has a lot to say and this leans in on racism and black women. There's a plot thread on infidelity that might lead you wrong on one mystery but which doesn't add a lot to the story except to (oddly) add to Galen's character. This is hard to review because it hits hard topics and it's unrelenting, especially with regard to Nora. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A thought provoking read.
September 12, 2026
4.5 Stars: This book had me from page one - read it in 24 hours, unable to look away, even as I could see the train wreck coming. Set in San Francisco, a friendship between a Black woman and a White woman who adopted a Black boy seventeen years prior. Yeah, that alone is ripe for discussion. But when the author throws in a confrontation with police, the plot thickens. Told by a Black author, this story is simple and complex all at the same time, giving us background on cultural identity, effort vs. reality, how socioeconomic issues come into play, the importance of finding our people, how art inspires and feeds us, and so much more. This is the perfect book for a book club, with so much to discuss and mull over. I will not forget this book anytime soon.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Friends and Family deals with several really heavy societal themes (racism, class, relationships, policing, parenting) and I am probably not the target reader or even in the right demographic.
The writing did not flow naturally because the author was just telling me things rather than showing me through plot. The characters seemed to be stereotypes or caricatures of themselves. I was unable to connect with them inside what could have been a very compelling narrative.
Thank you to VikingPenguin and NetGalley for a digital copy in return for an honest review.
The writing did not flow naturally because the author was just telling me things rather than showing me through plot. The characters seemed to be stereotypes or caricatures of themselves. I was unable to connect with them inside what could have been a very compelling narrative.
Thank you to VikingPenguin and NetGalley for a digital copy in return for an honest review.
September 27, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. I can see what the author was trying to accomplish with commentary on race, police violence, whiteness, etc., but it was SO heavy-handed and predictable. I probably would have given this 3 stars, but the ending infuriated me. Why the hell would Babs let Nora back in?!?!
May 1, 2026
4.25. I loved the honesty of this book. I appreciated the way the author allows the reader into the inner thoughts of Babs as she navigates marriage, motherhood, sisterhood, and friendship. The layered discussions of race and racism are real and raw. The characters are fully formed and this would just as easily read as a memoir. This would make the perfect book club book!
September 9, 2026
Friends and Family was such a good read! This novel explores so many themes that feel incredibly relevant to what is happening today. I really appreciated how the author was able to weave so many different topics together while still creating a story that felt cohesive and engaging.
This book touches on transracial adoption, identity, shrinking yourself to fit into a relationship, flawed marriages, affairs, sisterhood, and police violence. That is a lot to unpack, but the author did an amazing job of blending all these themes together in a way that felt natural and thoughtful.
Overall, this was a great read that gave me a lot to think about. I really enjoyed Friends and Family and would recommend it!
This book touches on transracial adoption, identity, shrinking yourself to fit into a relationship, flawed marriages, affairs, sisterhood, and police violence. That is a lot to unpack, but the author did an amazing job of blending all these themes together in a way that felt natural and thoughtful.
Overall, this was a great read that gave me a lot to think about. I really enjoyed Friends and Family and would recommend it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sometimes situations will really show you what a friendship is made of, and not always in a good way, and that’s exactly what happens in Friends and Family.
Friends and Family is a story about friendship, but not the easy, feel good kind. This story shows how quickly things can shift when real-life situations come into play, especially when it involves family, race, and “protecting” your children. The book explores how friends with different perspectives in these areas can either grow closer or drift apart.
I’ve also always wondered about transracial adoptions, especially when families of other races adopt black children. Will the child be fully accepted and loved by the entire family? Will they feel like something is missing when it comes to their cultural identity? This book really shed light on those questions in a way that felt honest and real.
As you can see, shying away from uncomfortable conversations was not something Baszile did here, and I really appreciated that.
The pacing leaned more on the reflective side, which worked for the story, but I will say the ending felt a little abrupt. I found myself wanting just a bit more closure. An epilogue would have been a really nice addition to help the ending feel more complete.
