What do you think?
Rate this book
The Language of Sisters
"Sometimes I can hear my sisters, Ellie and Valerie, talking to me in my head. It’s rare, and it only comes in emotionally intense times – when we’re worried, scared, in danger, falling apart or when something perfect happens to us. All of the sudden, I hear them.
I do not know their day-to-day lives. I don’t know the minutiae of their thoughts. I don’t know if they’re making love or fighting with someone.
Some might say that we only think we can hear each other because we’re sisters, and best friends, and in tune with each other, that it’s nothing remarkable.
We know the truth."
The three Kozlovsky sisters have inherited the family “gift” through their mother.
Toni Kozlovsky lives in a remodeled, yellow tugboat on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. As a crime and justice reporter, she’s seen it all. As someone who escaped with her family out of Communist Russia, she sometimes feels the nightmares from her past won’t let her go - especially the shattering secret the whole family brought with them to America.
Toni’s sister, Valerie, is a prosecuting attorney and her other sister, Ellie, has a decorative pillow business. But it’s the popular family restaurant that makes the Kozlovskys well known in town. Called Svetlana’s Kitchen, for their eccentric, demanding mother, the food is delicious, but there are often unusual names for the dinner specials of the evening, depending on how Svetlana’s feeling about her My Children’s Makes Me Worry, Alexei Not the Boss, Elvira’s Bad Choice, Antonia Not a Criminal, and Valeria No Call Mama Enough.
Amidst wedding planning, falling in love, and many opinionated, “unique” relatives, who bring endless humor to the story, the family secret is unraveling, threatening to break the Kozlovskys apart.
I do not know their day-to-day lives. I don’t know the minutiae of their thoughts. I don’t know if they’re making love or fighting with someone.
Some might say that we only think we can hear each other because we’re sisters, and best friends, and in tune with each other, that it’s nothing remarkable.
We know the truth."
The three Kozlovsky sisters have inherited the family “gift” through their mother.
Toni Kozlovsky lives in a remodeled, yellow tugboat on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. As a crime and justice reporter, she’s seen it all. As someone who escaped with her family out of Communist Russia, she sometimes feels the nightmares from her past won’t let her go - especially the shattering secret the whole family brought with them to America.
Toni’s sister, Valerie, is a prosecuting attorney and her other sister, Ellie, has a decorative pillow business. But it’s the popular family restaurant that makes the Kozlovskys well known in town. Called Svetlana’s Kitchen, for their eccentric, demanding mother, the food is delicious, but there are often unusual names for the dinner specials of the evening, depending on how Svetlana’s feeling about her My Children’s Makes Me Worry, Alexei Not the Boss, Elvira’s Bad Choice, Antonia Not a Criminal, and Valeria No Call Mama Enough.
Amidst wedding planning, falling in love, and many opinionated, “unique” relatives, who bring endless humor to the story, the family secret is unraveling, threatening to break the Kozlovskys apart.
462 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 13, 2024
171 people are currently reading
2048 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Lamb
24 books1,599 followersCathy Lamb was born in Newport Beach, California. As a child, she mastered the art of skateboarding, catching butterflies in bottles, and riding her bike with no hands. When she was 10, her parents moved her, two sisters, a brother, and two poorly behaved dogs to Oregon before she could fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a surfer bum.
She then embarked on her notable academic career where she earned good grades now and then, spent a great deal of time daydreaming, ran wild with a number of friends, and landed on the newspaper staff in high school. When she saw her byline above an article about people making out in the hallways of the high school, she knew she had found her true calling.
After two years of partying at the University of Oregon, she settled down for the next three years and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and became a fourth grade teacher. It was difficult for her to become proper and conservative but she threw out her red cowboy boots and persevered. She had no choice. She had to eat, and health insurance is expensive.
She met her husband on a blind date. A mutual friend who was an undercover vice cop busting drug dealers set them up. It was love at third sight.
Teaching children about the Oregon Trail and multiplication facts amused her until she became so gigantically pregnant with twins she looked like a small cow and could barely walk. With a three year old at home, she decided it was time to make a graceful exit and waddle on out. She left school one day and never went back. She likes to think her students missed her.
When Cathy was no longer smothered in diapers and pacifiers, she took a turn onto the hazardous road of freelance writing and wrote almost 200 articles on homes, home décor, people and fashion for a local newspaper. As she is not fashionable and can hardly stand to shop, it was an eye opener for her to find that some women actually do obsess about what to wear. She also learned it would probably be more relaxing to slam a hammer against one’s forehead than engage in a large and costly home remodeling project.
Cathy suffers from, “I Would Rather Play Than Work Disease” which prevents her from getting much work done unless she has a threatening deadline. She likes to hang with family and friends, walk, eat chocolate, camp, travel, and is slightly obsessive about the types of books she reads. She also likes to be left alone a lot so she can hear all the odd characters in her head talk to each other and then transfer that oddness to paper. The characters usually don’t start to talk until 10:00 at night, however, so she is often up ‘til 2:00 in the morning with them. That is her excuse for being cranky.
She adores her children and husband, except when he refuses to take his dirty shoes off and walks on the carpet. She will ski because her children insist, but she secretly doesn’t like it at all. Too cold and she falls all the time.
She is currently working on her next book and isn’t sleeping much.
She then embarked on her notable academic career where she earned good grades now and then, spent a great deal of time daydreaming, ran wild with a number of friends, and landed on the newspaper staff in high school. When she saw her byline above an article about people making out in the hallways of the high school, she knew she had found her true calling.
After two years of partying at the University of Oregon, she settled down for the next three years and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and became a fourth grade teacher. It was difficult for her to become proper and conservative but she threw out her red cowboy boots and persevered. She had no choice. She had to eat, and health insurance is expensive.
She met her husband on a blind date. A mutual friend who was an undercover vice cop busting drug dealers set them up. It was love at third sight.
Teaching children about the Oregon Trail and multiplication facts amused her until she became so gigantically pregnant with twins she looked like a small cow and could barely walk. With a three year old at home, she decided it was time to make a graceful exit and waddle on out. She left school one day and never went back. She likes to think her students missed her.
