About My Sisters: A Poignant Memoir of Unconventional Hippie Parents, Nomadic Life, and Sisterhood Bonds

by Debra Ginsberg

On the heels of her poignant and critically acclaimed memoirs, Waiting and Raising Blaze , Debra Ginsberg explores the unique connection she shares with her three sisters. In About My Sisters , Ginsberg examines the special bond she shares with her three sisters, May, Lavander and Deja. As her hippie parents criss-crossed the globe, Debra, the oldest of five children, formed indelible bonds with her three sisters that last to this day. Separated by fifteen years among them, Debra and her sisters represent two different generations, each one of them having something to teach the other. Debra and Maya (the next oldest) became not only babysitters, but also playmates, problem solvers, teachers and surrogate mothers to the youngest two. And the shared experience of being the children of an unconventional, dope-smoking, non-career oriented, nomadic couple bonded them even more. Structured around the course of one year, About My Sisters examines these bonds through the prism of the events of that year, revealing not only a "different" family, but also a unique and amazing relationship that has weathered many storms but never foundered. The four sisters (as well as their parents and brother) still live within ten miles of one another and share meals, holidays, joys, pains, and babysitting duties with an astounding frequency. This is a heart-warming, funny, and poignant look at a family that's much like the one we all wish we had..

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Book Club, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Debra M. Ginsberg is a London born, American author. She is the author of three memoirs as well as two novels. Her first memoir Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress was published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2000, followed by Raising Blaze: A Mother and Son's Long, Strange Journey Into Autism, which chronicled her longtime struggle to get her son the education he was entitled to.

Find Debra on Facebook:
Twitter.com/DebraMGinsberg

Follow Debra on Twitter:
Facebook.com/DebraGinsbergWriter

Reviews

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ginsberg's fluid, intimate writing style turns everyday life into art as she explores the complex relationships between herself and her three sisters over the course of one year. Since the world of large, mostly happy family is one I'm not familiar with, it was fascinating to be able to spend some time with Ginsberg and her quirky, entertaining relatives.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book and related to quite a bit of it. Sisters are such a gift ❤️

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Kind of Memoir. Well done
About My Sisters deserves my highest recommendation. It is well written, funny, insightful and truthful. Mostly, however, it is relatable. Anyone with sisters--make that siblings--will relate to the feelings expressed and the stories told by this gifted author. While her focus is on the relationship(s) between four sisters who have a fifteen-year age spread, it is also about their sole brother, their unique parents and the author's son. It reads a lot like a novel, but I found it so much more enjoyable knowing these are real characters existing in a loving and tight-knit family. I became so interested in them that half way through the book I contacted the author through her website and asked her to identify each character as pictured on book cover of the hardback edition.

The reason I was so interested in them? The author writes with deep respect and a fearless honesty. Every story--even those about arguments--is awash with love. Debra Ginsberg allows the reader into her family and makes it a comfortable place to be. What's truly interesting about that is I don't think I'd be comfortable actually sitting with them during one of their many raucous family gatherings . . . but being the fly on wall was a fun place for me.

I purchased this book because of having similar family dynamics. I, too, am one of four girls in a family with a lone brother--making us five with a ten year spread. Unlike the author, however, I'm not the eldest of the tribe and don't possess her wisdom and knowledge of every phase of the family's changing traits. (I'm number four; however, I'm about the same age as the author AND I have a sister named Debra.) By reading the description of this book I knew immediately it was for me. I wasn't disappointed in the least and read it very quickly. Now I want each of my sisters to read it. (I'd suggest my brother read it too if he enjoyed reading anything other than the sports pages of the daily newspaper). In fact, I can see giving it as a gift to several girlfriends who have sisters.

Bottom line: If you appreciate fine writing and good story telling, you'll love this book. Even if you don't have sisters.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

"No one will ever love you like your
family!" my mother would scream at me,
when I was a little girl, and, secretly,
I'd think, How ridiculous. Now, at 47,
I know the truth of her words and would
add, as a cautionary note, "...and no
one will ever drive you as nuts as
your family."

Ginsberg, then, takes on a big subject
in About My Sisters: family relationships.
Despite the title, she actually looks at
the complex world of both her family of
origin (the sisters of the title, a
brother, a mom and dad) as well as her
extended family (her son, along with
various boyfriends and girlfriends of
family members).

It's in the very ordinariness of the family
that the book derives its strength; by
the description of the family's day-to-day
feuds and fusses, as well as the family's
ongoing support and caring, Ginsberg reveals
the power of the family in our lives.