Overall, this was an engaging read that made me think about friendship and family in a deeper way. If you enjoy stories that touch on real-life issues, this is definitely one to check out.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Viking Penguin, and Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: Oct 6, 2026
#NetGalley #FriendsandFamily
Friends and Family is a story about friendship, but not the easy, feel good kind. This story shows how quickly things can shift when real-life situations come into play, especially when it involves family, race, and “protecting” your children. The book explores how friends with different perspectives in these areas can either grow closer or drift apart.
I’ve also always wondered about transracial adoptions, especially when families of other races adopt black children. Will the child be fully accepted and loved by the entire family? Will they feel like something is missing when it comes to their cultural identity? This book really shed light on those questions in a way that felt honest and real.
As you can see, shying away from uncomfortable conversations was not something Baszile did here, and I really appreciated that.
The pacing leaned more on the reflective side, which worked for the story, but I will say the ending felt a little abrupt. I found myself wanting just a bit more closure. An epilogue would have been a really nice addition to help the ending feel more complete.
Overall, this was an engaging read that made me think about friendship and family in a deeper way. If you enjoy stories that touch on real-life issues, this is definitely one to check out.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Viking Penguin, and Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: Oct 6, 2026
#NetGalley #FriendsandFamily
August 8, 2026
★★★★
I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley. I have read previous fiction books by Natalie Baszile so was excited to get to know the characters in this book. This story is about friendship but not the easy feel good kind. It shows how situations will show you what a friendship is made of when it involves family, race, and the complex choices people make for their children. It covers many difficult but necessary themes, including racism, bias, and transracial adoption. This book shed light on the terrifying reality that raising a Black son in today's world means simple encounters can be life-threatening, in a way that felt honest and real. It’s a very thought-provoking book that left me with plenty to reflect on long after reading.
You will be taken on quite an emotional ride with these characters. Baszile didn't shy away from uncomfortable conversations, and I really appreciated that. It made the characters feel complicated and frustrating but also very real. The only issue I had was the pacing of the story leaned more on the reflective side and the beginning felt exceptionally slow. The ending also felt a little abrupt and I found myself wanting just a bit more closure, like an epilogue to help the ending feel more complete. Overall this was a powerful read about important, real-life issues. If you enjoy thought-provoking stories about how race impacts day-to-day interactions, this is a book that stays with you. Thanks to the publisher, Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books.
I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley. I have read previous fiction books by Natalie Baszile so was excited to get to know the characters in this book. This story is about friendship but not the easy feel good kind. It shows how situations will show you what a friendship is made of when it involves family, race, and the complex choices people make for their children. It covers many difficult but necessary themes, including racism, bias, and transracial adoption. This book shed light on the terrifying reality that raising a Black son in today's world means simple encounters can be life-threatening, in a way that felt honest and real. It’s a very thought-provoking book that left me with plenty to reflect on long after reading.
You will be taken on quite an emotional ride with these characters. Baszile didn't shy away from uncomfortable conversations, and I really appreciated that. It made the characters feel complicated and frustrating but also very real. The only issue I had was the pacing of the story leaned more on the reflective side and the beginning felt exceptionally slow. The ending also felt a little abrupt and I found myself wanting just a bit more closure, like an epilogue to help the ending feel more complete. Overall this was a powerful read about important, real-life issues. If you enjoy thought-provoking stories about how race impacts day-to-day interactions, this is a book that stays with you. Thanks to the publisher, Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2026
From the brilliant mind behind Queen Sugar (a favorite) comes an unforgettable, eye-opening novel about race, community, and maternal instinct. If you love contemporary fiction that challenges your perspectives and stays with you long after the final page, put this at the top of your reading list.
Intro
The fragile threads of interracial friendship and well-meaning allyship are pushed to their absolute breaking point in Friends and Family. Following up on her acclaimed debut Queen Sugar, Natalie Baszile returns with a deeply intimate, contemporary drama that fearlessly dissects the hidden fractures within a seemingly perfect bond.
The Hook
For a decade, Babs and Nora have been inseparable, sharing morning walks, parenting advice, and deep family secrets in their tight-knit Bay Area enclave. But when a terrifying police encounter occurs while their teenage kids are home alone, Nora's adopted Black son, Nathan, bears the brunt of the trauma, instantly shattering the comfortable dynamic between the two mothers.