When Cathy was no longer smothered in diapers and pacifiers, she took a turn onto the hazardous road of freelance writing and wrote almost 200 articles on homes, home décor, people and fashion for a local newspaper. As she is not fashionable and can hardly stand to shop, it was an eye opener for her to find that some women actually do obsess about what to wear. She also learned it would probably be more relaxing to slam a hammer against one’s forehead than engage in a large and costly home remodeling project.
Cathy suffers from, “I Would Rather Play Than Work Disease” which prevents her from getting much work done unless she has a threatening deadline. She likes to hang with family and friends, walk, eat chocolate, camp, travel, and is slightly obsessive about the types of books she reads. She also likes to be left alone a lot so she can hear all the odd characters in her head talk to each other and then transfer that oddness to paper. The characters usually don’t start to talk until 10:00 at night, however, so she is often up ‘til 2:00 in the morning with them. That is her excuse for being cranky.
She adores her children and husband, except when he refuses to take his dirty shoes off and walks on the carpet. She will ski because her children insist, but she secretly doesn’t like it at all. Too cold and she falls all the time.
She is currently working on her next book and isn’t sleeping much.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
October 18, 2016
I can't remember the last time I had such fun reading a book. Not that this is all sweetness and light, though there is plenty of that too. A Russian family, Christians in a dictatorship, escape from Moscow where they were in danger, making a new life in Oregon, secrets they carry with them. There is so much humor, food with unusual names, descriptions of decorating and homes, life living on a tugboat, and one large, loving and unusual family.
I fell in love with this family, all of them and found myself wishing I could be part of them. The neighbors on the pier, living in various types of house boats. Old Daisy, wonderful, slowly losing herself to dementia but such a quirky unusual and loyal person. The three sisters and their unique and unusual bond, the secret surrounding their adopted brother. Love the tone of this book, the message that anything cam be overcome with loving friends and a loving family.
Yes, sometimes it is a bit schmaltzy, a bit sweet, predictable even but it didn't matter. The characters and the humor, sometimes laugh out loud funny, overcame all the things I usually avoid in a book. A good story, a feel good story, a book that leaves you with a good feeling. How special is that?
I fell in love with this family, all of them and found myself wishing I could be part of them. The neighbors on the pier, living in various types of house boats. Old Daisy, wonderful, slowly losing herself to dementia but such a quirky unusual and loyal person. The three sisters and their unique and unusual bond, the secret surrounding their adopted brother. Love the tone of this book, the message that anything cam be overcome with loving friends and a loving family.
Yes, sometimes it is a bit schmaltzy, a bit sweet, predictable even but it didn't matter. The characters and the humor, sometimes laugh out loud funny, overcame all the things I usually avoid in a book. A good story, a feel good story, a book that leaves you with a good feeling. How special is that?
November 13, 2016
3+ stars. I feel a bit conflicted about The Language of Sisters. I liked the basic story and characters, and I really liked the background story set in the Soviet Union, but it was way too long and dragged out the secrets and tension way too much. I also didn't love the touch of magic. The story is narrated by Toni, one of three adult sisters. The sisters live in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by their parents, aunts, uncles and cousins who all immigrated to the US from the Soviet Union. Toni has a lot of baggage -- recent events involving a marriage and childhood events that occurred in the Soviet Union. As the book progresses, Toni's secrets slowly unfold and they are in fact heartbreaking. What kept me reading is Toni's lovely family -- the book depicts a funny, wounded and resilient family that has had to deal with more than its share of hardship. These are not cookie cutter characters, and it was hard not to like them. I also loved Toni's living arrangements; she lives on a reconditioned tugboat amongst a community of eccentric houseboat dwelllers. But, again, the book is way longer than necessary and I did find myself losing patience with much of the middle part in which I felt dragged along by the promise that Toni's secrets would finally be revealed. Fortunately, the end does pick up. Despite the sad stuff, this qualifies more as a light read -- flawed but still compelling. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
March 23, 2017
Charming, witty, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, this is the story of leaving another life, another way of life, behind, coming to America and building a new life. Sometimes, though, the things you thought you left behind, buried deep in memories, resurface. You keep trying to shove them back down, only to have someone else work harder to release the buried past.
The characters in this story are ones you will remember, all the generations, all the people, but especially sisters Elvira, Toni and Valerie and their mother. They all have the language of sisters and brothers, an ability to know what the other is thinking.
“We can hear each other, inside our heads when something is wrong, or when something is especially beautiful. Now and then we can feel each other. “
There are the usual family ins and outs to navigate, parents worrying about children, children causing their parents distress. Unfulfilling jobs, the daily stresses of life. Then there are other, more serious issues, but this family pulls together, even when some may want to push away, deal with their pain alone.
The additional characters add even more quirkiness and colour to this story of a family who leaves Russia for a new, more freedom-filled life in Oregon. Unable to resume their former professions, they eventually end up running, owning a restaurant in their new home. I loved the scenes in the restaurant, the naming of the dishes, and the pier where Toni has made a new home in a Tugboat offers another group of people who tend to Toni as though they were family, all looking out for one another. Daisy, their eccentric and unpredictable senior member, watching over them all, while they all watch over Daisy as her mind slowly fades away.
This is not all light and laughs, there are darker moments, dark memories, but I enjoyed reading about this family so filled with love that their love illuminates the darkness.
October 15, 2016
I really don't know where to begin talking about this book. Cathy Lamb is an author whose work I have come to enjoy in the last couple of years - thanks to an Australian blogger at Book'd Out. Lamb's books just so satisfy my reading heart.
Toni is the narrator, one of three sisters who have a very special bond. They began their lives in Russia in the 80's where it was dangerous for them. They were under the eye of the KGB and their large extended family were quietly escaping to the USA. While the story begins in America, every so often we go back to that time in Russia until every little horrific detail of that time is revealed. One of the mysteries that Toni holds a little part - how did their brother arrive to them one bloody night?