A reader of About My Sisters will nod as she
reads, recognizing, in the pages, her own
family chaos, her own family cohesion,
whirling and spinning,
expanding and contracting,
like the universe,
like life itself.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book probably deserves a star more than I gave it. Debra Ginsberg has written 2 previous books, one about raising her son and one about her 20 year career of being a waitress. I have not read either one of those but it appears they've been popular. This book, as titled, is about Debra and her sisters; Maya, Lavender and Deja. There is certainly more back story telling about her "hippie" parents, her childhood and the family's many moves around the globe. There is also a brother, Bo, who we hear about. But the crux of the book is the relationships that she has with each of her sisters. The lesson to be learned here is how bonds are formed early in life and how they change over the years and yet remain the same. It was interesting to hear about the differences in the girls and how their personalities clashed at times. But my favorite part of the entire book was when we got a brief story from Bo about his job as a night manager at a hotel. I don't know, they just seem to be an unusual family. They all, parents and adult children, live within about 10 minutes of each other and no one is married, except the parents, and various siblings move in and out of the homes/apartments of other siblings. I just had a difficult time identifying with that intensity of feeling and closeness between the family members. And, of course, since their feelings are so intense, family get togethers, which are frequent, are often volatile. Tensions rise, feathers fly and when the dust settles, all is well again but that type of behavior is unsettling to me.

[Wfbcreeds · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the heels of her poignant and critically acclaimed memoirs, Waiting and Raising Blaze, Debra Ginsberg explores the unique connection she shares with her three sisters.
In About My Sisters, Ginsberg examines the special bond she shares with her three sisters, May, Lavander and Deja. As her hippie parents criss–crossed the globe, Debra, the oldest of five children, formed indelible bonds with her three sisters that last to this day. Separated by fifteen years among them, Debra and her sisters represent two different generations, each one of them having something to teach the other. Debra and Maya (the next oldest) became not only babysitters, but also playmates, problem solvers, teachers and surrogate mothers to the youngest two. And the shared experience of being the children of an unconventional, dope–smoking, non–career oriented, nomadic couple bonded them even more.
Structured around the course of one year, About My Sisters examines these bonds through the prism of the events of that year, revealing not only a "different" family, but also a unique and amazing relationship that has weathered many storms but never foundered. The four sisters (as well as their parents and brother) still live within ten miles of one another and share meals, holidays, joys, pains, and babysitting duties with an astounding frequency. This is a heart–warming, funny, and poignant look at a family that's much like the one we all wish we had..

[Eileen Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsure where this book came from, too, but it was a perfect read last weekend when I was at the Cape. This book is about sisterhood and I am lucky to have two sisters (and one brother too); the story in the book tells about family events with four sisters and a brother. What was also amazing was that the age differences were up to fifteen years! I did not realize the book was nonfiction and a memoir until I poked around on the web for other books by the author. Anyway, she shares her family life and bond with her three sisters-May, Lavender, and Deja. The parents could be called hippies and travel the world with their children. The story of the book is around the family’s events from one year but the author moves back and forth from the present to the past. Debra explores her relationship with Maya, her sister closest to her age, but it is Lavender that really gets to her and pushes her buttons! Deja is so much younger than her other sisters that she is like a daughter to them. The book is well written with celebrations and sad events but it is mostly about the inner workings of sisterhood. I am glad I read it and if I ever have a few weeks vacation I may even consider writing about the sisterhood I have with my sisters.

[Laura Engel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debra Ginsberg's style of writing is intriguing, warm and most of all real. I felt as if we were sitting in a room with coffee and tea and she was telling me the stories of her sisters and family. There is a great intimacy with which she writes. I grew to know the characters ( sisters) and was eager to hear their next story at the end of each chapter. A sister to only brothers, I was always envious of girls with sisters. This book took me back to that feeling. How wonderful that must be to have three other women in your life that you share history, DNA, parents, a brother, love and complete understanding with? This memoir goes back to the sixties and weaves its way into the 2000s with delightful stories of an ordinary family, while showing us just how extraordinary that family truly is. This is the first book of Debra Ginsberg's that I have read and after reading this wonderful book, I will be reading more by her for sure.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have sisters, this is a must read. If you have more that one sister, it is even better. This book had some great insights into how each sister fits into the family. There is an oldest, a couple middles, a baby, one boy, lots of boyfriends and two parents. I loved how the author showed how different each relationship was between parents, between eachother, between nephews, between the lone brother etc. Where do you fit into your family?

