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The Sisters
Family secrets reverberate for generations in one of the "Best Novels of 2011" ( Kirkus Reviews)
Growing up without a mother in hardscrabble Kentucky in the 1920s, Bertie Fischer and her older sister, Mabel, have only each other―with perhaps a sweetheart for Bertie waiting in the wings. But on the day that Bertie graduates from eighth grade, good intentions go terribly wrong, setting off a chain of misunderstandings that will change the lives of the next three generations.
What happens when nothing turns out as you planned? From the Depression through the second world war and Vietnam, and smaller events both tragic and joyful, Bertie and Mabel forge unexpected identities that are shaped by a past that no one ever talks about. Gorgeously written, with extraordinary insight and emotional truth, Nancy Jensen's brilliant first novel, The Sisters, illuminates the far-reaching power of family and family secrets.
Growing up without a mother in hardscrabble Kentucky in the 1920s, Bertie Fischer and her older sister, Mabel, have only each other―with perhaps a sweetheart for Bertie waiting in the wings. But on the day that Bertie graduates from eighth grade, good intentions go terribly wrong, setting off a chain of misunderstandings that will change the lives of the next three generations.
What happens when nothing turns out as you planned? From the Depression through the second world war and Vietnam, and smaller events both tragic and joyful, Bertie and Mabel forge unexpected identities that are shaped by a past that no one ever talks about. Gorgeously written, with extraordinary insight and emotional truth, Nancy Jensen's brilliant first novel, The Sisters, illuminates the far-reaching power of family and family secrets.
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2011
106 people are currently reading
3827 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Jensen
7 books48 followersNANCY JENSEN’s work has appeared in numerous literary journals, and her first book, Window, a collection of short stories and essays, was published by Fleur-de-Lis Press in 2009. She has been awarded an Artist Enrichment Grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and an Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council. Nancy shares her home with eight rescued cats and her dog Gordy, who is her partner on a pet therapy team with Pawsibilities Unleashed of Kentucky, visiting hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, and daycare centers. When she isn’t writing or enjoying the company of her furred family, she teaches as a member of the core faculty in the MFA in Writing Program at Eastern Kentucky University. The Sisters is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 723 reviews
September 21, 2011
2.5 stars
It is hard for me to assign a numerical rating to this book because while I believe that it is very well written, with authentic characters and an interesting story, it was simply too bleak for me to enjoy it. The women in this story endure one tragedy after another, and are uniformly tortured souls. I can read and appreciate a sad book with the best of them, but this one had not one uplifting moment, with the exception of one section toward the end.
While reading this one, I couldn’t help but think of another novel that I read last year that I recommend often, The Quickening, by Michelle Hoover, which was also quite bleak in its tone and underlying story -- but I ended up really liking it because there were moments of pure joy expressed by some of the characters.
This was a fine book. It just wasn't for me.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
It is hard for me to assign a numerical rating to this book because while I believe that it is very well written, with authentic characters and an interesting story, it was simply too bleak for me to enjoy it. The women in this story endure one tragedy after another, and are uniformly tortured souls. I can read and appreciate a sad book with the best of them, but this one had not one uplifting moment, with the exception of one section toward the end.
While reading this one, I couldn’t help but think of another novel that I read last year that I recommend often, The Quickening, by Michelle Hoover, which was also quite bleak in its tone and underlying story -- but I ended up really liking it because there were moments of pure joy expressed by some of the characters.
This was a fine book. It just wasn't for me.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
August 9, 2017
This was a good but sad story.
May 3, 2012
I will try not to form too harsh an opinion before I finish it, but I’m about halfway through and beginning to sense a pattern that I don’t want any more of. It seems this is a multi-generational story about the terrible things that happen to two sisters in the 1920s, how that affects their daughters in the 1940s and onwards and onwards, a series of miserably depressing vignettes that seem to have no end to them. I think I get the point, how the behavior and bad decisions of one generation has consequences for the next. Been reading a lot of multigenerational books lately - Rules of Civility, Touch, Please Look After Mom, Tiger’s Wife, West of Here - but this one is particularly bleak. I guess I’ll forge ahead and hope for a redeeming ending... (beware, possible spoiler on it's way...)
Nope. No redeeming ending. Didn’t think they’re would be. The book is interesting however. Technically, it was an interesting concept - how one terrible event back in 1929 affects several generations down the road - and the ending, with its lengthy flashback, should have packed an emotional wallop (I assume it wasn’t meant as a surprise ending since the events described had already been assumed, and that the author was going for an emotional wallop). However, the author miscalculated. By having the event transform generations of this family into bitter, unpleasant people, the reader loses all sympathy with the characters and getting through the story turns into a chore. After all, anyone can emphasize with a person - I understand that Hitler has issues with his prostitute mother and all, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him. There are many ways the author could have avoided this result. She could have lightened up some of the characters for starts. She could have hinted at emotional scars instead of advertising them. She could have inserted a contrasting event that brought about positive results. She could have developed Mabel’s story more since her life was certainly inspirational. She could have had her chain of bad feeling continue despite people’s GOOD intentions instead of bitter, neglectful ones. Instead, we have to wait until the arrival of Grace at the end of the book (after her husband dies a terrible death, of course) to finally dare hope that the multi-generational curse has been lifted.