Toni is at a low point in her life and it takes awhile to find out all the details. She lives on a converted tugboat ( and I want one) at a dock. Surrounding her are a wonderful group of people who are a little community that really watches out for each other. Daisy - an old woman just sinking into dementia is a treat. And of course then there is the DEA agent Nick who just adores Toni.
Valerie - Toni's sister is a prosecutor and is dealing with a particularly bad case - one that threatens her. Ellie is engaged to be married but has to keep breathing into a paper bag to deal with all the stress and differing opinions with her fiance. These girls and their brother are part of a large extended family. Their parents are such fun, despite all that they went through in Russia, they love each other, run a very successful restaurant. Uncles, aunts, cousins abound. They are all such a hoot.
This book kept me reading, I wanted to find out all of Toni's story, I wanted to know what the secret was that they were keeping from Dmitry. I chuckled so many times. There were moments of sadness. The love in this family just won me over. Even if they were in your face nosy and interfering at times!
Toni is the narrator, one of three sisters who have a very special bond. They began their lives in Russia in the 80's where it was dangerous for them. They were under the eye of the KGB and their large extended family were quietly escaping to the USA. While the story begins in America, every so often we go back to that time in Russia until every little horrific detail of that time is revealed. One of the mysteries that Toni holds a little part - how did their brother arrive to them one bloody night?
Toni is at a low point in her life and it takes awhile to find out all the details. She lives on a converted tugboat ( and I want one) at a dock. Surrounding her are a wonderful group of people who are a little community that really watches out for each other. Daisy - an old woman just sinking into dementia is a treat. And of course then there is the DEA agent Nick who just adores Toni.
Valerie - Toni's sister is a prosecutor and is dealing with a particularly bad case - one that threatens her. Ellie is engaged to be married but has to keep breathing into a paper bag to deal with all the stress and differing opinions with her fiance. These girls and their brother are part of a large extended family. Their parents are such fun, despite all that they went through in Russia, they love each other, run a very successful restaurant. Uncles, aunts, cousins abound. They are all such a hoot.
This book kept me reading, I wanted to find out all of Toni's story, I wanted to know what the secret was that they were keeping from Dmitry. I chuckled so many times. There were moments of sadness. The love in this family just won me over. Even if they were in your face nosy and interfering at times!
October 15, 2019
Trigger warning: References to rape
So this was just okay to me. I think the biggest reason why I couldn't give it more than 3 stars was that the whole big just got so bogged down in the Russia plot, the sister dealing with a serial killer case (yep) and then the heroine's constant repetitions to herself to keep a secret that I just didn't care in the end about any of the characters after a while. There were some bright spots, but a couple of things that happened stuck in my craw (the outing of two men via video was gross to me and it being hailed as great was not okay) and I just felt myself getting annoyed. Also too many of the characters in this book sounded similar to previous Lamb characters in "Such a Pretty Face" and "If You Could See What I See". I read this immediately after "My Very Best Friend" and felt let down.
"The Language of Sisters" follows Toni Kozlovsky. She and her family immigrated from Germany after escaping from Russia decades earlier. Toni is a crime reporter and has two sisters, Valerie and Ellie. Valerie is a prosecutor and Ellie designs pillows that are sought after. We find out that Valerie is happily married with two children. Ellie is newly engaged to a man that her family finds wanting. And Toni is dealing with a devastating loss. When Toni realizes she can't keep up with writing about crime, she seeks to get a job at a new magazine that will take about people's homes. While dealing with this Toni is fighting to not get into a relationship with one of her neighbors while also remembering her family's past in Russia and the secret she was told to keep by her parents.
Not too much to say here except I found Toni lackluster. Her romance with Nick also sucked. There was nothing there to grab onto. We hear how great he is, but since Lamb only references them sleeping together and him discussing books in a general way with her, I had nothing else to go on. The men in most of Lamb's books tend to not be very developed, and Nick was not. We also have the whole thing with Toni and her sisters able to "talk" to each other in their heads. Toni needed a lot of hand holding and help and I get that with her past everyone was trying, but I thought she needed therapy.
We have the usual eccentric characters in this one though they are all Toni's neighbors on the dock where she lives on her tugboat. And of course her family. I was able to keep the family straight for the most part. Though the twin sisters and them being hyper sexual got old quick. Same with Ellie and her need to breathe in a bag and talk to herself and her heart like a character that did something similar in "Such a Pretty Face."
The writing was okay, but the story took way too long to be told. The parts going back and forth to her family in Russia took forever to get to and then I was just bored after a while. It takes a while to get to Toni's father and grandfather being taken away and then what befalls the family after that.
The setting of Oregon was good, we have references to places or people from her other books that was nice to read about.
The ending was kind of ridiculous (sorry) with the whole serial killer case and the fallout from that. And I thought the trip back to Russia didn't seem quite realistic either, but what do I know, I have never traveled there.
So this was just okay to me. I think the biggest reason why I couldn't give it more than 3 stars was that the whole big just got so bogged down in the Russia plot, the sister dealing with a serial killer case (yep) and then the heroine's constant repetitions to herself to keep a secret that I just didn't care in the end about any of the characters after a while. There were some bright spots, but a couple of things that happened stuck in my craw (the outing of two men via video was gross to me and it being hailed as great was not okay) and I just felt myself getting annoyed. Also too many of the characters in this book sounded similar to previous Lamb characters in "Such a Pretty Face" and "If You Could See What I See". I read this immediately after "My Very Best Friend" and felt let down.
"The Language of Sisters" follows Toni Kozlovsky. She and her family immigrated from Germany after escaping from Russia decades earlier. Toni is a crime reporter and has two sisters, Valerie and Ellie. Valerie is a prosecutor and Ellie designs pillows that are sought after. We find out that Valerie is happily married with two children. Ellie is newly engaged to a man that her family finds wanting. And Toni is dealing with a devastating loss. When Toni realizes she can't keep up with writing about crime, she seeks to get a job at a new magazine that will take about people's homes. While dealing with this Toni is fighting to not get into a relationship with one of her neighbors while also remembering her family's past in Russia and the secret she was told to keep by her parents.