The most interesting part is how different each girl was based upon the generation she grew up in. There are big age gaps between the siblings and it makes for some very interesting observations.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not having any siblings at all, I was curious to read a book about the relationships of four sisters. This one was delightful and revealing--while reading it there were times when I felt truly deprived by not having sisters and other times when I was tremendously relieved not to have them! I am close with two cousins and I can understand that there is nothing like a bond between people in the same family--it simply can't be shared with anyone outside the family. The author conveys this beautifully, with humor and honesty.

[Saskia Marijke Niehorster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ode to sisterhood, full in detail and love even when the love is tested. It is the story of a family that lived together through all the craziness and remains close to date, something not everyone survives, and yet the love and dedication of the parents is something that unified the children and kept them close. It is something I have hoped to accomplish with my children and having read this gives me hope that indeed it can really happen. I look forward to reading her other books as well.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just OK. I wish I had three sisters like the author of this book. But I just have one and she is the best one I could have ever asked for. It is true that you share a special bond that you can never share with just friends. Sisters are there for you in time of the good, the bad and the ugly. I sure have been reading a lot of these memoirs as of late. Time to read something different!!

[Maggie Wiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this title a lot more than Ginsberg's other work. I couldn't say it was any more relatable (I'm an only child) but the prose was more accessable somehow. It's an interesting look into the complex relationships sisters can have, but not having a sister did make me feel like maybe I was missing something while reading this.

Readalikes: Yaya books by Rebecca Wells, The Sweet Potato Queens series by Jill Conner Browne

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping I would enjoy this book(having three sisters, I thought I would be able to relate to it). But I didn't care for the writing style and it was really hard to continue reading. It seems like just a collection of interactions with her family, which are not unique or entertaining, and I never really care enough about stories to want to continue reading. I've been "reading" it for almost 3 weeks and I'm only 60 pages in. I think it's time to give up.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I'm one of three sisters myself so I enjoy reading about sisters, real or fictional. This is just one of Debra Ginsberg's memoirs that she has written. This takes place in one year of her life & is all about her relationships with her three sisters. Plus she also writes about her parents, her brother & her son.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I liked the way the author wrote in her other book about raising her son. I did not enjoy this book as much; I'm not sure why. Relationships are messy, and I do appreciate her honesty about how she and her siblings interact with each other. It made me wish my family was as close as their family....

[Beth G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

(from my old Book Log)

Ginsberg has established something of a niche for herself as a memoir writer, though I haven't read her previous two books. As the eldest of three girls, I recognize the special sister dynamic at the center of this book. Ginsberg focuses on the small dramas that come up over the course of a year in the life of one family.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four sisters and one brother - all have different kinds of relationships with each other. This was a light read but explored the different roles siblings play with one another. That's the heart of this book along with the relationships of the son of the main character with his aunts. No real plot, just a story about family dynamics.

[Nicole Frail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. Easy to pick up and put down between shifts at work and switching trains, but nothing that really held my attention. I wasn't wondering what the people in the book were up to when I wasn't reading... and that is typically what I look for when I rate books as 4 or 5 stars. This was a good read, and it made me think of my own relationship with my siblings.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ginsberg's depiction of the bonds and struggles she shares with her sisters is something I could deeply relate to. Loved the warm and beautiful stories of this family. Certainly a book anybody that has sisters or a quirky family can enjoy.

[!!!!! · Rating 1 out of 5]

I put it down after the second chapter. I didn't like the writing style or any of the characters and just couldn't stay with it. Too bad as I was stoked to read about sisters since I have four of them myself.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first few chapters were good but then it got SO.BORING. I could barely make it through. If I could put books down without finishing them, I would have here. Thank God it's done.

[Teri]

I went to a panel discussion this author participated in at the 2009 LA Times Festival of Books. I enjoy memoirs and am eager to read this one about familial ties. The author signed my book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Waitress more. This book was a series of anecdotes about the author's sisters, which was pleasant, but a little disjointed.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. I thought about my relationship with my sisters all the way through the book. Ginsberg didn't display much comedy in her book which would have improved the story but I enjoyed it.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four sisters, distinctly individualist, fiercely loyal to each other. I relate similarly to my two sisters, though we are nowhere near as volatile as the Ginsberg girls. Really enjoyed this book.

[Carrie]

memoir

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another memoir by Debra Ginsberg this time "about her sisters." Enjoyable read. Not bad, not great but still worth reading. Going to take a break from her and then maybe read her novels some day.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

real life story of the interactions between 4 sisters

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is about the writer's relationship with her three sisters. I have three sisters of my own so I could really relate. This book read like you didn't want it to end.