Elevator Pitch
Think Little Fires Everywhere meets Small Great Things. An upper-middle-class enclave becomes the staging ground for a quiet but devastating clash over race, privilege, and identity. When a crisis forces a young man to look for refuge away from his own white mother, two families are forced to question everything they thought they understood about love and loyalty.
Setting
The story unfolds against the scenic, affluent backdrops of San Francisco and the Presidio Park walking trails. The deceptively peaceful, progressive environment serves as a stark contrast to the brewing emotional storm and deep-seated cultural divides.
Vibe
Intimate, urgent, and emotionally heavy. The narrative feels like a slow, meticulous unraveling of safety, where every casual conversation carries the weight of decades of unaddressed societal tension.
Genre
Contemporary Fiction / Social Drama.
Themes
~The Limits of Allyship: The vast gulf between theoretical progressive values and real-world execution during a crisis.
~Maternal Protection: How the raw instinct to defend a child can alienate the people closest to you.
~Identity and Enclaves: The isolation of a young Black man trying to find community while being raised in a space that avoids talking about race.
Standout Characters
~Babs: A fiercely protective Black woman wrestling with a past betrayal, a strained marriage, and an internal battle over how much of herself to sacrifice for her friend's son.
~Nathan: A seventeen-year-old caught between the world his mother built for him and the harsh realities of how society views him, desperately seeking a space where he can just heal.
Author Writing Standout
Natalie Baszile writes with incredible, surgical precision when exploring internal dialogue, building devastating momentum through the small shifts in body language, tense pauses, and the complex conversations shared between lifelong friends.
Takeaway
True allyship isn't built during comfortable morning walks; it is tested in the uncomfortable, boundary-testing aftermath of real-world trauma.
Title Significance
The title plays on the casual phrase "friends and family," highlighting how easily those categories blur when things are easy, and how violently they separate when a choice must be made between protecting your bloodline and protecting a bond.
Metaphor
The friendship functions like a beautiful glass sculpture with an invisible structural flaw. It looks flawless on display in the sunlight, but a single sharp blow reveals the stress lines that were always hidden beneath the surface.
Why You Should Read
This book is essential reading for book clubs and anyone who loves deeply character-driven stories. It doesn't offer easy answers or clean resolutions; instead, it forces the reader to look inward and examine their own boundaries, privileges, and assumptions.
My Thoughts
Two best friends share a decade of secrets, but one traumatic afternoon changes everything. After a police encounter disrupts their families' lives, Babs and Nora must confront the true limits of privilege and allyship. "Friends and Family" is a remarkable work of contemporary literature. The focus on Babs' internal perspective brings a profound and raw honesty to the story. Witnessing the erosion of trust between two women who genuinely care for one another is deeply heartbreaking. However, Baszile handles the subject matter with stunning empathy, nuance, and grace.
Verdict 5 / 5 Stars
"A piercing, masterfully written examination of friendship, privilege, and the delicate limits of interracial allyship. Natalie Baszile delivers a deeply resonant and emotionally fearless story that exposes the fractures that open when good intentions collide with harsh realities. An unforgettable, powerhouse novel that demands to be discussed."
Recs or Read Alikes
If you enjoyed Friends and Family by Natalie Baszile, you likely appreciate sharp, emotionally resonant contemporary fiction that explores complex female friendships, interracial dynamics, motherhood, and the heavy impact of systemic issues on personal relationships
~Queen Sugar (a favorite) by Natalie Baszile (To explore her brilliant roots in family and legacy)
~The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
~One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris
~The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
Special thanks to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking and NetGalley for sharing an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 6, 2026
Oct 2026 Must-Read Books
Oct Newsletter
Intro
The fragile threads of interracial friendship and well-meaning allyship are pushed to their absolute breaking point in Friends and Family. Following up on her acclaimed debut Queen Sugar, Natalie Baszile returns with a deeply intimate, contemporary drama that fearlessly dissects the hidden fractures within a seemingly perfect bond.
The Hook
For a decade, Babs and Nora have been inseparable, sharing morning walks, parenting advice, and deep family secrets in their tight-knit Bay Area enclave. But when a terrifying police encounter occurs while their teenage kids are home alone, Nora's adopted Black son, Nathan, bears the brunt of the trauma, instantly shattering the comfortable dynamic between the two mothers.