Not too much to say here except I found Toni lackluster. Her romance with Nick also sucked. There was nothing there to grab onto. We hear how great he is, but since Lamb only references them sleeping together and him discussing books in a general way with her, I had nothing else to go on. The men in most of Lamb's books tend to not be very developed, and Nick was not. We also have the whole thing with Toni and her sisters able to "talk" to each other in their heads. Toni needed a lot of hand holding and help and I get that with her past everyone was trying, but I thought she needed therapy.
We have the usual eccentric characters in this one though they are all Toni's neighbors on the dock where she lives on her tugboat. And of course her family. I was able to keep the family straight for the most part. Though the twin sisters and them being hyper sexual got old quick. Same with Ellie and her need to breathe in a bag and talk to herself and her heart like a character that did something similar in "Such a Pretty Face."
The writing was okay, but the story took way too long to be told. The parts going back and forth to her family in Russia took forever to get to and then I was just bored after a while. It takes a while to get to Toni's father and grandfather being taken away and then what befalls the family after that.
The setting of Oregon was good, we have references to places or people from her other books that was nice to read about.
The ending was kind of ridiculous (sorry) with the whole serial killer case and the fallout from that. And I thought the trip back to Russia didn't seem quite realistic either, but what do I know, I have never traveled there.
August 21, 2016
Honestly not quite sure how Cathy Lamb pulled off this novel. Experience may be the only answer. So many of the book's early pages are introducing her sprawling cast of characters: protagonist Toni Kozlovsky, her huge Russian-American family, and her neighbors at the docks where Toni rents a slip for the tugboat she lives on. There are subplots for most of these characters that would typically have me either creating a spreadsheet or setting the book down in exasperation. Yet the characters are so quirky, and their dilemmas concerning the safety of home and family so distinctive and relatable, that I suffered not one moment of the anxiety that a lesser author would have invoked.
While Lamb had me giggling by page 18, it was the novel's ongoing romantic tension braided with the darker undercurrent of unresolved secrets in the family's backstory in the Communist-controlled Soviet Union that kept me glued to her pages. And somehow, at the end of this 450-page book, every subplot came to a satisfying resolution. A highly entertaining and heartwarming read.
While Lamb had me giggling by page 18, it was the novel's ongoing romantic tension braided with the darker undercurrent of unresolved secrets in the family's backstory in the Communist-controlled Soviet Union that kept me glued to her pages. And somehow, at the end of this 450-page book, every subplot came to a satisfying resolution. A highly entertaining and heartwarming read.
August 15, 2016
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of Cathy's newest book. This is my honest and unsolicited review:
This is a story of the Koslovsky family, immigrants from Communist Russia. There's papa Alexei, Svetlana, mother to three daughters-Toni, Valerie and Ellie, and one son-Dimitry. It's a close knit family who love one another deeply. There are family secrets that must never be revealed. Memories that are best not discussed, but never forgotten.
Each member of the family has their own story to tell. It's in their individual stories that you learn who they really are, what they have experienced and what's ahead for them.
It's a story about enduring love of family, hope, redemption and forgiveness.
With Cathy Lamb's trademark compassion and humor, she manages to weave a memorable story about overcoming a tragic past while at the same time making you laugh out loud, a lot. I adored the amazing cast of quirky characters. Cathy Lamb has outdone herself.
This is a story of the Koslovsky family, immigrants from Communist Russia. There's papa Alexei, Svetlana, mother to three daughters-Toni, Valerie and Ellie, and one son-Dimitry. It's a close knit family who love one another deeply. There are family secrets that must never be revealed. Memories that are best not discussed, but never forgotten.
Each member of the family has their own story to tell. It's in their individual stories that you learn who they really are, what they have experienced and what's ahead for them.
It's a story about enduring love of family, hope, redemption and forgiveness.
With Cathy Lamb's trademark compassion and humor, she manages to weave a memorable story about overcoming a tragic past while at the same time making you laugh out loud, a lot. I adored the amazing cast of quirky characters. Cathy Lamb has outdone herself.
August 30, 2016
I can't remember the last time I read a book and I fell so in love with the characters in it. I cried like a baby at the end, not just because it was a marvelous ending but also because I am truly going to miss these people. They have been my friends for the past couple of days and I will miss being a part of their lives. You may think that sounds silly, but such is the power of Cathy Lamb and her brilliant words.
I grew to adore Toni. I cried with her and I giggled with her and I fell in love with her DEA agent right along with her. I also adored her sisters and her brother. And I cried so much as their story unfolded. I loved her extended family, especially her parents. They were delightful. As always Cathy Lamb writes characters that I feel like I know and I love them and I will remember them for years to come.
I feel like this is the best of all of this authors work. Absolutely one of my favorite reads this year and I highly recommend it.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this beautiful book.
I grew to adore Toni. I cried with her and I giggled with her and I fell in love with her DEA agent right along with her. I also adored her sisters and her brother. And I cried so much as their story unfolded. I loved her extended family, especially her parents. They were delightful. As always Cathy Lamb writes characters that I feel like I know and I love them and I will remember them for years to come.
I feel like this is the best of all of this authors work. Absolutely one of my favorite reads this year and I highly recommend it.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this beautiful book.
September 20, 2016
A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. What a beautiful cover!
Cathy Lamb renders another heartfelt story of family and secrets -THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS. An engrossing family saga linked by blood, marriage, and long-held secrets and special sisterly bonds.
Meet the Kozlovskys. A huge loving family. They had survived. They have endured much hardship in Moscow.
Their father barely so, their mother only through endless grit and determination-- but they are here in Oregon-a noisy family who does not talk about what happened back in Russia, twenty-five years ago.
It is best to forget. Their parents have told them many times. The things they hide. After all, they are Americans now. Could they cover their past?
Toni Kozlovsky, (Antonia) the narrator lives on a dock in a marina in Oregon with other people who live on houseboats. She has a three story yellow tugboat with red rails and trim and a red door. She wanted to live on the water and a friend of her fathers retired and moved to Miami and her she was.
