Sisters

by Rachelle M.N. Shaw

When tragedy strikes in the lives of two young girls, claiming the life of their father, envy takes hold. Childhood memories fade, and spite replaces the once immovable bond between Matilda and her sister, Charlotte, as the years go by. One settles for a traditional life with her husband and kids, burying the punishment and shame of her past, while the other cultivates a career set in the early days of feminism, pursuing work as a nurse during the birth of World War II.

Both spend their days reveling in a facade of happiness. But after reality strips away their youth and they face the onset of another era, tainted wounds still mark their hearts. Are family ties enough to overcome life's arduous trials?

ebook

First published June 26, 2017

About the author

An avid reader who has an incurable need to research everything she comes across, Rachelle is an author of young adult, paranormal, horror, and women's fiction books. She currently works as an independent editor and author while being a full-time mom to her kids and a variety-pack clowder of persnickety cats. When she’s not writing, blogging, or working on her podcast, you can catch her baking or volunteering for her community.

Reviews

[Marcia Carrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

On first impression, this is a short story where nothing seems to happen, but, in retrospect, this is one of the secrets, and qualities, that makes it work so well. A touching, well-observed exploration of two sisters through the years that says what it does in its brief but affecting manner, ending on a natural, casual note without any unnecessary melodrama.

[ella ☆ any pronouns · Rating 2 out of 5]

i am very surprised at what shaw was able to pack into such a tiny little thing. the emotional impact this short story had on me is insane, i am truly in love with how powerful the writing is. shaw literally blew me out of the water with how creative, yet raw she can be. i haven't been introduced to shaw before reading this, but i would love to check out some of her other work after being so shocked (in a pleasant way, of course) at what she was able to do with this one.

keeping all of the above in mind, i felt like this NEEDED to be longer. it felt so... unnatural, for lack of a better word, and as someone who cares a thousand times more about having strong, developed characters and relationships, i did NOT see a connection between the sisters that i was hoping for. i know, i know, the whole part of a short story is to be well, short. concise, yet intriguing to hook in the reader and keep them interested for the short time you have them, but i don't know, it was unsettling for me.

i will admit, everything i stated in the first paragraph is true, of course, we all know i'm brutally honest and will never lie in a review no matter how scattered and incoherent my thoughts may be otherwise, but the bad was so bad that it outweighed the good. i wanted to give this read five stars, i truly did, and i thought i was going to, but the more i got into it, the more i realized it didn't deserve it then BAM! just like that, it was over.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because this specific genre isn’t my cup of tea, I found this piece to be weaker than some of Shaw’s previous works.

Don’t get me wrong: the characters are lively. They have strong personalities and I especially love their likability, both as a unit and as individuals.

However, I really failed to see much of a conflict in the story. The summary paints for the reader this idea of jealousy and a ruined relationship that requires mending even after all these years, but from how the story is laid out, it sounds like the the conflict has already been resolved.

Families fight. Families suffer. They hurt and they hold onto that hurt. Shaw does a wonderful job at giving us peeks into the relationships the sisters have with others — but I found there was a lack of exploration between the sisters themselves.

There were plenty of parallels between the time periods, but as far as growth and development and fixing the broken pieces? I didn’t see where the summary and the execution of the work lined up.

[Emily Portman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this is a short story, it felt just as involving as some full sized novels I’ve read! Such beautiful, almost delicate words flowed onto each page, and this story has been an absolute delight to experience. Just by reading the few pages of this book, I’m determined to read more by this author, no matter how emotional this one made me! A short review for a short story, but it’s definitely a story that should be experienced by all.

I’m currently reading a bigger novel, and this story was a nice little break to read after work! It relieved a bit of stress and even though there was a little bit of sadness within its pages, I still found it to be particularly uplifting overall. This was such a lovely short story, and I’m confident many others will enjoy this short read as much as I did!

You can see my full review over on my blog: https://aquintillionwords.com/2020/07...

[Danielle Million]

This quick read was both mysterious and beautiful! Not only did it show the evolution of a sisterly relationship, but it brought about a family aspect that is often overlooked in modern books. The author does an incredible job of bringing so many elements to life in such a short amount of time. My only wish is that I had more to read about these sisters, who seem to have been through so much together and apart.

[Eric Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story must read.

The beauty of a short story is the word economy. They are written for impact, and one misplaced word can lose your reader. Sisters gets it right, and is captivating.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short but with a deep emotional punch. I could have easily read triple the pages on these sisters.