Echoed in My Bones

by Lisa A. Sturm

Echoed in My Bones was inspired by the author's experiences as an inner-city psychotherapist. It is the story of bi-racial twin sisters, Jasmine and Tessa, who are given up for adoption and raised in neighboring New Jersey towns but worlds apart. Their mother, Lakisha, only sixteen at the time of their birth, has no idea that eighteen years later she'll be desperate for their help to save her son's life. Echoed in My Bones is a coming-of-age novel rife with loss, hidden truths, and, ultimately, redemption.

After Lakisha surrenders her newborns, darker-skinned Jasmine scrapes through a harrowing childhood in the foster-care system, while lighter-skinned Tessa struggles with her perfectionist mother and the pressures of being in a high-achieving family of physicians and attorneys. Neither Jasmine nor Tessa know of each other's existence until Lakisha's son is diagnosed with leukemia. In order to find a compatible bone-marrow donor, Lakisha is forced to choose between keeping her traumatic history hidden from her longtime boyfriend, or searching for the daughters she abandoned, a decision that could change everything. How Lakisha, Jasmine, and Tessa come together again is the story of the mistakes that threaten to destroy us and the injuries that echo in our bones; the ones that only love can heal.

Genres: Contemporary

328 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2019

About the author

Lisa A. Sturm is a clinical social worker who sees couples and individuals in her private practice in Springfield, New Jersey. She’s had several short stories, novel excerpts, and essays published in literary journals and newspapers. Echoed in My Bones is her debut novel, inspired by her work as an inner-city psychotherapist. In the summer of 2013, while visiting a dying client in the hospital, Sturm asked how she could help. The woman’s eyes grew sharp, her voice certain, “Bring more love into the world!” Echoed in My Bones is part of this author’s commitment to do just that.

Reviews

[Elizabeth McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a novel about mothers and daughters, abandonment and loss, class and race. A 16-year-old girl, herself abandoned by her mother, gives up her twin biracial infants. One adopted, the other in foster care, their lives take very different paths. The story grabs you from the very beginning, and will not let go. The author draws her knowledge of these three from her work as a family therapist, but there is no hint of case study or analysis in her writing. These three women are deeply imagined and loved by the author. Each of them entered my heart, and will stay there. The book is a page-turner in the best sense of the words.

[Jared Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Believable dialogue, beautiful description and engaging from start to finish.

[Sam Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel story which follows the lives of Lakisha, Jasmine, and Tessa, who despite sharing many similarities geographically and in their bones, live in realities worlds apart. The author elucidates the unique challenges of these worlds with honesty and empathy, featuring lows that are shocking and painful, and highs that are euphoric and healing. I guarantee you’ll put this book down with a full heart.

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully written book explores issues of race and privilege by tracing the parallel lives of biracial twins who are separated at birth and although, unbeknownst to them (at least initially) they grow up in neighboring towns, the lives they lead are worlds apart. The dark skinned twin is raised in a series of foster homes and suffers from severe trauma and abuse throughout her childhood. The light skinned twin is adopted into a loving, slightly neurotic upper middle class white family whose tiger parents hide the truth of the her origin as they groom her for success. When the lives of the twins finally collide, old family secrets are laid bare but family bonds, which appear to be at risk, hold tight and emerge stronger than ever. The narrative, whose perspective skillfully shifts from chapter to chapter among the main protagonists, is very effective kept me glued until the final touching and satisfying resolution.

[Marla Westberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm usually looking for the things that we have in common, and what it is that brings us together. This story delivered in a big way, with a big heart. Sometimes the circumstances are heartbreaking, and yet these characters find a way to overcome what has happened, to create a family and show us their humanity. It's how we are alike that matters, how we come together and come to understand one another. No matter what life has dished out, I love the strength of these women and how they offered up hope for all of us.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was only semi interested in reading Echoed in My Bones, but I am very glad I did. This book was so, SO good! It tells the story of a teen mom who gave up her twins at birth. One twin is adopted into a loving family, while the other struggles through the foster care system. Their three distinct stories are told from each woman's point of view while being subtly interwoven. I wanted to hug and cry with each of the characters at varying points because I could feel their inner conflicts. Their stories feel real, and make you want to help them all. I don't want to add any spoilers, but will say the ending feels real and not like some over-dramatized happy movie script. As much as I love those endings, it added to the realness of the story. Absolutely read this book!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The tale of twins, born to a teenage mother and separated at birth - from each other and from their mother. The story includes descriptions of very different lifestyles along with issues of race and colour. The author herself describes it as an urban fairytale; the happy ending she would love to see for the clients she deals with as a social worker and she's right. It's a lovely story. There's a lot of anguish and heartache on all sides, but also lots of happiness, love and caring (albeit of different types!). Well worth reading. I was kindly given a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The back cover description of Echoed in My Bones only scratches the surface of what this book is. It begins with a kick in the teeth and is hard to put down from then on. Immediately drawn into the main characters’ stories, the reader experiences the multitude of emotions and feelings that Jasmine, Tessa, and Lakisha undergo. The reader gets a real good look into their very separate lives, seeing how different their worlds are while stumbling on a similarity here and there that somehow keeps them all connected. After finishing the book, I discovered just how well the title fits the book. Echoed in My Bones has so much packed in it, including poetry, that it warrants a second read.

[Suanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Echoed in My Bones deals with interracial adoption. I chose to read it as I adopted a biracial child years ago and am interested in the topic. I also read the National Geographic “Black and White” issue (April 2018) with a photograph of twins, one black and one white, on the cover. This book tells of a similar pair of twins. The twins of the novel are separated at birth from their mother—and from each other. Though growing up in neighboring New Jersey towns, they have lives that diverge radically. One is adopted; the other begins foster family hell. This carefully crafted book explores issues of race and privilege. Though Ms. Sturm writes with expertise gained during her years as a family therapist, she understands the weaknesses and the strengths of the foster care system. She never allows her characters to become case studies, though. Rather she writes fully-formed characters with flaws and ambitions, giving the reader multiple points-of-view from which to engage the novel.

By tracing the lives of these twins, Sturm proves that one’s destiny is determined by the color of one’s skin and shows just how entrenched white privilege is. Yet her characters move beyond the expected as broken family bonds reform. This should be required reading.

[Cynthia Vengraitis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A local author in my town, and a topic I'm very interested in...but the writing was amateurish and the characters stereotypical. I gave up after a few chapters. Disappointed.

[Lisa Tognola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was real, raw and relevant - an interesting and suspenseful story with a plotline that digs deep into important topics such as foster care, race, and identity.