Patricia Spencer is one of my favorite authors! I find, when I read a book by her, that not only do I fall into a well-told story, but I am also gently pushed into thinking about my own life and seeing commonalities and disparities between myself and her well-drawn characters. Honestly, it is one of the things that has captivated me about reading since I was four years years old: my world gets bigger and more complex and richer as I see it through the character’s eyes and their actions. 
     Family We Haven’t Met takes us into the life of Jo as she returns to the place of her birth, Puerto Rico. There, exhausted from caring for her dying Mother, she gives in to grief. But it is not simply grief over losing her Mother. She also finds herself grieving parts of herself she has lost while living in Canada where her family moved when she was fourteen. 
     The trip to settle her Mother’s estate grows complicated as she remembers her childhood, the good and the painful parts. And becomes even more complicated when she meets the lawyer her Mother hired to help with the Puerto Rican legalities. 
     Reading this book immerses you in Puerto Rican history and culture … the good parts and the bad. I absolutely LOVE the glimpses into a part (okay, a territory) of the U.S. I know so little about. 
     But more important were the glimpses into the soul of someone with one foot in each culture. Jo struggles with trauma from her past and what she wants in her future, while trying to find who she is in the present. And as if all that isn’t enough, there is one more important gift from her Mother. Meanwhile, Adelia, the lawyer, other main character, and woman Jo is attracted to, is likewise struggling with her past. After being gaslit in a previous relationship, she finds trust hard. And, her future is also a question.
     This book totally hit the mark with me! There’s a lot going on, in both the story and the emotions being experienced by the characters. It made me think. It made me feel. It expanded my world. I highly recommend it!

~ Pat Schneider