She renovated and rented a slip on the dock and settled in her thousand square feet of space. She needs her space from things going on in her life. She also keeps things in her other side of the house (a shelter with a door) which locks away her past.
She is presently a crime and justice reporter. Valerie an attorney, and Ellie is engaged to an Italian. Their parents, who own "Svetlana's Kitchen" and a group of wonderful aunts, uncles and lots of cousins.
Three sisters: Toni, Valerie, and Ellie grew up in Communist Russia. The girls have a special gift of being able to hear each other in their heads. (A gift from their mother).
It may be rare, and it comes in emotionally intense times, when they are worried, scared, in danger, falling apart, or conversely when something perfect happens to all of them.
Some say they are making it up and only think they each other since they are sisters, best friends, and are in tune with each other. They know the truth.
From the Sabonis line, like genes, through their widow’s peaks. From the Romanovs, to Lenin, Stalin, Germany’s invasion, the siege of Leningrad, the Cold War, they have heard one another.
“Passed from mother to daughter. Father to son. Sisters and brothers, we hear each other. It’s a gift. It’s a curse.”
American Russians. They had lost it all. They came here worked hard, stayed sane, and they are better people for their experience. They fight, love, drink, and laugh.
A secret keeper. For twenty-five years. Can she unburden herself?
From quirky characters, good food, wine, wit, fears, laughter, secrets, siblings, friends, a blue heron, Daisy (loved her), a DEA agent, a restaurant, and Nick. There is also the adopted brother, Dmitry- he came to live with them in Moscow.
They have shared secrets and joys and it’s the language of brothers. and the language of sisters.
What a beautifully written story told with humor and compassion! You will cry and laugh. Loved the column titled “Living on a Tugboat: and the love connection. A "must read" for lovers of family sagas.
An ideal choice for book clubs and group discussions (guide included).
JDCMustReadBooks
Cathy Lamb renders another heartfelt story of family and secrets -THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS. An engrossing family saga linked by blood, marriage, and long-held secrets and special sisterly bonds.
Meet the Kozlovskys. A huge loving family. They had survived. They have endured much hardship in Moscow.
Their father barely so, their mother only through endless grit and determination-- but they are here in Oregon-a noisy family who does not talk about what happened back in Russia, twenty-five years ago.
It is best to forget. Their parents have told them many times. The things they hide. After all, they are Americans now. Could they cover their past?
Toni Kozlovsky, (Antonia) the narrator lives on a dock in a marina in Oregon with other people who live on houseboats. She has a three story yellow tugboat with red rails and trim and a red door. She wanted to live on the water and a friend of her fathers retired and moved to Miami and her she was.
She renovated and rented a slip on the dock and settled in her thousand square feet of space. She needs her space from things going on in her life. She also keeps things in her other side of the house (a shelter with a door) which locks away her past.
She is presently a crime and justice reporter. Valerie an attorney, and Ellie is engaged to an Italian. Their parents, who own "Svetlana's Kitchen" and a group of wonderful aunts, uncles and lots of cousins.
Three sisters: Toni, Valerie, and Ellie grew up in Communist Russia. The girls have a special gift of being able to hear each other in their heads. (A gift from their mother).
It may be rare, and it comes in emotionally intense times, when they are worried, scared, in danger, falling apart, or conversely when something perfect happens to all of them.
Some say they are making it up and only think they each other since they are sisters, best friends, and are in tune with each other. They know the truth.
From the Sabonis line, like genes, through their widow’s peaks. From the Romanovs, to Lenin, Stalin, Germany’s invasion, the siege of Leningrad, the Cold War, they have heard one another.
“Passed from mother to daughter. Father to son. Sisters and brothers, we hear each other. It’s a gift. It’s a curse.”
American Russians. They had lost it all. They came here worked hard, stayed sane, and they are better people for their experience. They fight, love, drink, and laugh.
A secret keeper. For twenty-five years. Can she unburden herself?
From quirky characters, good food, wine, wit, fears, laughter, secrets, siblings, friends, a blue heron, Daisy (loved her), a DEA agent, a restaurant, and Nick. There is also the adopted brother, Dmitry- he came to live with them in Moscow.
They have shared secrets and joys and it’s the language of brothers. and the language of sisters.
What a beautifully written story told with humor and compassion! You will cry and laugh. Loved the column titled “Living on a Tugboat: and the love connection. A "must read" for lovers of family sagas.
An ideal choice for book clubs and group discussions (guide included).
JDCMustReadBooks
August 30, 2016
I loved this book! I loved everything about it - the characters, the story line, the love and the wonderful sounding Russian foods that were discussed. Cathy Lamb has done it again and written a book that with characters who won't soon be forgotten. This book has a little bit of everything - mystery (what was the secret that no one was supposed to discuss?), drama (will the trial end without Valerie being hurt or killed?), love (will Toni learn to love again?), food ( what will be special be named at Svetlana's Kitchen tonight?). Most important of all it shows the love and connection between sisters and the entire Kozlovsky clan. The book made me laugh (I loved Svetlana and the food she cooked) and it made me cry (the things that happened to the family before they emigrated from Russian were difficult to read) but it was full of a fantastic family that I loved reading about and will remember long after the book is finished.
I highly recommend this book!
(Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
I highly recommend this book!
(Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
October 18, 2016
This is a book worthy of a whole weekend. I wish I would have done that--schedule nothing but me, this book, a blanket, endless spruced-up coffee, relaxing in a recliner to read Toni K's. story.
This is a long book with so many subplots, and you don't want to rush it. It will take you from laughing about Toni's mother who names dinner specials at their restaurant after what is going on in her family (or what she interprets to be going on!) The mother is vivacious, loving, and funny.
Then on the other side of the emotional read is the traumatic flashbacks to their live in the early 1980's in Moscow. Not to mention the secrets behind Toni's brother.
