One Sister's Song

by Karen DeGroot Carter

Audrey Conarroe, a biracial woman, never planned to move back to her predominantly white hometown, but when her sister died and she was named guardian to her young nephew, Julian, she had no choice but to do just that. Eight months later, Audrey prepares to sell her sister's old farmhouse when a series of discoveries forces her to rethink everything she's ever assumed about love, race, and respect.

Paperback

Published January 21, 2004

About the author

Author and editor Karen DeGroot Carter has over 30 years of experience as a professional writer and copy editor. A graduate of Syracuse University, she's edited numerous works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry and written articles published online and in print in websites and publications ranging from LiteraryMama, BlogCritics, and The Compulsive Reader to the Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard and Publishers Weekly. She's active on Medium.com, where she's been published in publications such as The Startup, The Writing Cooperative, and Storius Magazine, and she's worked in the marketing departments of multiple corporations. Her poetry and short stories have been published in small literary journals, and her first novel, ONE SISTER'S SONG, has been in print for nearly 20 years.

Reviews

[Karen Ashmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mother of a multi-racial family, I can tell you that books about multi-racial families are few and far between. Not only did this book strike a chord with me, but the story was gripping. A well-woven story about families dealing with racism, cultural differences, trust, love and respect.

[Pippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a biracial woman and my mother is a native of Brooklyn we both loved the characters of this book; it gets five stars and four thumbs up from us both.

[William Boyum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in November. Karen's use of flashbacks threw me at first but quickly I began to feel their rhythm and it worked quite well. I'm white but spent my single parenting days in Hawaii where the edge is on white people. And on the other hand I grew up with a very bigoted father. So this was an interesting book for me on so many levels but especially the part about the pressures and challenges of raising children. Loved the impact of family background in this book. Might be thought of as a just a female story but if you look beyond the surface it's much more.

[Julie Cordova · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A book I will remember. I always enjoy reading stories that stay with me during the day as if pulling me like a siren's song to return to find out what would happen next. Usually I find this mystery books. This was almost a family saga and a coming of age tale. Only the main character is coming of age as an adult dealing with loss, duty, and uncertainty.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good theme and storyline. Only there was so much going on that is seemed scattered. Needed some editing.

[Karen Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book! :)

[Karen]

Not the most believable plot but interesting, about racial tensions in NY