Nope. No redeeming ending. Didn’t think they’re would be. The book is interesting however. Technically, it was an interesting concept - how one terrible event back in 1929 affects several generations down the road - and the ending, with its lengthy flashback, should have packed an emotional wallop (I assume it wasn’t meant as a surprise ending since the events described had already been assumed, and that the author was going for an emotional wallop). However, the author miscalculated. By having the event transform generations of this family into bitter, unpleasant people, the reader loses all sympathy with the characters and getting through the story turns into a chore. After all, anyone can emphasize with a person - I understand that Hitler has issues with his prostitute mother and all, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him. There are many ways the author could have avoided this result. She could have lightened up some of the characters for starts. She could have hinted at emotional scars instead of advertising them. She could have inserted a contrasting event that brought about positive results. She could have developed Mabel’s story more since her life was certainly inspirational. She could have had her chain of bad feeling continue despite people’s GOOD intentions instead of bitter, neglectful ones. Instead, we have to wait until the arrival of Grace at the end of the book (after her husband dies a terrible death, of course) to finally dare hope that the multi-generational curse has been lifted.
March 12, 2012
This novel begins in 1920s Kentucky. It spans the lives of two very different sisters, who take very different paths through life. Each sister has a pair of daughters. As their story unfolds, it also tells the stories of their daughters.
Each woman in this multi-generational novel has their own set of circumstances, based both upon their environment and the choices they make. They each have definite strengths and weaknesses. Some of the women are strong in moral and character, yet some are strong willed and rigid.
There is a definite difference between strength and stubbornness. As a woman raised by women of these varied traits, I found this to be a particularly interesting portrait of a family of such women.
Nancy Jensen has exceptional insight into the emotions and personal burdens of the women. She understands the bonds that hold them together, but also cause them to strain at the bindings.
Each sister walks a different road, but within the same map of life. The roads intersect, intertwine, taking them to different places that the others could never understand.
In life, the things that happen to us become a part of us, but the things we choose we become a part of. Sometimes we have to forgive others to go on. Sometimes we need to be forgiven. Sometimes we have to forgive ourselves.
December 12, 2011
"Sisters" begins with a tragic misunderstanding between two sisters living in 1920's Kentucky. In fact misunderstandings come one after the other in this generational saga, through the next few generations of mothers and sisters tragedies pile up one upon the other due to secrets. So much deliberate lying make the story seem unbelievable. Worst of all there never seems to be a point to the mishaps. The three sets of sisters trail through seven decades with the action jumping back and forth in time and place. Thank goodness someone thought to put a family tree at the front of the book or it would have been even more difficult to keep the players straight. And that's the great failing of the book in my opinion, the characters felt like fiction, their situations too farfetched to be relatable. Probalby Jensen is trying to show how difficult it can be to tell the truth when you know it can hurt someone?
The back blurb compares Jensen's "The Sisters" to Marilynne Robinosn's "Housekeeping" and Elizabeth Strout's "Olive Kitteridge". I love both those books. It's what excited me to read Jensen's book. I know that kind of thing sells books but ultimately such touting is a disservice to new writers. It makes readers expect too much. This is in no way to say Jensen is a bad writer because that's not the case. She just shouldn't (at least, yet) be compared to such writers. With all the jumping around in time and from character to character, added to the plot devices that seemed generated to eke out emotion rather than convey truth I felt let down. There is promise in this book and I'll be watching to see what Jensen writes next.
The back blurb compares Jensen's "The Sisters" to Marilynne Robinosn's "Housekeeping" and Elizabeth Strout's "Olive Kitteridge". I love both those books. It's what excited me to read Jensen's book. I know that kind of thing sells books but ultimately such touting is a disservice to new writers. It makes readers expect too much. This is in no way to say Jensen is a bad writer because that's not the case. She just shouldn't (at least, yet) be compared to such writers. With all the jumping around in time and from character to character, added to the plot devices that seemed generated to eke out emotion rather than convey truth I felt let down. There is promise in this book and I'll be watching to see what Jensen writes next.
January 23, 2012
There were many things about this book that I absolutely loved. Centered on the relationship and subsequent generations of two sisters, it tells an often sad story of how their lives played out because of a singular event that didn't go as planned. I loved how each chapter was the story of a different character in a different time. The story moved quickly (I finished the book in a little less than two days) and it was intensely readable. With all the generations and time passing, I especially appreciated the family tree at the beginning. The author did a great job of forming seven fleshed out, well rounded, and true characters. I believed each of their motives and reactions. Honestly, my husband said the book was "ruining his life" because I couldn't put it down.
Be warned, there's tough stuff at the beginning to get through. I've read enough books to see a sexual assault coming a mile away, but it doesn't make it any easier to read. And as someone who loves, loves, loves her sisters, the overall story made me sad because at the end you're really wondering what might have been. But overall, this is written so well and it's so believable, you still feel satisfied once you're done.
Be warned, there's tough stuff at the beginning to get through. I've read enough books to see a sexual assault coming a mile away, but it doesn't make it any easier to read. And as someone who loves, loves, loves her sisters, the overall story made me sad because at the end you're really wondering what might have been. But overall, this is written so well and it's so believable, you still feel satisfied once you're done.
August 6, 2015
Actual rating 3.5 stars
I picked this up from the library on audio book without knowing anything about it. As I do many books. And with that risk doesn't always come reward.
This book certainly wasn't bad. Jensen is very clearly a good author. But at times the detail was excessive for my taste and I generally hate not being given the answer to big questions. I don't enjoy "let the reader decide" 99% of the time.