The author delves into so many heartfelt situations that show this group of strong sisters (who can sense what is happening to each other through their widows peak!) along with their family and friends, as they stick by each other, support each other, and persevere in some pretty tough situations.
A great, emotional read!
This is a long book with so many subplots, and you don't want to rush it. It will take you from laughing about Toni's mother who names dinner specials at their restaurant after what is going on in her family (or what she interprets to be going on!) The mother is vivacious, loving, and funny.
Then on the other side of the emotional read is the traumatic flashbacks to their live in the early 1980's in Moscow. Not to mention the secrets behind Toni's brother.
The author delves into so many heartfelt situations that show this group of strong sisters (who can sense what is happening to each other through their widows peak!) along with their family and friends, as they stick by each other, support each other, and persevere in some pretty tough situations.
A great, emotional read!
September 12, 2016
Too drawn out
How I have pondered whether or not to write this review of a book written by one of my most favorite authors. I have loved every book with Cathy Lamb's name on the jacket, but The Language of Sisters left me in a quandary. Parts of the story are incredibly powerful; other parts are too drawn out. Despite assigning only three stars, I do not consider the book to be average, but it did not live up to my high expectations.
The Kozlovsky family emigrated from the Soviet Union to Oregon twenty-five years prior to the beginning of the story, which is narrated by Antonia, one of three daughters. She and her sisters, Ellie and Valerie, share a fascinating bond. They can communicate with one another merely by thinking. Lest anyone finds this phenomenon fantastical, I had a similar connection with my sister and am a believer in the language of sisters.
The Kozlovskys lived a horrific life under the Soviet Communist regime. As non-Communist members of the intelligentsia and devout Christians, the parents were persecuted and reduced to living in unthinkable poverty. For me, the narrative from Moscow is the most powerful writing in the book. The description of a family of five, which included three young children, is straightforward yet heartbreaking. Despite the success they achieve in America as the result of back breaking work, the lives of the Kozlovskys is forever shaped by the years in Moscow.
One of my favorite characteristics about Cathy Lamb is her quirkiness. She creates immensely lovable characters in The Language of Sisters. From Antonia's home on her yellow tugboat with its red smokestack to Svetlana's restaurant menu that chronicles family events and secrets, I grew quickly fond of the large extended American-Russian family. I was reminded of a Russian restaurant in Brighton Beach, NY, an enclave of Russian immigrants. Regardless of nationality, we were all Russians to the family who owned it.
Although I loved the family and Antonia's houseboat neighbors, the story began to drag for me. The minute details of neighbor Daisy's attire were hilarious the first couple times I read them, but like other minutiae, they became repetitive enough to be annoying. The book became unnecessarily long, such that the climax of the story almost becomes lost.
It truly pains me to write a so-so review of a book written by a woman I have always felt a connection with. Perhaps my expectations were too high. That said, though, I would recommend the book. This review is clearly in the minority.
How I have pondered whether or not to write this review of a book written by one of my most favorite authors. I have loved every book with Cathy Lamb's name on the jacket, but The Language of Sisters left me in a quandary. Parts of the story are incredibly powerful; other parts are too drawn out. Despite assigning only three stars, I do not consider the book to be average, but it did not live up to my high expectations.
The Kozlovsky family emigrated from the Soviet Union to Oregon twenty-five years prior to the beginning of the story, which is narrated by Antonia, one of three daughters. She and her sisters, Ellie and Valerie, share a fascinating bond. They can communicate with one another merely by thinking. Lest anyone finds this phenomenon fantastical, I had a similar connection with my sister and am a believer in the language of sisters.
The Kozlovskys lived a horrific life under the Soviet Communist regime. As non-Communist members of the intelligentsia and devout Christians, the parents were persecuted and reduced to living in unthinkable poverty. For me, the narrative from Moscow is the most powerful writing in the book. The description of a family of five, which included three young children, is straightforward yet heartbreaking. Despite the success they achieve in America as the result of back breaking work, the lives of the Kozlovskys is forever shaped by the years in Moscow.
One of my favorite characteristics about Cathy Lamb is her quirkiness. She creates immensely lovable characters in The Language of Sisters. From Antonia's home on her yellow tugboat with its red smokestack to Svetlana's restaurant menu that chronicles family events and secrets, I grew quickly fond of the large extended American-Russian family. I was reminded of a Russian restaurant in Brighton Beach, NY, an enclave of Russian immigrants. Regardless of nationality, we were all Russians to the family who owned it.
Although I loved the family and Antonia's houseboat neighbors, the story began to drag for me. The minute details of neighbor Daisy's attire were hilarious the first couple times I read them, but like other minutiae, they became repetitive enough to be annoying. The book became unnecessarily long, such that the climax of the story almost becomes lost.
It truly pains me to write a so-so review of a book written by a woman I have always felt a connection with. Perhaps my expectations were too high. That said, though, I would recommend the book. This review is clearly in the minority.
September 17, 2016
Amazing, heartfelt story
The Language of Sisters is a beautiful, heartfelt story of sisters and families, of love and second chances, and of the glory of people coming together. It's about home; making a home or coming home; whether it's in Moscow, or Portland; whether it's on a tugboat, or an apartment, or a house in the country. You will become totally invested in all of the characters, who are as real to me as my own family. You will laugh, you will cry, but above all, you will FEEL. I absolutely love this book.
The Language of Sisters is a beautiful, heartfelt story of sisters and families, of love and second chances, and of the glory of people coming together. It's about home; making a home or coming home; whether it's in Moscow, or Portland; whether it's on a tugboat, or an apartment, or a house in the country. You will become totally invested in all of the characters, who are as real to me as my own family. You will laugh, you will cry, but above all, you will FEEL. I absolutely love this book.
August 1, 2016
An amazing story of love, friendship, secrets and second chances. You will love it!!
December 3, 2020
Cathy Lamb writes wonderful family sagas. In this one, the Kozlovsky's are a large Russian family who escaped from communist Russia, leaving in the dead of night. The parents, both highly educated professionals in Russia are now running their own restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S. This story is set in current times, when the children are all adults, but there are frequent flashbacks to their life in Russia.
