Kin - by Sophie Lucido Johnson (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Doesn't it seem like there simply isn't enough time to take care of ourselves, our families, and our to do lists? Even when we're partnered and surrounded by friends, we're often too afraid of burdening others to ask for help. So how do we survive today's age of overwork and stress, and who can we turn to for the support we need to stay afloat? Now, writer and cartoonist Sophie Lucido Johnson offers a radical answer to our age of overwhelm in Kin. With richly reported stories and insights from psychology and sociology, Lucido Johnson explores the importance of our closest relationships (beyond the nuclear family) and provides the tools to forge kinship: relationships built on emotional support, physical care, and shared resources. From asking for help on a grocery run, to choosing to have roommates later in life to combat loneliness, to living in modern day "mommunes" of single mothers sharing bills and responsibilities, Kin shows the vast range of kinship structures she and others are thriving in -- and how to build your own community of support."--

Book Synopsis

Discover a transformative reframing of intimate relationships with practical steps to build community and combat the loneliness epidemic in this bold and warmhearted blend of memoir and social science in the vein of When You Care and Big Friendship.

Doesn't it seem like there simply isn't enough time to take care of ourselves, our families, and our to do lists? Even when we're partnered and surrounded by friends, we're often too afraid of burdening others to ask for help. So how do we survive today's age of overwork and stress, and who can we turn to for the support we need to stay afloat?

Now, writer and cartoonist Sophie Lucido Johnson offers a radical answer to our age of overwhelm in Kin. With richly reported stories and insights from psychology and sociology, Lucido Johnson explores the importance of our closest relationships (beyond the nuclear family) and provides the tools to forge kinship: relationships built on emotional support, physical care, and shared resources. From asking for help on a grocery run, to choosing to have roommates later in life to combat loneliness, to living in modern day "mommunes" of single mothers sharing bills and responsibilities, Kin shows the vast range of kinship structures she and others are thriving in--and how to build your own community of support.

Review Quotes

"A sensible, encouraging, and well-intentioned treatise on the importance of community."--Kirkus Reviews

"Johnson reminds us that humans were never meant to raise children or experience life in isolation as she inspires all to take stock and connect." --Courtney Eathorne, Booklist

"An intriguing perspective on what makes a family."--Publishers Weekly

"Heartwarming, witty, and packed with useful information, Sophie Lucido Johnson's Kin: The Future of Family is a must-read for anyone who feels like conventional familial expectations just don't work for them. Read it cover to cover or jump around reading bits in various chapters, you are sure to be charmed by Johnson's easy writing style and helpful ideas!" --Dr. Elisabeth Sheff, Author of The Polyamorists Next Door and Children in Polyamorous Families

"In Kin, Sophie Lucido Johnson weaves a tapestry of storytelling that feels both intimate and expansive, guiding us through the ways we've become isolated and how we can respond to our profound yearning for connection. With vulnerability and warmth, Sophie invites us to imagine a life rooted in kinship, community, and the deep, enduring relationships we crave."--Laura Danger, author of No More Mediocre: A Call to Reimagine Our Relationships And Demand More

"Sophie Lucido Johnson's Kin models ways to find, cultivate, and deepen connections with people who aren't romantic partners or family. Along the way, this bighearted book will make you want to reach out to those you already hold dear. Kin is the book I wish I could give to my younger self. Reading it now is the next best thing." --Tove Danovich, writer and author of Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them

"This book not only diagnoses the problem, but it breaks down how to solve isolation and overwhelm with practical, grounded advice on how to build strong connections (and tolerate the ups and downs that come with any relationship) with neighbors, lovers, family, co-workers, and community."--Dean Spade, author of Love in a F*cked Up World

About the Author

Sophie Lucido Johnson is an award-winning cartoonist and writer in Chicago. She is the author of Many Love and Dear Sophie, Love Sophie. She is a cartoonist for The New Yorker, and has been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, and elsewhere. She has chickens and bees.