That said, I do like generational stories and this certainly was one. Every chapter is from a different perspecgive, in a different time, in a different place. Most of the characters are detestable. It is all centered around one horrific person and events, and the aftermath that goes on for generations. While this may actually be true to life (and I feel often is), I just wished there was a bit more...positivity I guess. In ANYONE'S personality. Grace was the only good one.
I can handle depressing, and love it, at times. But this was too much for even me At least right now.
I picked this up from the library on audio book without knowing anything about it. As I do many books. And with that risk doesn't always come reward.
This book certainly wasn't bad. Jensen is very clearly a good author. But at times the detail was excessive for my taste and I generally hate not being given the answer to big questions. I don't enjoy "let the reader decide" 99% of the time.
That said, I do like generational stories and this certainly was one. Every chapter is from a different perspecgive, in a different time, in a different place. Most of the characters are detestable. It is all centered around one horrific person and events, and the aftermath that goes on for generations. While this may actually be true to life (and I feel often is), I just wished there was a bit more...positivity I guess. In ANYONE'S personality. Grace was the only good one.
I can handle depressing, and love it, at times. But this was too much for even me At least right now.
September 11, 2012
This book is amazing, well written, powerful themes, grim misunderstandings and heartbreaking outcomes that revolve around a choice made long ago: to truly forgive or not to forgive. It starts with two Sisters who become Mothers, they have Daughters, their Daughters are Sisters who become Mothers of Daughters. The decision to forgive or not has impacted them all as they became Daughters, Sisters and Mothers. My favorite line in the book is "Whatever we carry inside us shapes everyone we touch." I am also reminded of another book quote that I keep close: “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” I loved the unknown narrator. I loved how I felt differently for some of the characters than their sisters, mothers, or daughters did. I would recommend this book to everyone who has a daughter.
December 31, 2011
This story of two sisters who grew up in a poor rural town of Kentucky began in 1928 and ended in 2007. Mabel & Bertie were close after their mother died in childbirth. Mabel makes some decisions to protect Bertie from suffering the same abuse from their stepfather that she has endured. Unfortunately, the decisions Mable makes snowball and lead to confusion and estrangement. Some stubborness on Bertie's part feeds into the estrangement.The story then follows Mabel & Bertie's separate lives through the years. Much of their lives are afected by the bitterness and estrangement. The book follows their daughters and grand-daughters as they also make life changing decisions. All through the book, I had hope of a reconciliation or at least a meeting to air grievances. There is some hope that one of the offspring will discover the hidden family secrets and piece the family back together. It was a hard book to put down (or maybe I just had a lazy day). If you are looking for a happy book, this would not be what you are looking for.
January 28, 2012
In many ways, this was an exceptional book, especially in the small view. The details about the various characters were keen and clear and often poignant and real.
In other ways, this was like a long slog, a narrative of all the terrible things that can happen to women--mostly oppressive male relationships, some abusive, some just terrible. The only two happy main characters are the ones who are/become eventually single, Mabel and Grace. The rest of this angry, sad, upset batch of unhappy women never learned from their mistakes and never reconnected with the ones that would help them do so. Maybe in their dreams they do, but not in real life.
While reading a story like this does give one pause for thought--do I really care that she said/did that all those years ago--I'm not sure one should necessarily read a whole novel to prove the point that some wrongs should be dropped.
However, I finished it, if just to see if anyone came out of this story better off, and maybe, just maybe, two young women will.
In other ways, this was like a long slog, a narrative of all the terrible things that can happen to women--mostly oppressive male relationships, some abusive, some just terrible. The only two happy main characters are the ones who are/become eventually single, Mabel and Grace. The rest of this angry, sad, upset batch of unhappy women never learned from their mistakes and never reconnected with the ones that would help them do so. Maybe in their dreams they do, but not in real life.
While reading a story like this does give one pause for thought--do I really care that she said/did that all those years ago--I'm not sure one should necessarily read a whole novel to prove the point that some wrongs should be dropped.
However, I finished it, if just to see if anyone came out of this story better off, and maybe, just maybe, two young women will.
December 29, 2011
Nancy Jensen takes the reader on an epic journey through eighty years, an emotional roller-coaster ride of happiness, and tragedy. The lives of two sisters are lived far apart, but the bonds of blood are tied in a knot, and never broken. What secrets tear apart Bertie and Mabel? What choices were made that divided their lives, and how did they survive through trauma and heartbreak? I highly recommend this extraordinary, compelling novel to all fiction lovers, who enjoy American literature, blended with history and romance. The story is beautifully written, deeply moving, and the characters come to life as the author illuminates secrets within one family portrait. The vibrant story with unforgettable characters becomes an intimate, captivating journey through The Depression, World War II, and Vietnam. The author describes how life was lived for women through the decades, the power of love, and betrayal. "THE SISTERS" is touching and is filled with joy, sorrow, and triumph!
January 18, 2016
Probably 3.5 stars. While I did like the book, and the premise of the story, there were times I was a bit lost on what was going on and the who/what/where.
Follows the lives of two sisters, Bertie & Mabel, from 1920's Kentucky through the 1990s. Neither was an exceptionally likeable character, but that could be perhaps due to the circumstances.
I kept waiting for something to happen (won't say what - it's a spoiler) .... and that just left me disappointed.
My fav character was probably Grace!
Follows the lives of two sisters, Bertie & Mabel, from 1920's Kentucky through the 1990s. Neither was an exceptionally likeable character, but that could be perhaps due to the circumstances.
