The Two-Family House

by Lynda Cohen Loigman

Brooklyn, 1947: in the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born minutes apart to two women. They are sisters by marriage with an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic night; but as the years progress, small cracks start to appear and their once deep friendship begins to unravel. No one knows why, and no one can stop it. One misguided choice; one moment of tragedy. Heartbreak wars with happiness and almost but not quite wins.

From debut novelist Lynda Cohen Loigman comes The Two-Family House, a moving family saga filled with heart, emotion, longing, love, and mystery.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Book Club, Audiobook, Historical, Adult Fiction, Family

Audiobook

First published March 8, 2016

About the author

Lynda Cohen Loigman grew up in Longmeadow, MA. She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. Her debut novel, The Two-Family House, was a USA Today bestseller and a nominee for the Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards in Historical Fiction. Her second novel, The Wartime Sisters, was selected as a Woman's World Book Club pick and a Best Book of 2019 by Real Simple Magazine. The Matchmaker’s Gift, her third novel, will be published by St. Martin’s Press in September of 2022.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm proud to be writing this review on the morning of my 37th wedding anniversary.

The two married couples in this novel are Rose and Mort & Helen and Abe.
They are Jewish couples like my husband and I.
I remember the stories my own mother told me of living in a 2- family house, upstairs/downstairs, before I was born. My mom wasn't happy with her situation...and I know I'd rather live in a tent with my husband than share the same building with his brother.
Reading this book made me very grateful for our 1 family home.

Back to "The Two Family House":
The husbands are brothers -they own a company together. The wives are
friends. Each of their several children have cousins an arm-length away with
active aunts and uncles for all the offspring.

What makes this story strong are the dynamics and complexities of the relationships of each of the characters. There are tensions, sudden choices, resentment & bitterness, suppression & secrets, tragedy, loss, and a very thought provoking plot.

An 'excellent' engrossing novel.. ( the type to REALLY stamp PAGE TURNER on the cover). Lynda Cohen Loigman created a very interesting story -a shame to tell too much- and characters that are fully developed.
As readers we can 'see' this story as it unfolds. We can feel the moods of each character.
This would make a great film. I could have some fun trying to cast the actors myself.

A memorable quick read!

Thank You to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and Lynda Cohen Loigman. ( I'll be looking
forward to your next book)

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish to thank Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press and Lynda Cohen Loigman for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ohhhh, I really did not want this book to end. I absolutely loved it. The Two-Family House is the debut novel of Lynda Cohen Loigman. Ms. Loigman, may you have a very long career, as I want to read everything you write.

This is a 100% character-driven novel about the lives of the families of two brothers living on separate floors of the same house in Brooklyn, NY. It is a saga of sorts, covering the years between 1947 and 1970. The book has short chapters, each one featuring the perspective of an individual family member. The tale is told from, I believe, six points of view; this is done extremely well. I was all in on this one, being thoroughly captivated the entire way. There is not much of a mystery. The event that triggers the deterioration of the relationship between the wives of the two brothers is fairly obvious early on, but this, in my opinion, did not detract from the story at all.

The characters evolve beautifully in this rich, complex tale. There is so much substance. We see how an impulsive decision can totally change the course of many lives, and how differently the decision makers react. We see tragedy, unfortunately, more than once. We observe bargaining with God, steadfast loyalty, rejection, and redemption. Heartbreaking loss is depicted, along with love, forgiveness and understanding. The stories of Natalie and Judith are favorites of mine, but the evolution of Mort, one of the brothers, is particularly gratifying.

Some readers may find this a slow go as there are no murders and not a lot of suspense, but as I say, I was totally engrossed in the lives of these people. Other reviewers have called the story predictable; perhaps so, but not in a detrimental way. It’s the journey that captured me, not the twists and turns per se.

Do I recommend The Two-Family House? I cannot recommend it more strongly to those who favor character-driven novels. If you are looking for a lot of suspense or action, this one is not for you. But if you are searching for a moving story, a very satisfying story, please give this one a chance. I, for one, am so pleased to have discovered this fine new author.

[Jessica J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always hate logging into Goodreads after I finish a book and finding that almost no one has written a negative review of something. I hate feeling like I'm the only one or the first one to dislike something. But this book genuinely frustrated and disappointed me on a lot of levels. I might have actually given up on it, except that I had chosen it for a trip to Philadelphia for Mother's Day and I didn't have anything else to read.

This is a pretty standard "family secrets" novel, about two Jewish couples sharing a two-family home in post-war Brooklyn. The home is owned by two brothers, Abe and Mort, who also work together, running the family box business that they inherited from their late father. Abe and Helen are raising four boys upstairs, and seem to have a relatively happy little life. Rose and Mort have three daughters downstairs, and their marriage is marked by tension and dissatisfaction: Mort never wanted to take on the family business but his mother talked him into abandoning college to do so, and he's disappointed that Rose has never borne him a son.

The two wives are fairly close friends, raising their families together and sharing in a lot of the 1940s Jewish housewives trials and tribulations. By coincidence, the Rose and Helen become pregnant with their fourth and fifth child, respectively, due at roughly the same time. When a blizzard strands the two men out of town on a business trip, Helen and Rose go into labor on the same night and deliver their babies with the help of a midwife. After that night, tensions between the two women grow and their relationship deteriorates over the years.

I'd love to talk to the Loigman about this book, mostly because I want to ask her at what point she expects her audience to figure out the primary plot twist. It seemed super obvious to me from pretty early on, but she keeps her language vague and doesn't have any of the characters in the know come right out and say it until pretty far along in the book. To me, that suggests she maybe thinks that the readers are being kept in the dark. Figuring things out so easily and feeling like the author didn't expect that to be the case was a little frustrating. I wanted some more suspense.

Perhaps the point wasn't subterfuge, but to explore how the family dynamics change and grow because of single event. There certainly is a lot of that, and you're never really sure how the reveal of the secret is going to play out or how it would affect the two families.

The real problem with this book, though, isn't even in the secrets of the plots, but how poorly developed the characters are. For most of the book, I struggled to distinguish Rose and Helen from each other. I'd see Rose interacting with another character and have to think to myself This is important because she's the one married to Mort who is surly and distant from their three daughters. None of the Brady Bunch assortment of children are fleshed out to any extent, with the exception of oldest daughter Judith. And I'd have to remind myself which wife each of the third-tier characters (a brother, a wealthy aunt) "belonged" to.

The third-person narration switches focus between the four adults and Judith, later incorporating the perspective of the children born during the blizzard. But most of the chapters are fewer than five pages and we often jump months or years between chapters, not spending significant amounts of time with any given character or on given moment in their lives post-rift. I know that this was done to speed up the aging process for the two children, to get both families to a point where the rift between the mothers has had long-lasting effects, but it ultimately made things feel less developed to me. It only added to how difficult it was to distinguish between the two women and their various family members. Oh, Helen's present in this scene instead of Rose and that's problematic because...

Part of me really wishes the entire story had been narrated from Judith's perspective. I think a single point of view would have strengthened both the tension of learning the families' secrets and the character development. Judith was easily the most interesting of the whole clan, and I would've loved to see her rounded out more thoroughly.

This book has so much promise, but the execution just fell flat to me. 2.5 stars

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 From the very beginning we are privy to what actually happens, so even though that is no surprise the magic in the book is how some of these characters change due to this event. Very memorable characters and it was interesting to see different ways this was handled. Many of these characters were just so darn endearing and the author has such a natural way of writing this was a pleasure to read.

The atmosphere of the novel was spot on for the fifties, the closeness of families unlike now when many of us live so far apart from our loved ones. I too lived in a two story when first married, my in laws living downstairs, so I easily identified with Rose and Helen. Many plusses in that type of arrangement but negatives as well. Can't imagine ever doing what these two women did but it made for interesting reading. The ending didn't sit as well with me, a little too pat, though other readers may not think so. Still a wonderful, well paced story and will definitely be reading this author again.

ARC from Netgalley.

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Two-Family House is a story of two brothers, Abe and Mort Berman. Abe lives upstairs with his wife and four sons while Mort lives downstairs with his wife and three daughters. The brothers have very similar lives. They both have loving wives and both work as part owners of the box manufacturing company their father founded. There the similarity ends. Abe is jovial and readily shows affection to all, doesn’t hold a grudge and finds forgiveness comes easy to him. Mort is morose and socially inept, thinks his brother is incompetent and shows little interest in his daughters.

I love family sagas and the characters that drive them. I enjoyed the stark difference between the brothers. The Two-Family House is a heart-felt character driven story told from the POV of the four parents, Abe, Mort, Helen, Rose and from two of the children, Judith and Natalie.

The story runs from 1947 to 1970 which gives you quite an investment into the characters lives and growth. There are times for rejoicing and times of devastation but everything stems from a moment in time, a decision made with good intentions meant, however no-one could foresee the far reaching consequences it would have.

My only complaint with this story was it was a little too predictable. I’m a lover of the big twist in stories and I would have liked the beginning put right at the end, to keep me guessing over the cause of the disharmony.

If you like family sagas with well developed characters that you will truly care about I highly recommend The Two-Family House.
An excellent debut novel! I will be looking forward to more by this author.

With my thanks to St Martins Press via Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Love is always forgiving.”

The main reasons I felt compelled to give The Two-Family House a try was thanks to the promise of Jewish families, friendships between women, pregnancy, and so much more being the center in this family saga.

Brooklyn, 1947: In the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born, minutes apart. The mothers are sisters by marriage: dutiful, quiet Rose, who wants nothing more than to please her difficult husband; and warm, generous Helen, the exhausted mother of four rambunctious boys who seem to need her less and less each day. Raising their families side by side, supporting one another, Rose and Helen share an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic winter night.

Following the Berman family in the two-family house in Brooklyn from 1947 to 1970, we get to hear from six main points of view: Rose, Helen, Mort, Abe, Judith, and Natalie. And the author greatly succeeded in giving each of them a distinctly singular voice.

I do have to admit, though, that I had some trouble getting into the book at first because there were quite a lot of chapters at first from the husband's pov, which I didn't really care for. But when we reached that terrifying night when both mothers had to give birth minutes apart, the story picked up immensely for me. I quickly realized I began enjoying myself when I wasn’t paying attention to the page number; I was just reading and immersing myself in the book and the lives of the Berman family. (P.S. bonus points for their last name because I used to live on a street called the same.)

Speaking of, I have so many thoughts and feelings when it comes to this book that I think it's for the best to compile a list (which will contain *spoilers *):

• I'll never grow tired of books mentioning superstitions and the like:

“What’s so funny?”
“You never met my grandmother; she died before I met Abe. Anyway, she was from the old country, very stubborn, very superstitious. You couldn’t put a hat on the bed, you couldn’t eat only one olive—she believed all that stuff. She used to say that if a pregnant woman wanted a girl, she should never eat the end of the bread, only the middle. And if she wanted a boy, she should only eat the end.”

Since both Rose and Helen are due in January (1948), they get to go through this pregnancy process together. And so they did till the very last ghastly day when they're to give birth at home at the same time in a damn blizzard with only one midwife available to attend to them both... seems to be one of the most terrifying things.

“When Judith tried to recall specific details, she felt like she was looking at a distant scene through the glass of a snow globe. Their house and all the people in it were tucked safely inside. But she couldn’t see anything clearly because the flakes were in constant motion, covering the house and refusing to settle to the bottom. No matter what angle she approached from, she could never get an unobstructed view.”

Now, I have to mention that the whip-smart writing, as you can read in the above paragraph, completely enchanted me. Loigman has a real way with words and extremely vivid imagery, to borrow her own phrasing.

• Circling back to that night of horrors, that moment when the mothers decided, without any previous discussion, to switch babies was a pivotal experience.

“Judith took one of the babies from her mother and rocked it in her arms. “Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!” Judith said. “Which is which? I mean, which one is my cousin and which is my…?” Her aunt and mother looked at each other for what seemed like a very long time. Her mother answered first. “You’re holding your cousin Natalie.” Then her mother gestured toward the baby she was holding and spoke very softly. “This is your brother, Theodore.”

But it was fascinating how we got to read the most important scene in the book through the eyes of Rose's twelve-year-old daughter, Judith. It made the whole experience seem murkier, like it was both distant and close-by.

Also, shout out to the author for naming one of the babies Natalie (guaranteed to make me like a character even just a tiny bit more).

• After that night we get to see the families grow and expand while trying to deal with everything thrown their way. From Judith getting into college (“Her name was on a list, and whether the list meant rejection or acceptance, in the moments before she opened the envelopes she was overcome with relief that she existed somewhere outside the boundaries of her everyday life and that her name and person were as indisputably real as anyone else’s.”) to Natalie and Teddy growing up together while their mothers are growing apart. It seemed to me that I loved nearly everything in this part, especially Judith's coming of age and Natalie's supportiveness as a friend to her cousin and best friend, Teddy. “She never lets Teddy figure out she knows more than he does.” She was so good for him.

• But on a less positive note, I had trouble reconciling with Rose's character development. I could wholeheartedly get behind the idea that she was done acting a certain way to please her judgemental husband (more on him in a bit) and even when she was made out to be the antihero in the story, I could get the viewpoint. But then Rose gets dropped out of the storyline towards the end because of the way she was acting and that was what left me bewildered. I had grown a lot with her character ever since that blizzard night in 1947. And the toll that dark day took on Rose was a lot to take in. “Even the most skillful tailor couldn’t hide a seam once a cloth was torn in two.”
In a lot of ways, the irreversible nature of whatever had occurred between the two women was like getting to watch a bewitching character study, and not only with the two, but the way it affected the whole family. So when Rose decided to move away from everyone, and we didn't get to see her anymore save for one brief moment at the very end, I was visually disappointed. It was like the author said best when describing another character: “After that, she had faded into the background, her personality hazy and her role in the family vague.”

• Rose's husband, Mort, it turns out, is kind of the root of the problem where that night in 1947 is concerned. Rose was so stressed to deliver a baby boy because she knew Mort wouldn't accept anything else after having three girls (which is just a whole new level of messed up). It's at this part that I was reminded of the year this story is set in. Funnily enough, I kept forgetting this was supposed to be historical fiction until gender roles and sexism were inserted… mostly from Rose's morbid husband, Mort. Which was when Rose realized something too little too late concerning her husband: “Mort would never be happy. There was no test she could pass that would change him.” He was the epitome of nearly everything I can detest in a person. And though I'm appreciative that he changed his ways with the years, thanks to Natalie, I never could quite get behind supporting him because this passage from Rose would always remain at the back of my mind:

“She hadn’t known what it was until it wasn’t there. The daily dread of being judged, of being measured and found lacking in some way, no matter how small, was a burden she carried, compact and profound. It was a too-heavy purse, worn and comfortable on her shoulder, which she did not know the weight of until she set it down.”

• In addition to the main storyline of motherhood, we have a lot of underlying themes concerning grief, resentment, strength, love, anxiety, and family. And I cherished getting to see each and every one develop.

“Some things we just have to accept,” he told her. Judith followed her father’s gaze across the room to where her mother was sitting alone, looking as grim as possible. He turned back to Judith and finished his thought out loud. “So we can save our strength for other problems.”

• I ended up discussing the plot of Rose and Helen switching babies with my mom, who brought up an interesting parallel: The Judgment of Solomon. Which was all I could think about when similar things seemed to lead to the same argument of both claiming to be the mother of a child. And I was only more secure in this parallel when I read this next passage from Helen's husband:

“He was dreaming that he was back at the hotel, in the hallway outside the coatroom. Helen and Rose were arguing, something about Natalie. Rose didn’t like what Natalie was wearing. She didn’t like her own dress either. Helen said there was nothing she could do about it. “But you took my dress,” Rose yelled. “Give it back to me!” “It’s mine,” Helen told her. “You can’t have it.” Rose wouldn’t let it go, and the screaming became louder. “You have two dresses and I have none. You were supposed to give one of them to me. But you never let that happen!” After that, Abe woke up.”

• Which leads me to Natalie, who was one of the more fascinating characters for me to read since we get to see her growth from a newborn baby to an independent twenty-year-old mathematics scholar. And I just couldn't have been prouder of her. She was caring and daring and brave, and I'm all tears for everything she carried on her shoulders.

“We always think our own grief is the worst—worse than everybody else’s. But the truth is, we never know for sure what the people around us are feeling. I have had some bad things happen, but then a lot of wonderful things happened to me, too. An awful thing happened to you yesterday. But you mustn’t let it ruin the happiness that lies ahead for you, dear.”

In the end, I'm just beyond grateful to have found a character-driven book centered around a Jewish family that focuses heavily on the family bonds with little to no romantic aspects thrown in. And I'm more than ready for any future works by the author!!




The Two-Family House is the first read in awhile where I stayed up late into the night reading, seemingly unable to stop. It not only changed my outlook on so many things, but it also brought me sheer joy just from watching the Berman family grow and develop. My feelings were at times so intense that I was brought to actual tears.

Also, I listened to this song on repeat during those parts; it captures and enhances the atmosphere of each heartbreaking scene that more.

Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying The Two-Family House, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!


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[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am afraid that The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman just did nothing for me.

The premise was interesting, but it was also rather obvious what had happened. That's okay, I can work with that as long as the book keeps me interested, which this failed to do. The first third I found interesting, but from there on it began to flag to the point where I just wanted it to be over.

I listened to this on audio, perhaps it may have been a better read than a listen. Rose's constant whining irritated me and I kept thinking that someone should slap her.

2.5 stars for this debut novel.

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

A Touching story about two families living in Brooklyn in 1947. Its the sort of good old fashioned story that you just want to curl up on the couch with.

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Lynda Cohen Loigman. I listened to this one on audible and the narrator was excellent and I loved putting on my headphones and stepping into the lives of Abe, Mort, Helen and Rose and their families. And I really did feel like I was a fly on the wall in The Two family house in Brooklyn as the writing is so vivid and the characters so realistic.

I would describe this as a gentle book, its the sort of book I could recommend to anyone and know they will enjoy the read and come away with a smile on their faces. I really think author's strength is in her character development, I loved the characters in this book and I even found the ones I disliked at the beginning I had warmed to by the end.

A really enjoyable read and I think this would make a great book club discussion book.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oy vey. This is a fershtinkiner.

I interrupted my reading of this novel to pick up three other books, books with big plot lines and multiple characters, and never lost the thread of this one. What that illustrates is the utter boredom I felt reading this novel and also its thorough predictability. The author’s use of foretelling is so blatant that I eventually started guessing just to entertain myself. Oh, that guy is eating a lamb chop and his wife says he needs to watch his health, there’s going to be a heart attack in our future. And BAM. It happens five pages later. This is not a spoiler, by the time you get to this point you’ll be able to outline each chapter before you start it.

Everything about this book is predictable from the big secret that isn’t revealed until near the end, but which anyone with some semblance of intelligence should suss out almost at the start, to the way each character reacts and evolves, and I use that term loosely since characterization is only surface level. Most importantly, the writing is banal. One of the few professional reviews to pan this book noted, ‘Loigman’s writing doesn’t quite support the emotional weight the narrative requires of it; frequently, the prose buckles beneath the load’ and I can’t think of a more apt way to put it.

It pains me to be negative, I believe that if someone writes and publishes a book that alone deserves my admiration, but this story is simply clichéd and monotonous. If only the predictability had been infused with some level of emotional depth or intensity, I might have found something to applaud. The only reason I’m giving it two stars is that there are a few pages when the author does catch a moment of poignancy, usually in the depths of sadness, and it wasn’t pure drivel. This book seemed to aspire to something, but in its totality, it amounted to bupkes.

[Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved

This book is $2.99 on digital platforms 2/19 https://www.facebook.com/suzyapproved...

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Two-Family House" by Lynda Cohen Loigman is such a beautiful story!

It's 1947 in a Two-Family Brownstone in Brooklyn, New York.

Abe & Helen live upstairs with their four sons. Both fun, loving and involved parents. All driven by Abe's outgoing and welcoming nature!

Mort and Rose live downstairs with their three daughters. Both distant, distracted and indifferent parents. All driven by Mort's unemotional and unwelcoming nature!

Even though Abe and Mort are brothers, they're relationship is not friendly, not even close! Helen and Rose are sisters by marriage, and have built a strong bond and supportive friendship.

Helen and Rose are also pregnant at the same time, deliver their babies on the same day, minutes apart, with the aid of a mid-wife during a blizzard, in their two-family brownstone! Unfortunately, Mort and Abe are miles away unable to travel home, because of the storm.

As the years pass, the strong bond between Helen and Rose begins breaking down, chipping away as if the closeness these two women shared never existed. Rose is cold, unfriendly and barely speaks to Helen. Helen is disturbed by Rose's behavior, and because of it she's angry and hurt. Others have noticed the changes between Helen and Rose but no one in the family understands why it's happening. What has caused the sudden shift in their relationship?

A story that offers diverse, well developed characters you become emotionally invested in, that's this book! This beautiful family story told over the span of 23 years, 1947 - 1970 is about the decisions we make and how those decisions impact ourselves and our families. It shows how we either nurture the connections we make or let them dissolve through neglect. This story is full of lessons on the willingness to change, showing empathy to others, understanding the past and offering acceptance to those we love.

This audiobook was so vivid, the voicing so animated, the accents so spot on, it was like I was listening to the characters right there in front of me. The family drama was so emotionally addicting, I pictured everything they were doing and felt both their pain and elation. My favorite characters were Natalie, Janice and Mort and I loved how each impacted this family story in such positive ways! Each had an influence, a little different from one another, but all three created a memorable and important balance to this story.

I loved this book and highly recommend it to those who enjoy Historical Fiction and/or Family Saga genres.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a teeny tiny toddler we used to live in a multiple story house with my mother's sister living on the floor above us. The ground floor was where my grandparents had their mom and pop convenience shop. Before the building was sold, there was a falling out of which I still don't know (or don't remember) the details.
To this day I haven't really warmed up to my cousins eventhough we were too young to understand things.

In The Two-Family House two brothers live with their respective wives and offspring in one house. The sisters-in-law are best friends, and when both are pregnant at the same time, they cannot believe their luck.

The two family dynamics are quite different. Abe and Helen have a relaxed attitude in the upbringing of their lively and very energetic four boys. Abe is an affectionate and cheerful father and husband, and Helen is always in for a little chat or activity.
Mort, however, is a more rigid and stern father. He isn't as interested in his three daughter's lives and is a cold and calculated man. Rose comes across as distant and stiff.

That night when both women go into labor and their children are born, one decision is made, which changes the lives of everybody involved.

The story is told from multiple points of views and the characters are well developed. Eventhough the plot is predictable, this is an engaging read where you go with the flow of the families, experiencing both the joyful moments, but also the sad and emotional ones together with them.

3.5*


Review copy supplied by publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a rating and/or review.

[Helene Jeppesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars.
This book was pretty damn near perfection! It deals with two families, two babies who were born on the same day and one house in Brooklyn. Both families live in this same house because the husbands are related and the wives have become close friends.
I love books that are written from several perspectives and this was one of them. Even though the chapters were on the shorter side, I enjoyed getting a personal insight into so many of the characters, and I was amused to see how different they all were from each other, but also how they changed into the complete opposite over the span of 300 pages.
The only thing that I disliked about this novel is that the author went for the obvious twist. I saw it coming from the beginning, and I think that the story would have been so much more special if she had been able to trick me. Nevertheless, this novel comes with so many other strong parts that make it easy for me to ignore this small defect. I loved the families, I loved the tragedies and it was one of those books that I was sorry to see ending.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compulsively readable debut about two brothers, their wives, and their families sharing a two-family house in Brooklyn just after World War II. Loigman draws in readers with a pitch perfect description of time and place, as well as uniquely drawn characters who are all-too human.

This book is an excellent choice for those who enjoy family dramas. Loigman deftly explores the relationships between the brothers, husbands and wives, parents and children, cousins, aunts/uncles with their nieces/nephews, and most especially the sisters-in-law. Their story forms the crux of the novel and affects all the other relationships.

I listened to the audio version, which was particularly enjoyable as the narrator captured the unique New York City accents.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an impressive debut novel which focuses on that trickiest of subjects - complex family dynamics and relationships over a considerable period of time. Helen and Rose are friends that share lives, bring up families and live in the same house. They are married to two brothers who are in business together.

After having a wonderful relationship, strains begin to appear between Helen and Rose due to decisions made. Secrets are revealed and heartbreak comes in the form of tragedy. Cultural norms of the day are captured beautifully, for example, gender roles.

Loigman has a keen understanding of the complexities of individuals and the interactions in relationships. She captures the nature of families in a realistic fashion and the myriad of emotions that go with them. I thoroughly recommend this intelligent debut book to others. I would like to thank St Martin, the publishers for an ebook copy via netgalley for an honest review.

[RoseMary Achey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great premise but poorly executed. The characters were one dimensional and the story line beyond predictable. I finished this book...but if I had other books to read, I would have put this one aside.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

The Two-Family House was an engaging and well written read. It takes place in the late 40’s and spans several decades. It mainly follows two women who are married to brothers and live in a two-family house. They are pregnant at the same time, and the night they give birth changes the entire family's lives forever. I went into it blind and hadn’t even read the blurb, and I’m glad I did so. I enjoyed it so much, and though several things were predictable, some things surprised me.

Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 4.25 stars
Narrators: Barrie Kreinik
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 8h 54m

[Lori Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't blown away by this novel. I enjoyed the first half a lot better than the second. The last parts of the story seemed to move too quickly for me and the ending felt a bit neat and unrealistic. I really liked the development of the characters which helped me to empathize with the feelings each character was dealing with. The choices these women made and the resulting conflict was very well played out. I am left wondering if the choices had been different would things have still turned out the way the did? 3.5 stars.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

May 1947, Rose and Mort live downstairs from Helen and Abe, in a two-family house in Brooklyn. Mort and Abe are brothers. Rose and Helen are very close as sister-in-laws, the best of friends, and are in and out of each other’s homes and lives frequently throughout the days. Rose and Mort have three fairly quiet girls, Abe and Helen have a houseful of four rambunctious boys.

Just as Rose is beginning to notice she’s not feeling well lately, Helen notices those same symptoms, and as luck has it, their due dates are right around the same time. Rose goes into labor while the city is knee deep in howling winds and snow, and then Helen. Both Mort and Abe, who work together at their family business, are out of town for work, and a mild panic is building. Rose can’t seem to accept that there is no way to get to the hospital to deliver her baby despite Helen’s numerous phone calls. The ambulance can’t make it through, and no cabs are running. Only a nearby midwife is available and able to walk the few blocks to their brownstone, and both babies are safely born at home.

Mort is not a warm and fuzzy kind of guy, he borders, perhaps, on being perpetually cranky, stricter as a father, maybe even as a husband. Abe, on the other hand, is the dreamer, accepts the occasional upsets life tends to hand you more gracefully. Rose feels the pressure of Mort’s need for perfection in work and home. With the birth of this latest child, she then falls apart fairly quickly after the birth, and Helen, who is busy enough with her own newborn, tries to help out as much as she can. Still, Helen can’t accept Rose’s behavior, can’t relate to it, and their friendship suffers. Helen still goes the extra mile, and Rose rebuffs every attempt Helen makes.

There are a number of family-related themes throughout, as the children grow up, as the years pass there are changes, growth in individuals and in couples. There are new couples along with the old as the children grow up. The question is whether they will grow together or apart.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author, Lynda Cohen Loigman.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Snowy Secret
Brooklyn. December 1947. During a massive snowstorm, two babies are born and the opportunity for secrecy and deception is created.

The upstairs family in the two family house is parented by upbeat, friendly Abe and Helen. Downstairs, an atmosphere of gloom is palpable through the actions of Abe's brother Mort and wife Rose. The characters are very well defined. The reader can feel the joy, laughter, sorrow and tragedy as experienced by the families.

The buried secret is the driving force controlling choices made by Helen and Rose. Perhaps owning up to these choices will give each mother peace of mind.

An enjoyable read. I look forward to future books from this debut author.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK
Great characters. I have been sucked right in to this story
I loved listening to this story about two brothers and their families who lived in the one house... one family upstairs and one downstairs.
It was a roller coaster ride of the ups and downs in life and a secret the two mothers kept

[Tamar...playing hooky for a few hours today · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fine (as coined in Sally Hepworth's The Mother-in-Law). Not brilliant and not totally believable but a fine read. Two brothers, Mort and Abe (? I've already forgotten), marry two woman, Helen and Rose, and they live in a two family house with their children...Upstairs, Abe and Helen and their four boys - Downstairs, Mort and Rose and their three girls. Abe and Mort work in the family business and walk to work together every day. Abe is a warm and loving person; Helen is practically a saint, she is so kind and generous. Helen and Rose are close but Rose is restless and living with a sourpuss of a husband who rains on everyone's parade because (boo hoo) he didn't get to go to college - his help was needed to run the family box manufacturing business when gramps kicked the bucket. Rose is not much chirpier. She has three girls when all her husband ever wanted was a boy (we later see that this, clearly, is not what will make him happy). Both woman fall pregnant at the same time and deliver their babies (a boy and a girl) within an hour of each other, at home, in the midst of a blizzard - you don't have to be a genius to figure out what happens next. What I couldn't follow (maybe I slept through a chapter), was why Rose ended up so horrid and spiteful.

My best friend in college lived in a two family house, where two brothers married two sisters and each couple had two children who were all the same age - my girlfriend and her sister and parents lived upstairs while her aunt and uncle and two double cousin brothers lived downstairs - granny lived in the attic. Not nearly as much drama as in this book. 3+ stars...I really loved Helen and Abe❤️

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really remarkable memorable read.

Anyone that loves a family drama book, family dysfunctional or just a plain ole moving gut wrenching moments should read this book, its full of emotions.

There are still some houses that home 2 families, one up, one down and of course you live in very close proximity of each other which isn't always easy. As we see in this case.

Both the husbands are brothers. They own a company too which means even more proximity.

What about they're wives?
Yes they are friends and the children of course from both families, have always someone to play with. Cousins growing up together everyone's dream.
Or is it.

As with all families there are tensions, arguments, decisions to be made (just to mention a few) but imagine this in a close full on proximity. It would escalate ten fold.
And not always for the good.

There are emotions scenes with a huge full on mood swarm! The moodiness can someone get to you, but you need to remember, its a very close proximity they are living in.

I was thinking of Big Brother, have you watched it?

Its OK at the start its all nice. Polite. Pleasant. Reasonable then......WHAM.
The back stabbing begins, the fits, the emotional highs and lows the fights.
Nowhere to go to be on your own, always someone poking their nose in each others business.

There is a huge secret within this house which makes it even more volatile.
Wait until that surfaces!

This is a well written book, doesn't take long to read and you get into is fairly quickly.

*My thanks to St. Martin's Press via Net Galley for my copy* and of course, to the author.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still can't believe THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE is a debut novel. The characters are so real and believable, they feel as if they are people you know and really care about. They made me laugh and they made me cry and all the while I was holding my breath, afraid of what was going to come next. Secrets will be revealed and heartbreak comes along with tragedy which had me going through so many different emotions and feelings. Lynda Cohen Loigman sure knows how families work and she was spot on with the tug of war most of us go through with our own families. I can not wait to read more by this wonderful author as I really enjoyed this one and had a hard time putting it down. Near the end I tried to read slower just because I didn't want to say goodbye to THE TWO-FAMILY HOUSE and all the lovable people inside.





ARC provided by Netgalley for honest review.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you can't predict what a person is capable of

I really enjoyed this debut novel. The first 30% was a bit slow, as the author tells you what will be happening in the opening chapter, and then proceeds share the build-up to this event with you. I personally think she should have left the opening chapter, as the first third of the book would have been much more suspenseful. The rest of the book is amazing, as you realize that the story is actually not about the event but about the consequences. I loved all the characters, and felt empathy for all. The Two-Family House really had me thinking late into the night, about whether their lives would have turned out differently if they made different choices. A great book for book club discussions I think. I wished the ending wasn't quite as nicely tied up though. I can't wait to see what this author will do going forward.

[Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told over a period from the 1940’s to the 1970’s, this is an absorbing, intelligent story of two related families living in a brownstone in Brooklyn. Although portions of the plot are somewhat predictable, that doesn’t detract in any way from the book. Lynda Loigman has such richly developed characters that the reader quickly becomes emotionally involved with them and the unfolding of their lives. Her understanding of families, and in this case, those that live and work in very close proximity, delves deeply into all the joy, conflict, love, and sorrow those relationships entail. This will be an exceptional book for book groups!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

[Ann Marie (Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that The Two-Family House surprised me in the end. It started off quite slowly. Initially, I found the writing to be clinical and I thought I knew just where it was going when I was 9% through. This all changed dramatically at about the 60% mark.

Rose and Helen are sisters-in-law living in the same Brooklyn brownstone. They have always been very close; more like sisters than in-laws. During a blizzard, while their husbands are out of town on a family business matter, they both go into labor. Travel to the hospital is impossible. Cab companies aren’t even answering the phone. Helen can’t persuade the ambulance to come for them. Luckily, there is a midwife who is only a few blocks away after having attended another delivery. She comes to their rescue and they each delivery a healthy baby; Helen’s 5th and Roses 4th.