All of the family are central characters in this story, but the primary figure is Antonia, one of the daughters, a very young widow, and former crime journalist. Antonia has just accepted a new position to help develop a new section for the newspaper, one featuring different homes people make for themselves. And Antonia herself lives on a tugboat, moored along a dock on the Williamette River, along with several other houseboats. Antonia has formed close friendships with her neighbors, and they are all painted with detail that make them very interesting characters, and help give this story more color and depth.
Antonia's two sisters, and her adopted brother are also important characters, and the siblings are all close, best friends and cohorts. The sisters share a special language, a manner of communication, that lends just a touch of magical realism to this story. And the family is not just this one nuclear family, but also a large extended family who have also immigrated from Russia, many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
There is so much I loved about this novel: the close relationships between the siblings, as well as between the siblings and parents, and then between the parents themselves (the mom frequently gives her daughters hints about hers and their father's very active sex life). The neighbors of Antonia are such a treat, and the love story that is imbedded within the overall story is sweet. The food served at the restaurant sounded delicious, and I felt like I would really like to live on a tugboat, or in one of the spaces Antonia visits as she writes her new column, finding people living in all kinds of unique and individualized places. Even though there is certainly predictability about where the story is going, there is also humor, and there are tears, which makes a great read.
This is my second book by Cathy Lamb, and I have loved them both. I plan to read more of her fiction.
All of the family are central characters in this story, but the primary figure is Antonia, one of the daughters, a very young widow, and former crime journalist. Antonia has just accepted a new position to help develop a new section for the newspaper, one featuring different homes people make for themselves. And Antonia herself lives on a tugboat, moored along a dock on the Williamette River, along with several other houseboats. Antonia has formed close friendships with her neighbors, and they are all painted with detail that make them very interesting characters, and help give this story more color and depth.
Antonia's two sisters, and her adopted brother are also important characters, and the siblings are all close, best friends and cohorts. The sisters share a special language, a manner of communication, that lends just a touch of magical realism to this story. And the family is not just this one nuclear family, but also a large extended family who have also immigrated from Russia, many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
There is so much I loved about this novel: the close relationships between the siblings, as well as between the siblings and parents, and then between the parents themselves (the mom frequently gives her daughters hints about hers and their father's very active sex life). The neighbors of Antonia are such a treat, and the love story that is imbedded within the overall story is sweet. The food served at the restaurant sounded delicious, and I felt like I would really like to live on a tugboat, or in one of the spaces Antonia visits as she writes her new column, finding people living in all kinds of unique and individualized places. Even though there is certainly predictability about where the story is going, there is also humor, and there are tears, which makes a great read.
This is my second book by Cathy Lamb, and I have loved them both. I plan to read more of her fiction.
January 28, 2020
I liked this one. Read my reviews of it and two other Cathy Lamb books here:
https://bookadept.com/2020/01/28/a-mi...
https://bookadept.com/2020/01/28/a-mi...
September 2, 2016
I love Cathy Lamb and her quirky writing. She has a common template: a close, crazy family; flawed characters who are challenged, learn and grow; style of some sort (clothes, shoes, lingerie); a hunky man who has to win his lady love; and some social cause/concern. At times, her writing soars; other times, I simply applaud her effort. This book was not her best. It seemed formulaic and, often, it tried too hard. There were gaps or leaps or mistakes in sections. The writing repeated itself in an irritating way. And, my Kindle version had numerous typos. Will I continue to read her books? You bet.
October 10, 2016
I am a huge fan of Cathy's! I have all her books to date and until I read this one, Henry's sisters was my favorite! Well, that has changed! This one is now my favorite! I feel in love with the Kozlovsky family! It is the type of book you are anxious to find out how it ends, but you really don't want it to ! I just finished it last night and I feel a little lost knowing I don't have this book to read today!
It is a story of several generations and the secrets and struggles they endured to survive! I can not recommend this book enough! Wish I could give it 10*! I am already looking forward to Cathy 's next book!
It is a story of several generations and the secrets and struggles they endured to survive! I can not recommend this book enough! Wish I could give it 10*! I am already looking forward to Cathy 's next book!
January 24, 2017
This was a moving story of the bonds between family -- a family whose roots start in the Soviet Union and whose path leads them to the U.S. It is a story of an educated husband and wife, trying to make a living for themselves and their three daughters in a time in Russian history that finds most in want for food, shelter and the simple amenities in life that we take for granted. Without spoiling the story, there are circumstances surrounding their need to leave Russia and thus they begin working their way to America where other family members have already fled. They take with them secrets that will follow for years to come.
Fast forward to Antonia, one of the Russian daughters, who now writes crime stories for the local newspaper, and finds herself living on a tugboat along a dock whose neighbors include an aging woman shadowed by dementia, a prostitute, a family with 2 children, two gay women and an uncover police officer. Another sister is a district attorney known for her bullheadedness in the courtroom, married with two children and another sister who finds herself constantly having to breathe in a brown paper bag to avoid hyperventilating when she thinks or talks about her impending marriage.
The sisters share a kindred spirit, secrets they swore not to tell and a special gift inherited from generations before them -- the ability to hear each other in times of danger or despair. I loved all of the bruised souls in this story -- each hiding secrets and fears. I enjoyed watching the story unfold and especially liked the "family nights" when all of the extended family gathered. It was like watching edited scenes from "My Fat Greek Wedding". The broken English segments made me laugh and watching the romance continue to spark between Mom and Dad (at the embarrassment of their daughters) was touching.
Full of humor, tears, intrigue and mystery, this story wove a thread around everyone and bound them together in a sense of devotion, commitment and compassion that is far too often absent in today's family unit.
Fast forward to Antonia, one of the Russian daughters, who now writes crime stories for the local newspaper, and finds herself living on a tugboat along a dock whose neighbors include an aging woman shadowed by dementia, a prostitute, a family with 2 children, two gay women and an uncover police officer. Another sister is a district attorney known for her bullheadedness in the courtroom, married with two children and another sister who finds herself constantly having to breathe in a brown paper bag to avoid hyperventilating when she thinks or talks about her impending marriage.