I kept waiting for something to happen (won't say what - it's a spoiler) .... and that just left me disappointed.
My fav character was probably Grace!
February 12, 2012
“Whatever we carry inside us shapes everyone we touch.” What a poignant line in this lovely debut by Nancy Jensen. And what a truth about human relationships across time … It is a truth woven throughout this novel that colors the actions, decisions, and consequences of five generations of the Fischer family.
In this moving multi-generational family saga, readers are introduced to three sets of sisters: Mabel and Bertie born in the early 1900s; Bertie’s daughters, Alma and Rainey, born during the late ‘20s/early ’30s; and Rainey’s daughters, Lynn and Grace, born in the late ‘50s/early ‘60s. A single action by Mabel - a risky action borne of sisterly love, but misinterpreted by Bertie - sets the life paths of these women and the generations of Fischer descendants to come.
Often heartbreaking, this story is also heartwarming. It’s a story that challenges the definitions of family and highlights its complexities, while pointing out the importance of familial love – even in the varying forms it often takes. The Sisters is a story of triumph over setback, a story of regret, and a story of acceptance. It’s a story that illustrates the instinctive thirst for family bonds, but mostly the imperfection that is family.
Most intriguing is that the story grew from the author’s own experience: Jensen learned, only later in life, that her own grandmother had only one sister known to no one. Jensen never knew the circumstances that led to the shattered bond that once held the sisters so close. From that family history came the fertile soil upon which the seeds of this novel were planted.
A drawing of the Fischer family tree at the front of the book was also helpful as a visual representation that connected all of these intertwined family members together – and it also served as a lovely symbolic connection at the end of the novel. (I think I might have personally favored fewer characters so that other characters and scenes would have been more fully developed, but even so, it was a highly enjoyable read and well done).
The characters, all unique in their own right, were compelling, and the prose flowed as seamlessly as the interwoven stories of these unforgettable women.
November 10, 2011
Quick summary...
This is the story of two sisters, Mabel and Bertie. They live sort of at the turn of the century with their mother and stepfather on a farm. They are not wealthy. They all work hard. Mabel...the older sister...works harder than anyone to protect her little sister, Bertie. Mabel has given up school and has given up her purity to keep their stepfather from going near Bertie.
In those days no one talked about this issue and there seemed to be nowhere for Mabel to turn other than to devise a plan to keep Bertie safe. This plan has consequences that affect both of them for the rest of their lives.
My Thoughts...
This author has a way of weaving an amazingly sad and powerful story about the lives of these sisters. The actions of Mabel forever changed Bertie's life. She was never as kind and loving and sweet because of what she perceived was done to her by her sister.
I loved this book and it was absorbing but it was also very sad...just so very very sad. Bertie was profoundly hurt and changed by Mabel. Mabel tried and tried to reach Bertie but it was no use. Bertie shut her out magnificently...she refused to read mail and lived with the belief that her sister betrayed her.
Each daughter within this family and then the granddaughters all seemed to have issues with the men in their lives. I had to ask myself if they were shaped subtly by the tragedies of their mothers and just had no way of making good choices in their lives. There are babies born out of wedlock and divorces and an intolerable amount of really mean men.
All of this made this book an interestingly tangled reading experience.
I truly enjoyed reading The Sisters but it was one of those experiences...for me...where I had to shake off the mistakes and sadness that many of the characters were caught up in. There was joy and delight, too...and eventually...contentment.
I loved the family timeline. I referred to it many times as I became engrossed in the lives of these strong characters.
A truly amazing first book.
This is the story of two sisters, Mabel and Bertie. They live sort of at the turn of the century with their mother and stepfather on a farm. They are not wealthy. They all work hard. Mabel...the older sister...works harder than anyone to protect her little sister, Bertie. Mabel has given up school and has given up her purity to keep their stepfather from going near Bertie.
In those days no one talked about this issue and there seemed to be nowhere for Mabel to turn other than to devise a plan to keep Bertie safe. This plan has consequences that affect both of them for the rest of their lives.
My Thoughts...
This author has a way of weaving an amazingly sad and powerful story about the lives of these sisters. The actions of Mabel forever changed Bertie's life. She was never as kind and loving and sweet because of what she perceived was done to her by her sister.
I loved this book and it was absorbing but it was also very sad...just so very very sad. Bertie was profoundly hurt and changed by Mabel. Mabel tried and tried to reach Bertie but it was no use. Bertie shut her out magnificently...she refused to read mail and lived with the belief that her sister betrayed her.
Each daughter within this family and then the granddaughters all seemed to have issues with the men in their lives. I had to ask myself if they were shaped subtly by the tragedies of their mothers and just had no way of making good choices in their lives. There are babies born out of wedlock and divorces and an intolerable amount of really mean men.
All of this made this book an interestingly tangled reading experience.
I truly enjoyed reading The Sisters but it was one of those experiences...for me...where I had to shake off the mistakes and sadness that many of the characters were caught up in. There was joy and delight, too...and eventually...contentment.
I loved the family timeline. I referred to it many times as I became engrossed in the lives of these strong characters.
A truly amazing first book.
April 3, 2012
Halfway through, I found myself counting the remaining pages & debating whether or not to finish.
Ms. Jensen has won awards for her short stories, and the chapters of this novel have the feel of a short story. Each chapter is linked, to an extent, but the book doesn't have the feel of a novel.