As time passes, the close friendship between Rose and Helen shifts to a relationship full of jealousy and resentment. Rose has become somewhat unstable. Helen does everything she can to mend the relationship to no avail. Ultimately, I found it a little sad that this was so. After all, the decision that led to the breakdown of their relationship was made by both of them. At the same time, I thought this was one of the most realistic aspects of the book as it demonstrated how two people can react so differently to the same set of circumstances. At times I thought it was Rose’s character that made her behave in a way I didn’t care for. At other times, I thought it was some sort of response to guilt, depression, or other type of mental illness. Perhaps it was all of those. The bottom line is that we never really know exactly why people are the way there.

There were other themes running through this book as well. As we watch Rose’s husband, Mort, evolve through the years, we are reminded of the importance of our interactions with family and friends and keeping perspective on what’s really important in life.

While there are too many characters to comment on individually, Rose’s daughter Judith certainly deserves a mention. In her, Lynda Cohen Loigman gives us a girl, who turns into a woman, of substance. If I had to be one of the character’s in this book or choose one to be my best friend, I’d want it to be her.

Overall, I think this is a very solid first novel.

My rating: 3.75 stars

www.litwitwineanddine.com

Thanks to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for proving me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[TamW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so so so much NetGalley, Lynda Cohen Loigman, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this exceptional story !

I almost always start with the positives, but I only have one critique that actually isn't so much of a critique....you'll see....so I'm going to start there and then tell you all how much I loved this book.

Predictability. I figured out pretty quickly, and probably many readers will, exactly what happened that one night....the night you read about first from the perspective of the midwife in very impactful and engaging prologue.....and yet it didn't seem to matter...an element of suspense was still there in a way - it was so brilliantly written that it felt less like a blatant predictability than like a secret that the reader holds with two of the main characters - and the suspense remained in 'when will it be revealed?" "will it ever be revealed?" "does it need to be revealed?" "can they keep this a secret to the end?"

Just a couple of the many reasons I loved this book? For one, the person growth of the families together and separate, of individual family members, and perhaps even of the reader....I felt like I grew a little reading this book - perhaps because I formed an opinion of a character that evoked such raw disgust and hatred, and learned to be compassionate - perhaps because another character held my compassion no matter how terrible she became, understanding from the beginning this was a story of mental health issues, caused by.....well, I'll leave it there - this is a great point of discussion.

And while I'm talking about points of discussion, I would highly recommend this novel for book club readings !

Another reason I loved this book was the depth to which the characters were created. My goodness, one of the characters even had a point system, scoring himself as he went throughout the day. The loving, then restrained relationship between the sisters-in-law, was intricately written, to the point where you could see that neither of them really understood (Helen couldn't have possibly understood what was going on in Rose's mind, but knew what put it there....regardless, she tried relentlessly to have compassion. And Rose obviously couldn't make sense of her own bottled emotion and thoughts, but could never be right with a decision they made together) I loved Helen and Abe's relationship....I loved Judith and Natalie and Teddy....oh I loved them all, even if I didn't like them at some point.

The writing style - the differing points of view from which the story was being told changing from chapter to chapter, the easy, comfortable writing, the pacing, the word choice - powerful and brilliant.

This one goes immediately into my favourites category for the year ! I highly recommend it ! I've used these words throughout my review, but to summarize: Brilliantly and Powerfully written impactful story that the reader can find personal growth in while watching the growth of all it's characters. Hard to believe this is Lynda's first novel. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author !

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful debut novel! The Two-Family House focuses on the choices we make and the potential repercussions. I had to read 30 or so pages before it hooked me, but after that I could not put the book down. The characters and the plot are well developed, and I did not want the story to end.

The story begins in 1947 in Brooklyn and focuses on two brothers, Abe and Mort, and their families. Abe and his family live upstairs, and Mort’s family resides on the first floor. Abe and his wife Helen are kind people and engaged, fun-loving parents. In contrast, Mort and Rose are weighed down by Mort’s unhappiness with his lot in life, and their home is not frequently a happy one. When the story opens, Helen and Rose are close friends and are generally supportive of each other. The women’s relationship is permanently altered based on a decision made that ends up impacting both families for many years to come. What once was a wonderful living arrangement becomes strained and uncomfortable.

Loigman carefully crafts the stories of the two women, the collapse of their relationship, and the impact this has on both families. She writes beautifully and really captures the despair of both women while taking each of them down a completely different path. The author develops her characters so incredibly well that even as they behave in ways that are at times unfathomable, I still felt sympathy for them.

I will be thinking about this story for a long time. One bad decision, however well intentioned, may create issues that last for many years and impact far more people than is ever contemplated when making that decision. The book was fabulous, and I highly recommend it. Make sure to have tissues on hand!

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this as a Goodreads Giveaway
I enjoyed this character driven book. The story is set in 1950s Brooklyn. Two brothers and their families share a home. Abe and his wife Helen have all boys, and Mort and his wife Rose, all girls. They have babies on the same winter night, and the 2 become best of friends. I enjoyed the development of the characters, though it was hard to like Rose.
I'm already hoping this debut author will have another book out soon.