Xhenet Aliu crafts a vibrant, multi-perspective narrative about the true meaning of family in Everybody Says It's Everything. Twins Drita and Petrit, or Pete, were adopted and raised by an Italian American family in Connecticut, unconnected from and uneducated about their Albanian heritage. Aliu (Brass) poignantly examines the way the family came together and the heartbreaking ways it fell apart, and ponders whether it can be put back together.
Determined to make something of her life, Drita goes to college while Pete, always a troublemaker, ensures his family's expectations for him remain low. After their sibling bond is broken by their teenage differences, not even the death of their father and their paraplegic mother falling ill is enough to restore the relationship. Drita puts her life on hold to care for their mother, and her plans are further derailed when Pete's ex-girlfriend and son show up unexpectedly. She is forced to consider that, though it will be under unfavorable circumstances, her family may reunite after all. She is determined to find the missing piece: Pete.
Drita and Pete struggle in their relationships with each other and themselves. Desperate to uncover their purpose and place in the world, they encounter hilarious and heartrending situations. Aliu expertly intertwines each character's complex life with a thorough exploration of topics such as class, identity, and Albanian immigrant experiences. Aliu creates a gripping family portrait brimming with empathy and second chances. --Clara Newton, freelance reviewer