Elevator Pitch
Think Little Fires Everywhere meets Small Great Things. An upper-middle-class enclave becomes the staging ground for a quiet but devastating clash over race, privilege, and identity. When a crisis forces a young man to look for refuge away from his own white mother, two families are forced to question everything they thought they understood about love and loyalty.
Setting
The story unfolds against the scenic, affluent backdrops of San Francisco and the Presidio Park walking trails. The deceptively peaceful, progressive environment serves as a stark contrast to the brewing emotional storm and deep-seated cultural divides.
Vibe
Intimate, urgent, and emotionally heavy. The narrative feels like a slow, meticulous unraveling of safety, where every casual conversation carries the weight of decades of unaddressed societal tension.
Genre
Contemporary Fiction / Social Drama.
Themes
~The Limits of Allyship: The vast gulf between theoretical progressive values and real-world execution during a crisis.
~Maternal Protection: How the raw instinct to defend a child can alienate the people closest to you.
~Identity and Enclaves: The isolation of a young Black man trying to find community while being raised in a space that avoids talking about race.
Standout Characters
~Babs: A fiercely protective Black woman wrestling with a past betrayal, a strained marriage, and an internal battle over how much of herself to sacrifice for her friend's son.
~Nathan: A seventeen-year-old caught between the world his mother built for him and the harsh realities of how society views him, desperately seeking a space where he can just heal.
Author Writing Standout
Natalie Baszile writes with incredible, surgical precision when exploring internal dialogue, building devastating momentum through the small shifts in body language, tense pauses, and the complex conversations shared between lifelong friends.
Takeaway
True allyship isn't built during comfortable morning walks; it is tested in the uncomfortable, boundary-testing aftermath of real-world trauma.
Title Significance
The title plays on the casual phrase "friends and family," highlighting how easily those categories blur when things are easy, and how violently they separate when a choice must be made between protecting your bloodline and protecting a bond.
Metaphor
The friendship functions like a beautiful glass sculpture with an invisible structural flaw. It looks flawless on display in the sunlight, but a single sharp blow reveals the stress lines that were always hidden beneath the surface.
Why You Should Read
This book is essential reading for book clubs and anyone who loves deeply character-driven stories. It doesn't offer easy answers or clean resolutions; instead, it forces the reader to look inward and examine their own boundaries, privileges, and assumptions.
My Thoughts
Two best friends share a decade of secrets, but one traumatic afternoon changes everything. After a police encounter disrupts their families' lives, Babs and Nora must confront the true limits of privilege and allyship. "Friends and Family" is a remarkable work of contemporary literature. The focus on Babs' internal perspective brings a profound and raw honesty to the story. Witnessing the erosion of trust between two women who genuinely care for one another is deeply heartbreaking. However, Baszile handles the subject matter with stunning empathy, nuance, and grace.
Verdict 5 / 5 Stars
"A piercing, masterfully written examination of friendship, privilege, and the delicate limits of interracial allyship. Natalie Baszile delivers a deeply resonant and emotionally fearless story that exposes the fractures that open when good intentions collide with harsh realities. An unforgettable, powerhouse novel that demands to be discussed."
Recs or Read Alikes
If you enjoyed Friends and Family by Natalie Baszile, you likely appreciate sharp, emotionally resonant contemporary fiction that explores complex female friendships, interracial dynamics, motherhood, and the heavy impact of systemic issues on personal relationships
~Queen Sugar (a favorite) by Natalie Baszile (To explore her brilliant roots in family and legacy)
~The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
~One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris
~The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
Special thanks to Pamela Dorman Books/Viking and NetGalley for sharing an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 6, 2026
Oct 2026 Must-Read Books
Oct Newsletter
September 4, 2026
Thank you to Goodreads giveaways and Pamela Dorman books for the advance copy of this book, out on October 6th.
Babs and Nora have been friends for years. Despite Nora being white and Babs Black, they have bonded over their children's friendships between Babs' daughter Reese and Nora's adopted Black son Nathan. But when an incident involving the cops and their children takes place, the friends find themselves divided like never before. And Nathan looks to Babs and her family for refuge that he doesn't feel he has in his own home with Nora.