The sisters share a kindred spirit, secrets they swore not to tell and a special gift inherited from generations before them -- the ability to hear each other in times of danger or despair. I loved all of the bruised souls in this story -- each hiding secrets and fears. I enjoyed watching the story unfold and especially liked the "family nights" when all of the extended family gathered. It was like watching edited scenes from "My Fat Greek Wedding". The broken English segments made me laugh and watching the romance continue to spark between Mom and Dad (at the embarrassment of their daughters) was touching.
Full of humor, tears, intrigue and mystery, this story wove a thread around everyone and bound them together in a sense of devotion, commitment and compassion that is far too often absent in today's family unit.
September 22, 2017
The Language of Sisters by Cathy Lamb
Like the story line enough to want to read this but it's over 450 pages long.
Russian parents come to the US with their three daughters and they open a restaurant. What I like about this is although it's about a Russian family it could easily be a Portuguese one(my nationality) as there is much that upsets the mother. Oregon, what a lovely area.
One daughter wants to marry an Italian and that sets off her creating new dishes for the restaurant because she is that upset.
Antonio is asked to fix all the problems-she's a reporter/writer. Love the understanding of the language between the sisters as it's a family trait. You know when another is hurting or happy.
At times I am lost as to what era we are in as the book goes back to Russia, then to present then back to when they first arrived. So when Toni writes a resignation letter I'm not sure where we are as she goes to work for the next week. Hot romances and work situations.
Kind of funny that one sister is a lawyer and is charge of bringing those to justice and her teaches the twins about self defense and they bring it to class for show and tell and the teacher gets upset when she explains how to get out of trunk of a car if kidnapped. It is useful information...
Lots of drama and action from them all. Chapters go back in time so we can understand what happened in Russia before they came to the US. You wonder what will become of the wedding that is being planned as everybody is fighting over everything. So many secrets. X ending didn't see it ending like this.
X read but just took too long.
I received this review copy from The Kensington Books and this is my honest review
Like the story line enough to want to read this but it's over 450 pages long.
Russian parents come to the US with their three daughters and they open a restaurant. What I like about this is although it's about a Russian family it could easily be a Portuguese one(my nationality) as there is much that upsets the mother. Oregon, what a lovely area.
One daughter wants to marry an Italian and that sets off her creating new dishes for the restaurant because she is that upset.
Antonio is asked to fix all the problems-she's a reporter/writer. Love the understanding of the language between the sisters as it's a family trait. You know when another is hurting or happy.
At times I am lost as to what era we are in as the book goes back to Russia, then to present then back to when they first arrived. So when Toni writes a resignation letter I'm not sure where we are as she goes to work for the next week. Hot romances and work situations.
Kind of funny that one sister is a lawyer and is charge of bringing those to justice and her teaches the twins about self defense and they bring it to class for show and tell and the teacher gets upset when she explains how to get out of trunk of a car if kidnapped. It is useful information...
Lots of drama and action from them all. Chapters go back in time so we can understand what happened in Russia before they came to the US. You wonder what will become of the wedding that is being planned as everybody is fighting over everything. So many secrets. X ending didn't see it ending like this.
X read but just took too long.
I received this review copy from The Kensington Books and this is my honest review
August 5, 2019
Toni, a young lady who grew up in communist Russia, has a special connection with her sisters, Valeria and Ellie. They can hear each other in their head, when they really need their sisters.
Toni is a crime reporter, living on a tug boat, with a quirky group of friends and still morning the loss of her husband.
Valerie, a mom and fierce prosecuting attorney, finds herself in court and fighting against some very nasty people.
Ellie is about to marry an Italian, who her parents disapprove of and who causes her to have panic attacks.
Dimitri, the youngest brother has nightmares and remembers snippets of his past but feels like there is a deeper secret they are hiding from him.
Great book!!
Toni is a crime reporter, living on a tug boat, with a quirky group of friends and still morning the loss of her husband.
Valerie, a mom and fierce prosecuting attorney, finds herself in court and fighting against some very nasty people.
Ellie is about to marry an Italian, who her parents disapprove of and who causes her to have panic attacks.
Dimitri, the youngest brother has nightmares and remembers snippets of his past but feels like there is a deeper secret they are hiding from him.
Great book!!
June 29, 2019
Haven’t participated on Goodreads in several years but this book was good enough to draw me back in. Picked this up at B&N on clearance shelf for mindless summer reading - boy, was this a surprise! Hilarious character development ... compelling plot twists ... deep connections among family. One of the best reads I’ve had in years. Will definitely be looking up more Cathy Lamb publications. This one was too good to put down!
December 16, 2020
3.5 stars. It took a solid 200 pages for me to get into this one. Honestly I’m surprised I didn’t stop. The character development was superb and they made me laugh. Wished the ending was more solid than just tying up some loose ends. It had its ups and downs but deserved the half a star above average.
October 3, 2024
Good families
I loved this book. I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with the characters. It’s about Daisy singing songs on the dock, about Lindy and “You are toast day”. It’s about Dmitry sorting out his nightmares. It’s a love story about Toni and Marty then Toni and Nick. I really loved this book.
I loved this book. I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with the characters. It’s about Daisy singing songs on the dock, about Lindy and “You are toast day”. It’s about Dmitry sorting out his nightmares. It’s a love story about Toni and Marty then Toni and Nick. I really loved this book.
April 11, 2019
Great book! Her characters were very realistic (some might be a little exaggerated) but you got the flavor of a big family bond. The back stories of Russia and Antonia’s painful past, were very well written and very well revealed within the story.
March 30, 2020
Great story of family!
October 22, 2016
Sweet story, quirky characters. Nothing special for me...
April 23, 2017
I loved everything about this book, the characters and the storyline. I was hoping it was a series, but I don't think so. Best book I've read in a long time!!!
June 29, 2017
Skipped most of the middle; read the last 10 pages, and felt no loss.
February 26, 2024
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews