Books › One for the Murphys
One for the Murphys
256 pages
A tender, tear-jerking exploration of a guarded heart slowly learning to trust in the warmth of a found family.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like watching ice slowly melt in the sun. It is a deeply tender, emotionally charged experience that anchors you in the perspective of a fiercely guarded narrator who uses sarcasm as a shield. The steady pace allows the emotional weight of the story to breathe, balancing moments of sharp, witty observation with profound, tear-jerking vulnerability. The atmosphere shifts from fraught and defensive to warm and expansive as the protagonist navigates the terrifying terrain of unconditional love and belonging. Written in accessible, conversational prose, it is a bittersweet but ultimately hopeful journey. It will deeply satisfy readers who love a good cry and gravitate toward earnest, character-driven stories about resilient kids discovering that family is something you can choose.
- Mood
- tender
- emotionally charged
- heartwarming
- melancholic
- Tone
- earnest
- sarcastic
- compassionate
- bittersweet
- hopeful
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- found family · breaking down emotional walls · healing from trauma · redefining motherhood · belonging
- The writing
- Accessible and conversational, balancing sharp, defensive humor with moments of profound emotional clarity.
- The arc
- Moves from a place of prickly, defensive isolation to a vulnerable, tear-jerking realization of self-worth and the capacity to be loved.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love a good cry and gravitate toward stories of tough, resilient kids slowly learning to trust a found family.
Content notes
- domestic violence (backstory)
- child neglect
- foster care system
- parental abandonment
About the book
A moving debut novel about a foster child learning to open her heart to a family's love
Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child, and moves in with the Murphys, she's blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the stable family life she never thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookie-cutter-perfect household. Despite her resistance, the Murphys eventually show her what it feels like to belong--until her mother wants her back and Carley has to decide where and how to live. She's not really a Murphy, but the gifts they've given her have opened up a new future.
Description from Open Library.
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