This was an absolutely fascinating exploration of friendship across racial lines, privilege, and what it truly means to be a good friend and ally. I feel so, so lucky that I had a group of buddy readers to discuss this with as a I read, many of which were Black women who added incredibly thoughtful and insightful comments to our discussion. I think this is incredibly important reading for Americans since it deals with an issue that we are all confronting and living with every day. This was a great read with heavy emphasis on friendship, but it was not an easy or comfortable read.
It's easy to not like a lot of people in this book, because they're virtually all wildly imperfect. Nora and her husband Stuart consider themselves greatly open minded and give themselves endless pats on the back for adopting a Black son. Yet this is not a blanket guarantee that they're always doing right by their son. They are incredibly privileged and I was really angry at multiple points by things they do and say. And frustrated with Babs for going back to Nora over and over, although on the other hand I do like Babs' loyalty to the friendship and eternal optimism that things can get better between them.
Another element to this book that is in the background of all this heavy racial clashing is a marriage trying to rebuild and recover. We learn early in the novel that Babs has had an affair. I have mixed feelings on this subplot. On the one hand, watching Babs and her husband try to tentatively recover felt so real and raw but also at times beautiful and moving. But it also felt out of character for everything else we know about Babs and it also made the novel feel almost cluttered with events. Of course, that is life - there is always a lot going on at the same time, always.
One element I appreciated is that no one in this book has the answers. Navigating racism in America is such a heavy and complicated burden for all of us. But I did love the tentatively hopeful ending. My takeaway is that the answer is not to give up or to shrink from the work.
Reading the summary of this, I was worried that this would spend a lot of time dwelling on the police incident and the escalated/violent scene. While this incident heavily shapes the plot, it does happen off page, and more time is spent on the relationships in the aftermath of this incident and not the incident itself.
At first, I was tempted to give this four stars but as I write this review, I can't think of anything negative to add to my review. I think the four stars first thought was due to enjoyment. I read this so quickly and it was a quick read, but I think the four stars reach was due to how heavy the topics in this are. Although the ending is hopeful, I felt depressed in some ways reading this thinking about how do we fix these issues and where do we go from here? Ultimately, I think I'll go with 4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads.
Favorite quotes:
"Explaining meant telling Nora about the 'invisible suitcase' - the one filled with all our hopes and dreams, our fears and memories; the one peculiar to being Black in America. How could I explain that Galen's suitcase was packed with all the rage and hurt he'd accumulated over a lifetime of living in this country?" (23)
"I'd developed my theory about the three types of white women. First, there were White Girls, capital W, capital G - women who moved through the world with a startling sense of entitlement. Easy to spot, they misbehaved loudly in public spaces like airports and restaurants. Next, Girls Who Are White - women born into white bodies but who were socially and politically aware, deploying their privilege to dismantle the system. Finally, the Spicy Whites - women who possessed a certain funk factor." (37)
"Twenty-four hours ago, Nathan was a teenager, aware of the world but not afraid of it. From now on, life would be filtered through a lens of fear, every decision informed by the potential for peril. He'd started to pack his invisible suitcase and would forever feel the weight of it." (144)
Babs and Nora have been friends for years. Despite Nora being white and Babs Black, they have bonded over their children's friendships between Babs' daughter Reese and Nora's adopted Black son Nathan. But when an incident involving the cops and their children takes place, the friends find themselves divided like never before. And Nathan looks to Babs and her family for refuge that he doesn't feel he has in his own home with Nora.
This was an absolutely fascinating exploration of friendship across racial lines, privilege, and what it truly means to be a good friend and ally. I feel so, so lucky that I had a group of buddy readers to discuss this with as a I read, many of which were Black women who added incredibly thoughtful and insightful comments to our discussion. I think this is incredibly important reading for Americans since it deals with an issue that we are all confronting and living with every day. This was a great read with heavy emphasis on friendship, but it was not an easy or comfortable read.
It's easy to not like a lot of people in this book, because they're virtually all wildly imperfect. Nora and her husband Stuart consider themselves greatly open minded and give themselves endless pats on the back for adopting a Black son. Yet this is not a blanket guarantee that they're always doing right by their son. They are incredibly privileged and I was really angry at multiple points by things they do and say. And frustrated with Babs for going back to Nora over and over, although on the other hand I do like Babs' loyalty to the friendship and eternal optimism that things can get better between them.
Another element to this book that is in the background of all this heavy racial clashing is a marriage trying to rebuild and recover. We learn early in the novel that Babs has had an affair. I have mixed feelings on this subplot. On the one hand, watching Babs and her husband try to tentatively recover felt so real and raw but also at times beautiful and moving. But it also felt out of character for everything else we know about Babs and it also made the novel feel almost cluttered with events. Of course, that is life - there is always a lot going on at the same time, always.
One element I appreciated is that no one in this book has the answers. Navigating racism in America is such a heavy and complicated burden for all of us. But I did love the tentatively hopeful ending. My takeaway is that the answer is not to give up or to shrink from the work.
Reading the summary of this, I was worried that this would spend a lot of time dwelling on the police incident and the escalated/violent scene. While this incident heavily shapes the plot, it does happen off page, and more time is spent on the relationships in the aftermath of this incident and not the incident itself.
At first, I was tempted to give this four stars but as I write this review, I can't think of anything negative to add to my review. I think the four stars first thought was due to enjoyment. I read this so quickly and it was a quick read, but I think the four stars reach was due to how heavy the topics in this are. Although the ending is hopeful, I felt depressed in some ways reading this thinking about how do we fix these issues and where do we go from here? Ultimately, I think I'll go with 4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads.
Favorite quotes:
"Explaining meant telling Nora about the 'invisible suitcase' - the one filled with all our hopes and dreams, our fears and memories; the one peculiar to being Black in America. How could I explain that Galen's suitcase was packed with all the rage and hurt he'd accumulated over a lifetime of living in this country?" (23)
"I'd developed my theory about the three types of white women. First, there were White Girls, capital W, capital G - women who moved through the world with a startling sense of entitlement. Easy to spot, they misbehaved loudly in public spaces like airports and restaurants. Next, Girls Who Are White - women born into white bodies but who were socially and politically aware, deploying their privilege to dismantle the system. Finally, the Spicy Whites - women who possessed a certain funk factor." (37)
"Twenty-four hours ago, Nathan was a teenager, aware of the world but not afraid of it. From now on, life would be filtered through a lens of fear, every decision informed by the potential for peril. He'd started to pack his invisible suitcase and would forever feel the weight of it." (144)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
At its core, Friends and Family is a story about the Black experience; at least that is how I received it. It is layered. It is warm. It is complicated at times. But don’t get it twisted… it is BEAUTIFUL. We are following Babs, a 40-something Black woman in San Francisco, and her family; her Husband Galen and her daughter Reese. We also get to know her best friend, Nora and her family; husband , Stuart and son, Nathan. Nora is a 50-something white woman who comes from a very conservative and wealthy family, but she happens to have much more progressive politics.
The story begins with Babs confiding a closely guarded secret to Nora; a secret that she believes could ruin the life she’s built. Early on we get to see an openness and graciousness in Nora as she listens and does not judge Babs for her missteps. We are immediately drawn into a friendship that by all accounts, seems to be open, loving and reciprocal; however, it made me uncomfortable. To be fair, I am a skeptic by nature and I am always looking at folks sideways… but I digress. I would like to mention that plot point involving this secret felt a bit unnecessary. I think I understand what Natalie Baszile was doing; proving another example of how racial violence, rather subtle or blatant, does not need to necessarily be physical, but I think that point could have been made without opening the story up to a plot point that felt disconnected.
This story feels very slice of life as we watch Reese and Nate make their way through senior year of high school. They play sports together, play in a band together and practically live at each other’s homes. Babs and Galen are working to shore up their marriage, while Galen readies himself to turn 50. Nora is working at her family’s vineyard and hoping to reinvent herself once she is an empty nester. All is well until an incident at Bab’s housing, involving Nate, leads to a police interaction that changes everyone’s lives.