Sadly, most of the male characters are cartoons of bad boys, while each of the females is grappling with her personal piece of the dysfunction pie, giving the book a soap-opera quality. Everyone is miserable, everyone is unhappy, not unlike a negative stereotype of literary fiction.
The prose is well-crafted, but the plot and the characters ring hollow. In spite of a strong start, the finish didn't hold my attention and it became difficult to care about the offspring of the title's two sisters and their laundry list of problems.
Ms. Jensen has won awards for her short stories, and the chapters of this novel have the feel of a short story. Each chapter is linked, to an extent, but the book doesn't have the feel of a novel.
Sadly, most of the male characters are cartoons of bad boys, while each of the females is grappling with her personal piece of the dysfunction pie, giving the book a soap-opera quality. Everyone is miserable, everyone is unhappy, not unlike a negative stereotype of literary fiction.
The prose is well-crafted, but the plot and the characters ring hollow. In spite of a strong start, the finish didn't hold my attention and it became difficult to care about the offspring of the title's two sisters and their laundry list of problems.
December 16, 2012
I liked the characters in this book, but I think the story would have benefited from there being some kind of resolution to the initial conflict. We the readers know all the answers and it hardly seems fair that the characters themselves (except for one) never got to find out why the two sisters were estranged from one another. Plus, the ending kind of bummed me out.
January 11, 2015
Well, I'm still reading this one, and I've not put it down for nearly a day and a half, so clearly Jensen is doing something right. I heard her speak at the Kentucky Women's Book Festival last year and thought that while her novel sounded interesting (I love historical fiction), it might be a bit drivelly and sentimental. I was (fortunately) very wrong, although there are a couple of things about it that do bother me a bit.
So. The good. Jensen's prose is really quite good, although there are a couple moments where she forces in too many details to show that she's done her historical research (still, better more details than not enough). She's created a rather interesting method of storytelling, hopping around between the women of each generation throughout the years to give us a sense of what's going on in all of their lives, which is difficult to maintain. It's easy to keep them straight, though, and understand each of their individual struggles.
The iffy: while I just commended her style of storytelling, there are a few moments where it doesn't work as well for me. We are permitted snapshots into these women's lives, taken years apart. The book reads like a photo album of sorts (which I guess is an apt metaphor, as a good chunk of the story deals with photography). Occasionally the characters don't feel so fleshed out, though--it's like we're just given this brief insight into how they feel when they are ten and then we come back to them twenty years later. I need those twenty years filling in! And with seven different voices to balance, it often becomes a bit... I don't know. I enjoy the Mabel sections, but I don't understand why her daughter, Daisy, doesn't narrate anything, while we hear a lot from Bertie and Bertie's girls' and Rainey's children. Again, it's a tricky thing to do, and while I can't think of any other way this story should have been told, it would be nice to have less skipping around.
Still. It's a good read!
So. The good. Jensen's prose is really quite good, although there are a couple moments where she forces in too many details to show that she's done her historical research (still, better more details than not enough). She's created a rather interesting method of storytelling, hopping around between the women of each generation throughout the years to give us a sense of what's going on in all of their lives, which is difficult to maintain. It's easy to keep them straight, though, and understand each of their individual struggles.
The iffy: while I just commended her style of storytelling, there are a few moments where it doesn't work as well for me. We are permitted snapshots into these women's lives, taken years apart. The book reads like a photo album of sorts (which I guess is an apt metaphor, as a good chunk of the story deals with photography). Occasionally the characters don't feel so fleshed out, though--it's like we're just given this brief insight into how they feel when they are ten and then we come back to them twenty years later. I need those twenty years filling in! And with seven different voices to balance, it often becomes a bit... I don't know. I enjoy the Mabel sections, but I don't understand why her daughter, Daisy, doesn't narrate anything, while we hear a lot from Bertie and Bertie's girls' and Rainey's children. Again, it's a tricky thing to do, and while I can't think of any other way this story should have been told, it would be nice to have less skipping around.
Still. It's a good read!
November 18, 2011
My word....beautifully written. Reminded me slightly of the movie How to make an American quilt. Although I found Mable + Daisy's story line of how mother and daughter came to be a stretch... I went with it. It is books like these that make me question my own lineage of women. Not that I have had horrific story lines in my family (to my knowledge) but as women we try our damnedest to do the best for our sisters, our daughters and all of the other women in the family all while hiding the pain of dreams all to often lost to the duties of "women" or to the fact that life happens and happens to get in the way of women more often than men for reasons that could be discussed for hours. By the end I did need the family tree to keep the women straight and I felt by the time it rolled around to great grandchildren their story lines were minimal at best and may not have been needed for full effect. I love that this story quickly told the stories of generations with historical accuracy....including the cadence and mood of said times....unbelievable that someone who did not live all generations could write this with smooth and seamless transitions.
Would be a FABULOUS women's book club selection. Like I said followed with the movie mentioned above.... and many nights of discussion.... Must be able to read through strong themes. I read this in 3 days! New world record for me I think...and I didn't even have time to read this week...but I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN! I have considered re-reading to get more from it...to think and question...but I don't have time now maybe if my book club picks it up I will.
Would be a FABULOUS women's book club selection. Like I said followed with the movie mentioned above.... and many nights of discussion.... Must be able to read through strong themes. I read this in 3 days! New world record for me I think...and I didn't even have time to read this week...but I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN! I have considered re-reading to get more from it...to think and question...but I don't have time now maybe if my book club picks it up I will.
