About this Event
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Julie Ryan McGue's newest book, TWICE THE FAMILY: A MEMOIR OF LOVE, LOSS, AND SISTERHOOD - the much-anticipated prequel to her debut memoir, TWICE A DAUGHTER: A SEARCH FOR IDENTITY, FAMILY, AND BELONGING. She will be in conversation with author Simone Knego before taking audience questions and personalizing books.
About TWICE THE FAMILY: A MEMOIR OF LOVE, LOSS, AND SISTERHOOD:
"Through the lens of her personal history, McGue explores human nature, family, and connection ... Her writing is compelling and well-paced, building a narrative that keeps the reader close to every event she relates." - Kirkus Reviews
Award-winning author Julie Ryan McGue unravels the gripping tale of adopted twins facing the turbulent tides of love, loss, and identity in suburban Chicago. As their family expands and secrets emerge, will their sisterly bond withstand the test of time? Dive into a memoir that explores the heart's complexities and the fierce quest for belonging in this much-anticipated prequel to McGue's debut memoir, TWICE A DAUGHTER.
In this coming-of-age memoir - set in Chicago's western suburbs between the 1960s and '80s - adopted twins, Julie and Jenny, provide their parents with an instant family. The twins' sisterly bond holds tight as the two strive for independence, individuality, and belonging. But as Julie's parents continue adding children to their family, several painful and tragic experiences test family values, parental relationships, and sibling bonds.
Faced with these hurdles, Julie questions everything: who she is, how she fits in, and even her adoption circumstances. She understands her adoptive family is held together by love, faith, support, and her parents' commitment to each other and their children. And yet, the life her parents have constructed is not one Julie wants for herself. As she matures, she chooses her unique path. In the process, she realizes how the experiences that formed her have provided a road map for the person and mother she wants to be.
About the Author
Julie Ryan McGue is an American writer, a domestic adoptee, and an identical twin. Her first memoir, TWICE A DAUGHTER: A SEARCH FOR IDENTITY, FAMILY, AND BELONGING, was released in May 2021, winning multiple awards. Her work has appeared in the Story Circle Network Journal, Brevity Nonfiction Blog, Imprint News, Adoption.com, Lifetime Adoption Adoptive Families Blog, Adoption & Beyond, and Severance Magazine. Her personal essays have appeared in several anthologies, including REAL WOMEN WRITE: SEEING THROUGH HER EYES (Story Circle Network) and ART IN THE TIME OF UNBEARABLE CRISIS (She Writes Press).
Her collection of essays, BELONGING MATTERS: CONVERSATIONS ON ADOPTION, FAMILY, AND KINSHIP (Muse Literary) was released in November 2023. She writes a biweekly blog and monthly column (The Beacher Newspapers), in which she explores the topics of finding out who you are, where you belong, and making sense of it. Julie splits her time between Northwest Indiana and Sarasota, Florida. TWICE THE FAMILY: A MEMOIR OF LOVE, LOSS, AND SISTERHOOD is her third book.
About the Moderator
Simone Knego, a former CPA, turned equestrian entrepreneur, turned teacher who's the mother of 6 children – 3 who were adopted from S. Korea and Ethiopia - has the uncanny ability to both motivate and inspire others to be the good in the world.
An international leader and keynote speaker, she recently scaled Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa) to raise funds for the Livestrong Foundation - in spite of the fact she'd never climbed a mountain before.
Simone believes changing the way you see yourself is the critical first step to helping the world around you change. In her book, THE EXTRAORDINARY UNORDINARY YOU: FOLLOW YOUR OWN PATH, DISCOVER YOUR OWN JOURNEY, she shares her real-world and highly actionable insights via stories of her own life's both humorous and moving everyday moments - and how others can similarly discover they, too, are unordinary... in the best possible way.
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Registration will end 1 hour before the event's scheduled time.
Tickets may be purchased that include a copy of TWICE THE FAMILY, or you may register to attend free of charge.
All signed up and unable to go? Please let us know! Seating is limited and there may be people on our waitlist who would like to to take your place. Please send an email to [email protected] ASAP and hopefully we'll see you next time.
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Julie Ryan McGue
Simone Knego
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Bookstore1Sarasota, 117 S. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, United States
USD 0.00 to USD 19.26
