Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo is a novel set in the Dominican Republic and New York City. It reads like a love song to Dominican women and their special gifts. Flor, who has always been able to predict when someone was going to die, wants a living wake to celebrate her life and bring her family together. Each of the women in her family have unique gifts of their own and Acevedo brings them to life here. Although this is a sweeping generational saga, the reader is given an intimate look into each of these women’s lives as they grapple with love and secrets, family and identity.

There is magic in these pages and more than a little bit of Spanish and I was ready to be transported, yet somehow I never felt completely swept up in the story or carried away by the lore.

A slightly disappointing yet enjoyable read, just not the amazing book I was hoping for. Acevedo seems to have the power of storytelling running through her blood, so I will definitely try again on her next book.