November 11, 2017
It was a good read, I like how it just moved along, not rehashing the same things over.
November 5, 2011
First half is good and so is the ending, but 2/3 of the way through there were just too many characters and small glimpses of situations that could've been left out. The family tree at the beginning is helpful but I would've preferred a shorter tree, and more character development of the first few characters (i.e; Wallace).
This spans 80 years and when the original characters start dying off with no resolution to their part in the plot-line, I started losing interest. The two sisters involved were developed well, but aside from that, this reminded me of fruit salad... a little bit of this and that, some yummy parts, and the rest all kind of blends together.
This is a debut novel, author has a good style. Her editors should've helped her out a bit more with this first one, but she definitely has promise and I will watch for her future works. I was awarded a pre-release copy by Amazon for my unbiased opinion of this work.
This spans 80 years and when the original characters start dying off with no resolution to their part in the plot-line, I started losing interest. The two sisters involved were developed well, but aside from that, this reminded me of fruit salad... a little bit of this and that, some yummy parts, and the rest all kind of blends together.
This is a debut novel, author has a good style. Her editors should've helped her out a bit more with this first one, but she definitely has promise and I will watch for her future works. I was awarded a pre-release copy by Amazon for my unbiased opinion of this work.
February 26, 2012
While I did enjoy this book, I have rated it as a 3 and not a 4 because I was not fond of the gaps in the storyline.
The story starts with two sisters, very close, but due to an understanding become separated. The story goes through several generations with their children, children's children etc.
The story itself was fantastic, the authors writing great but this was too short a book to really pay tribute to their lives. There were huge gaps and while some of the events missed were touched on, I felt like I only got a small part of the story and too much of their lives were missed. Sometimes people were mentioned that I had no idea who they were as they just popped up all of a sudden and there was no insight as to how they got there, what they contributed to the lives of the main characters. Even with the main characters, major events weren't mentioned. This book kind of made me feel like whole sections were ripped out of the book and I was only reading part of it.
The story starts with two sisters, very close, but due to an understanding become separated. The story goes through several generations with their children, children's children etc.
The story itself was fantastic, the authors writing great but this was too short a book to really pay tribute to their lives. There were huge gaps and while some of the events missed were touched on, I felt like I only got a small part of the story and too much of their lives were missed. Sometimes people were mentioned that I had no idea who they were as they just popped up all of a sudden and there was no insight as to how they got there, what they contributed to the lives of the main characters. Even with the main characters, major events weren't mentioned. This book kind of made me feel like whole sections were ripped out of the book and I was only reading part of it.
May 6, 2017
I thought I would like this more than I did. I was expecting to see a taste of the crazy close bond I have with my sisters reflected in these characters, but none of the relationships were ones I related to very well. I had trouble rooting for some of the characters, which makes me feel a bit guilty. It probably would have helped if I'd read it straight through rather than pausing for long periods of time before picking it back up again. The book already has a timeline that jumps around a bit. Overall, it pairs well with a smooth pinot noir.
May 4, 2025
It started with 2 sisters in the 1920’s who only had each other. But the day Bertie graduates from 8th grade, everything goes wrong. The story follows the sisters through their choices and their families - daughters and granddaughters as a heartfelt and raw story about the choices we make. #bookstagram #bookreview #readersgonnaread📚 #booknerd #loveyourlibrary #pagesandprimrose
July 3, 2017
I wanted this book to be a 5 and it could have been! Could anyone in the book have shared what they were really thinking? Could one secret have been shared? I wish the author would have given someone the strength of character to reach out to others. Frustrated about a book that was so close.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2020
This is a book about two sisters that have a misunderstanding that changes their lives. It is an easy read, and kept my interest throughout.
However, it was quite sad and needlessly dramatic. The misunderstanding was completely avoidable, and many of the characters seemed to be overly miserable. But I suppose without it, there wouldn't have been much of a story....
However, it was quite sad and needlessly dramatic. The misunderstanding was completely avoidable, and many of the characters seemed to be overly miserable. But I suppose without it, there wouldn't have been much of a story....
December 25, 2023
Griping, suspenseful and moving story of several generations; their life decisions, the impact of those decisions and how they reach far far into the future. Our personal interpretation of life events is the main character, IMO, and is intertwined in fascinating, exciting and horrifying ways. This is a great book...one you just can't put down! I want to know more about these women and I really care for them!!
November 10, 2012
This book intrigued me from the moment I read this description on its back cover: “A choice made in desperate haste sets off a chain of misunderstandings that will divide the sisters and reverberate through three generations of women.” I was instantly hooked, and I was thrilled to see that it came in audio book form so that I could listen to it on my way to work.
Mabel and Bertie are two sisters growing up in the south in the 1920’s. Their mother died in childbirth, and their stepfather, Jim Butcher, is a tyrant. The two girls dream of running away, but Mabel insists that Bertie must finish school first, since both Mabel and her mother’s biggest regret was their forfeiture of their education to take care of the family. With Mabel being so strict, Bertie looks for others opportunities to get away, and she turns to Wallace, her long-time beau, with hopes that soon he will ask her to marry him, and they can get a place of their own away from Jim Butcher.
Finally, on the night of her graduation, Bertie hopes that Wallace will make a romantic move and soon after propose to her. Instead, she is disappointed to find that Wallace and Mabel haven’t even bothered to attend her graduation ceremony, and upon her return home, she finds her sweetheart has run off with her sister, and her stepfather has killed himself.
This book continues the stories of the two sisters and their families for almost an entire century as their two branches of the family tree spread, separate but in many ways still connected. Through WWII, Shirley Temple, Vietnam, the feminist movement, and through the 90’s, the stories of Bertie and Mabel’s daughters and grand-daughters are interwoven with their own, but their pain of separation is never forgotten.
The characters are all vivid, but my one complaint is that for the most part, they weren’t very likeable, and they certainly did not seem to like each other. The constant cattiness was a bit wearisome, but I was genuinely interested to hear more about the characters’ lives. There were several points in the book when I got frustrated with choices the characters were making and the things they decided to pursue, but that just signifies that I was emotionally invested in their plights.
From Alma, Bertie’s daughter who chooses a life of quiet complacency with her overbearing misogynistic husband to Daisy, Mabel’s kindred spirit who finds hope in her maternal figure, the two sisters influence generations of women to come.
Amazon.com shows a wide range of opinions about this book. One point in particular was made about how the men are awful and the women never learn to love. I can see the truth in that: the men in this book are portrayed pretty badly, and there are plenty of female family members who never seem to grow out of their bratty teenage mentality. However, some of the final scenes of the book show the point I think the author is trying to make: life never turns out the way we planned, and happiness is the greatest form of success one can achieve.
I am usually one to slam books for being so depressing they’re unreadable, but maybe the key to my liking of this book was the narrator. I would definitely recommend the audio version of The Sisters if the storyline seems to pique your interest.
Altogether, the book was interesting and seemed to take me on a journey. It wasn’t the best book I’d read this year, and it certainly had its depressing parts, but altogether, I was surprisingly pleased.
Mabel and Bertie are two sisters growing up in the south in the 1920’s. Their mother died in childbirth, and their stepfather, Jim Butcher, is a tyrant. The two girls dream of running away, but Mabel insists that Bertie must finish school first, since both Mabel and her mother’s biggest regret was their forfeiture of their education to take care of the family. With Mabel being so strict, Bertie looks for others opportunities to get away, and she turns to Wallace, her long-time beau, with hopes that soon he will ask her to marry him, and they can get a place of their own away from Jim Butcher.
Finally, on the night of her graduation, Bertie hopes that Wallace will make a romantic move and soon after propose to her. Instead, she is disappointed to find that Wallace and Mabel haven’t even bothered to attend her graduation ceremony, and upon her return home, she finds her sweetheart has run off with her sister, and her stepfather has killed himself.
This book continues the stories of the two sisters and their families for almost an entire century as their two branches of the family tree spread, separate but in many ways still connected. Through WWII, Shirley Temple, Vietnam, the feminist movement, and through the 90’s, the stories of Bertie and Mabel’s daughters and grand-daughters are interwoven with their own, but their pain of separation is never forgotten.
The characters are all vivid, but my one complaint is that for the most part, they weren’t very likeable, and they certainly did not seem to like each other. The constant cattiness was a bit wearisome, but I was genuinely interested to hear more about the characters’ lives. There were several points in the book when I got frustrated with choices the characters were making and the things they decided to pursue, but that just signifies that I was emotionally invested in their plights.
From Alma, Bertie’s daughter who chooses a life of quiet complacency with her overbearing misogynistic husband to Daisy, Mabel’s kindred spirit who finds hope in her maternal figure, the two sisters influence generations of women to come.
Amazon.com shows a wide range of opinions about this book. One point in particular was made about how the men are awful and the women never learn to love. I can see the truth in that: the men in this book are portrayed pretty badly, and there are plenty of female family members who never seem to grow out of their bratty teenage mentality. However, some of the final scenes of the book show the point I think the author is trying to make: life never turns out the way we planned, and happiness is the greatest form of success one can achieve.
I am usually one to slam books for being so depressing they’re unreadable, but maybe the key to my liking of this book was the narrator. I would definitely recommend the audio version of The Sisters if the storyline seems to pique your interest.
Altogether, the book was interesting and seemed to take me on a journey. It wasn’t the best book I’d read this year, and it certainly had its depressing parts, but altogether, I was surprisingly pleased.
December 9, 2011
This novel covers a lot of ground, telling the story of the Fischer sisters, Mabel and Bertie, beginning in 1927, and ending in 2007. It is a tragic story, full of violence, sacrifice, good intentions and misunderstandings. Mabel does her best to protect her younger sister Bertie from their abusive stepfather after their mother dies in childbirth. Things don't go as planned, and Mabel and Bertie end up estranged.
What follows are their individual stories: marriages, pregnancies, raising children, building careers. Mabel and Bertie's stories are interesting, but I do wish we had seen more of Mabel and her daughter Daisy's lives. They seem to have gotten shorter shrift than Bertie and her daughters and granddaughters. Bertie becomes closed-off after believing her sister abandoned her, and although she finds the love of a good man, she is never really happy. Her character is reminiscent of Elizabeth's Stout's Olive Kitteridge, and fans of that book will like The Sisters.
The theme of the book is that you really don't know what has happened in someone's life that makes her the person she becomes. Bertie says, "Something can happen to change your life so sudden, you can't ever get over it fast enough. And so you do things that you wouldn't have ever thought of doing. Maybe hurt other people. And that changes things for them, too, all in a line". Bertie compares what happened to her the same thing as going through a war. What she doesn't know is that Mabel ended up becoming famous for photographing soldiers before going to war and upon their return, so the war theme applies to both of them.
I do think that this book makes you empathetic to people in your life; you realize that you don't know everything that has happened to a person that affects her. Many people who read this book may come to the conclusion that their parents did the best job they could, as children in the book eventually learn. Mothers hurt their children, unintentionally or not, and they in turn hurt their children. I think the author believes that it is time to forgive and move on to break the chain of hurt.
The Sisters is sad book, and I find violence against children and women hard to read. There are a few scenes that will cause you to gasp. If you are depressed, this book may make that worse, but if you want to learn about the human condition, this is an emotionally cathartic novel.
What follows are their individual stories: marriages, pregnancies, raising children, building careers. Mabel and Bertie's stories are interesting, but I do wish we had seen more of Mabel and her daughter Daisy's lives. They seem to have gotten shorter shrift than Bertie and her daughters and granddaughters. Bertie becomes closed-off after believing her sister abandoned her, and although she finds the love of a good man, she is never really happy. Her character is reminiscent of Elizabeth's Stout's Olive Kitteridge, and fans of that book will like The Sisters.
The theme of the book is that you really don't know what has happened in someone's life that makes her the person she becomes. Bertie says, "Something can happen to change your life so sudden, you can't ever get over it fast enough. And so you do things that you wouldn't have ever thought of doing. Maybe hurt other people. And that changes things for them, too, all in a line". Bertie compares what happened to her the same thing as going through a war. What she doesn't know is that Mabel ended up becoming famous for photographing soldiers before going to war and upon their return, so the war theme applies to both of them.
I do think that this book makes you empathetic to people in your life; you realize that you don't know everything that has happened to a person that affects her. Many people who read this book may come to the conclusion that their parents did the best job they could, as children in the book eventually learn. Mothers hurt their children, unintentionally or not, and they in turn hurt their children. I think the author believes that it is time to forgive and move on to break the chain of hurt.
The Sisters is sad book, and I find violence against children and women hard to read. There are a few scenes that will cause you to gasp. If you are depressed, this book may make that worse, but if you want to learn about the human condition, this is an emotionally cathartic novel.
July 7, 2015
2.5 stars (it would have been more, but it was too sad and because of that I just couldn't give it three)
I liked the writing and every once in a while, I liked some of the characters (I think I liked Grace the most). I did NOT like the story.
My biggest issue with this book is the amount of tragedy that this family had to deal with. I know life is unfair and at times horrible, but I felt like the author had a checklist of everything bad that could happen and was ticking things off.
It seemed like every chapter brought a new tragedy. I read a few reviews on this book when I was questioning whether or not to finish. Most reviews mentioned the tragedies, but a few said the book ended on a happier note. So I stuck it out.......................I guess compared to everything the family had endured, it could be called happy, but it wasn't enough for me.
I also didn't like the time gaps in between each chapter. By the time I finished a chapter, I had forgotten the date for the previous one and I had to keep looking back to figure out how long it had been, and by the end of the book I gave up.
Overall, the book/writing is fine.....even good. I liked the author's style and I would read more, depending on the topic. For me, it was too sad and I didn't care for the ending(I won't spoil it, but the ending just made everything worse for me). If you like your historical fiction heavy, realistic and mildly depressing, then this is perfect for you!
I liked the writing and every once in a while, I liked some of the characters (I think I liked Grace the most). I did NOT like the story.
My biggest issue with this book is the amount of tragedy that this family had to deal with. I know life is unfair and at times horrible, but I felt like the author had a checklist of everything bad that could happen and was ticking things off.
It seemed like every chapter brought a new tragedy. I read a few reviews on this book when I was questioning whether or not to finish. Most reviews mentioned the tragedies, but a few said the book ended on a happier note. So I stuck it out.......................I guess compared to everything the family had endured, it could be called happy, but it wasn't enough for me.
I also didn't like the time gaps in between each chapter. By the time I finished a chapter, I had forgotten the date for the previous one and I had to keep looking back to figure out how long it had been, and by the end of the book I gave up.
Overall, the book/writing is fine.....even good. I liked the author's style and I would read more, depending on the topic. For me, it was too sad and I didn't care for the ending(I won't spoil it, but the ending just made everything worse for me). If you like your historical fiction heavy, realistic and mildly depressing, then this is perfect for you!
November 24, 2011
Family secrets are common in novels yet Nancy Jensen has created a fresh and innovative look at the long term consequences of these secrets in her novel The Sisters. Opening in 1927 on a pivotal day for sisters, Mabel and Bertie a life altering misunderstanding is presented to readers in two chapters, from the perspective of each sister. Subsequent chapters are told from the point of view of the sisters as well as the female children and grandchildren of the two women over the course of the following 80 years. What ensues is a unique combination of snapshot of a moment in time calling to the reader’s mind many of the pivotal events of history, but also a look at the way resentments and misunderstandings can be nurtured and in fact passed from generation to generation. Most of the male characters have been damaged in war, be it the First World War or Vietnam, while the women are featured as the stronger and more resilient sex. In lesser hands the novel could become a disjointed collection of stories but Jensen nimbly weaves the threads of the women’s stories and the reader is left with a complete picture of each of the women featured as well as their motives. Each woman is completely drawn and full of complexities and flaws demonstrating Jensen’s keen insight into human nature. In her debut novel Nancy Jensen proves herself a talent to be watched.
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