Although this entire book offers a slim window into many facets of the Black experience in America, this inciting incident lays bare what can happen when a young Black man has been sheltered from the realities of race and the very real impact that it has on a person’s lived experience. As we follow Nate on his journey to learn and accept these realities, we are also there to witness the blindspots that his well-meaning white parents have and how they deal with them. We get an intimate look at the necessity of community and the inherent need to feel seen and safe. Through Babs, we are also allowed to work through what it looks like when we stop centering whiteness and those that traffic in it; no matter how subtle.
Funnily enough, even with all of the friction that this story offers up, it also very much revels in understanding, forgiveness and growth (even when it hurts). It doesn’t tie up in a neat bow, but it does leave space and opportunity for reconciliation.
As much as I enjoyed my reading experience, I would like to point out something that nagged me throughout the book. I constantly felt that it was written with the non-Black gaze in mind. There were several moments of explanation about things that are VERY culturally Black that could have been left out. I felt as though those moments should have been left as “if you know… you know.” In another book it may have been fine, but in the context of this story, the tone just felt like an educational guide to Blackness.
It was a compelling read and ultimately I would recommend it.
The story begins with Babs confiding a closely guarded secret to Nora; a secret that she believes could ruin the life she’s built. Early on we get to see an openness and graciousness in Nora as she listens and does not judge Babs for her missteps. We are immediately drawn into a friendship that by all accounts, seems to be open, loving and reciprocal; however, it made me uncomfortable. To be fair, I am a skeptic by nature and I am always looking at folks sideways… but I digress. I would like to mention that plot point involving this secret felt a bit unnecessary. I think I understand what Natalie Baszile was doing; proving another example of how racial violence, rather subtle or blatant, does not need to necessarily be physical, but I think that point could have been made without opening the story up to a plot point that felt disconnected.
This story feels very slice of life as we watch Reese and Nate make their way through senior year of high school. They play sports together, play in a band together and practically live at each other’s homes. Babs and Galen are working to shore up their marriage, while Galen readies himself to turn 50. Nora is working at her family’s vineyard and hoping to reinvent herself once she is an empty nester. All is well until an incident at Bab’s housing, involving Nate, leads to a police interaction that changes everyone’s lives.
Although this entire book offers a slim window into many facets of the Black experience in America, this inciting incident lays bare what can happen when a young Black man has been sheltered from the realities of race and the very real impact that it has on a person’s lived experience. As we follow Nate on his journey to learn and accept these realities, we are also there to witness the blindspots that his well-meaning white parents have and how they deal with them. We get an intimate look at the necessity of community and the inherent need to feel seen and safe. Through Babs, we are also allowed to work through what it looks like when we stop centering whiteness and those that traffic in it; no matter how subtle.
Funnily enough, even with all of the friction that this story offers up, it also very much revels in understanding, forgiveness and growth (even when it hurts). It doesn’t tie up in a neat bow, but it does leave space and opportunity for reconciliation.
As much as I enjoyed my reading experience, I would like to point out something that nagged me throughout the book. I constantly felt that it was written with the non-Black gaze in mind. There were several moments of explanation about things that are VERY culturally Black that could have been left out. I felt as though those moments should have been left as “if you know… you know.” In another book it may have been fine, but in the context of this story, the tone just felt like an educational guide to Blackness.
It was a compelling read and ultimately I would recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Natalie Baszile’s new novel, *Friends and Family*, kept me thoroughly engaged. The characters are well drawn, and the conflicts they face are compelling and thought-provoking. At its heart, the story is simple: two women living in San Francisco meet through their children’s school and become close friends. Babs and her husband, Galen, have a daughter, Reese. Nora and her husband, Stuart, have five children, the youngest of whom is Nathan, their adopted Black son.
Nora believes she has “done the work” necessary to parent a child of a different race. She has taken classes, educated herself about racial issues, and tried to approach Nathan’s identity with openness. Yet, as Nathan grows older, it becomes increasingly clear that education and good intentions cannot fully prepare white parents for the realities their Black child may encounter. Nora’s tendency to use her racial, financial, and social privilege to smooth over inequities ultimately leaves her ill-equipped to help Nathan navigate them himself.
At 17, Nathan encounters some of the harsh realities that Black young men face, forcing him to begin carrying his “invisible suitcase”—a striking and eye-opening metaphor for the additional burdens Black men must carry as they move through a racially segregated society. His white parents are unable, and perhaps at times unwilling, to give him the guidance and support he needs. Babs and Galen, who are Black and as close to Nathan as family, are better able to understand what he needs and provide the honesty and “realness” necessary to help him navigate the transition from Black boy to Black young man.
Frustrated by both his circumstances and his parents’ inability to understand them, Nathan asks Babs and Galen if he can stay with them during the final six months of his senior year in high school. From there, the relationships among these two families are tested in ways both expected and some that are unexpected.
Through the lens of Babs and Nora’s friendship, the reader experiences the love, sorrow, loyalty, and betrayal that Babs, Nora, Stuart, Galen, Reese, and Nathan encounter as life tests their relationships and assumptions. Babs’s college friend Logan and her sister, Mecca, serve almost as a Greek chorus, helping Babs recognize her own lifelong preoccupation with the judgment of others—particularly the judgment of white people—and how that concern has shaped her choices.
I particularly appreciated Baszile’s candor in describing both the events of the story and the characters’ emotional responses to them. She does not shy away from the ways that love, fear, privilege, loyalty, and insecurity can influence the choices people make, sometimes with painful consequences.
There was one storyline, involving marital infidelity, that felt somewhat unnecessary to me. I can see how it helped the reader better understand the commitment between two of the characters, but for me, it introduced an additional level of threat and conflict that did not add much to the overall story.
Despite that, *Friends and Family* was a compelling and thought-provoking read. I appreciated its exploration of friendship, family, race, privilege, and the complicated ways in which people try—sometimes successfully and sometimes not—to do what they believe is right for the people they love. I am grateful to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with an e-ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Nora believes she has “done the work” necessary to parent a child of a different race. She has taken classes, educated herself about racial issues, and tried to approach Nathan’s identity with openness. Yet, as Nathan grows older, it becomes increasingly clear that education and good intentions cannot fully prepare white parents for the realities their Black child may encounter. Nora’s tendency to use her racial, financial, and social privilege to smooth over inequities ultimately leaves her ill-equipped to help Nathan navigate them himself.
At 17, Nathan encounters some of the harsh realities that Black young men face, forcing him to begin carrying his “invisible suitcase”—a striking and eye-opening metaphor for the additional burdens Black men must carry as they move through a racially segregated society. His white parents are unable, and perhaps at times unwilling, to give him the guidance and support he needs. Babs and Galen, who are Black and as close to Nathan as family, are better able to understand what he needs and provide the honesty and “realness” necessary to help him navigate the transition from Black boy to Black young man.
Frustrated by both his circumstances and his parents’ inability to understand them, Nathan asks Babs and Galen if he can stay with them during the final six months of his senior year in high school. From there, the relationships among these two families are tested in ways both expected and some that are unexpected.
Through the lens of Babs and Nora’s friendship, the reader experiences the love, sorrow, loyalty, and betrayal that Babs, Nora, Stuart, Galen, Reese, and Nathan encounter as life tests their relationships and assumptions. Babs’s college friend Logan and her sister, Mecca, serve almost as a Greek chorus, helping Babs recognize her own lifelong preoccupation with the judgment of others—particularly the judgment of white people—and how that concern has shaped her choices.
I particularly appreciated Baszile’s candor in describing both the events of the story and the characters’ emotional responses to them. She does not shy away from the ways that love, fear, privilege, loyalty, and insecurity can influence the choices people make, sometimes with painful consequences.
There was one storyline, involving marital infidelity, that felt somewhat unnecessary to me. I can see how it helped the reader better understand the commitment between two of the characters, but for me, it introduced an additional level of threat and conflict that did not add much to the overall story.
Despite that, *Friends and Family* was a compelling and thought-provoking read. I appreciated its exploration of friendship, family, race, privilege, and the complicated ways in which people try—sometimes successfully and sometimes not—to do what they believe is right for the people they love. I am grateful to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with an e-ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed here are my own.
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