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The Sisterhood: Everything My Sisters Taught Me About Loving Women and Being One
For fans of Bryony Gordon and Dolly Alderton, The Sisterhood is an honest and hilarious book which celebrates the ways in which women connect with each other.'My five sisters are the only women I would ever kill for. And they are the only women I have ever wanted to kill.'Imagine living between the pages of Pride And Prejudice, in the Bennett household. Now, imagine how the Bennett girls as they'd be in the 21st century - looking like the Kardashian sisters, but behaving like the Simpsons. This is the house Daisy Buchanan grew up in,Daisy's memoir The Sisterhood explores what it's like to live as a modern woman by examining some examples close to home - her adored and infuriating sisters. There's Beth, the rebellious contrarian; Grace, the overachiever with a dark sense of humour; Livvy, the tough girl who secretly cries during adverts; Maddy, essentially Descartes with a beehive; and Dotty, the joker obsessed with RuPaul's Drag Race and bears. In this tender, funny and unflinchingly honest account Daisy examines her relationship with her sisters and what it's made up of - friendship, insecurity jokes, jealousy and above all, love - while celebrating the ways in which women connect with each other and finding the ways in which we're all sisters under the skin.
272 pages, Paperback
Published March 7, 2019
21 people are currently reading
1255 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 15, 2020
Being surrounded by strong women and growing up with four younger sisters, this book was poignant and moving in so many ways.
Daisy Buchanan’s anecdotes deeply resonated with me, with big sister syndrome making myself and her “an infuriatingly excellent bullshitter”, as well as being “infused with bossy benevolence”.
Daisy tell’s hilarious stories from family car journeys, tragic haircuts, to a house full of girls going through puberty, depicting the accurate tales of growing up with sisters, highlighting that “we will never run out of material.”
With me and my four sisters being at completely different stages of our lives currently, it rings true that it is “difficult to be friends with my sisters because of our differences”, however, I hope that once we are all on similar paths as adults it will be “the differences that captivate me” just like they did with Daisy.
Daisy moved me to tears with this quote that perfectly encapsulates what it is to be a sister; “Even though there have been times when I thought I hated them, periods when I’ve failed to to understand them, and conversations when I have violently disagreed with them, I adore them with a love that’s bigger than logic.”
However, you don’t have to have sisters to appreciate this book, with Buchanan noting friends that have become sisters and celebrating female relationships.
The Sisterhood is a painfully honest and heart-warming love letter to every woman in Daisy’s life, and reading it reminded me how to be a better sister, daughter and friend to all the amazing women in mine.
Daisy Buchanan’s anecdotes deeply resonated with me, with big sister syndrome making myself and her “an infuriatingly excellent bullshitter”, as well as being “infused with bossy benevolence”.
Daisy tell’s hilarious stories from family car journeys, tragic haircuts, to a house full of girls going through puberty, depicting the accurate tales of growing up with sisters, highlighting that “we will never run out of material.”
With me and my four sisters being at completely different stages of our lives currently, it rings true that it is “difficult to be friends with my sisters because of our differences”, however, I hope that once we are all on similar paths as adults it will be “the differences that captivate me” just like they did with Daisy.
Daisy moved me to tears with this quote that perfectly encapsulates what it is to be a sister; “Even though there have been times when I thought I hated them, periods when I’ve failed to to understand them, and conversations when I have violently disagreed with them, I adore them with a love that’s bigger than logic.”
However, you don’t have to have sisters to appreciate this book, with Buchanan noting friends that have become sisters and celebrating female relationships.
The Sisterhood is a painfully honest and heart-warming love letter to every woman in Daisy’s life, and reading it reminded me how to be a better sister, daughter and friend to all the amazing women in mine.
April 25, 2021
Really enjoyable and thought provoking series of essays; about feminism, sisterhood, the highs and lows of being a woman. Some bits made me surprisingly emotional and I would definitely recommend giving it a read.
April 4, 2025
This memoir explores sisterhood by looking at Daisy’s relationships with the women around her, examining the bonds whether they are from being family or otherwise.
I first read this book back in 2020, it’s one I picked up on a whim in Waterstones and whilst I loved it back then, I think I loved it even more the second time round. It’s a deeply relatable book, despite me being an only child and not having any sisters. Luckily, whilst the book is mainly about Daisy’s sisters, there’s also plenty about female friendships and how important they are. There’s also very funny anecdotes of Daisy’s childhood going into adulthood, with situations I think all of us could have related to, particularly her recollections of being a teenager. Daisy’s unflinching honesty is refreshing, she doesn’t paint a perfect picture of having sisters like literature so often does, instead she shows the ups, the downs and all that’s in between, which in turn shows just how much love she has for her sisters, flaws and all. Ultimately, it’s a book that is women celebrating women, and that’s something we should all strive to do. I would absolutely recommend.
July 25, 2020
Funny, immensely relatable, thought provoking, honest and beautifully expressive.
August 26, 2019
I was about 17 when my sister asked me if I would be a surrogate for her. Not right now. This was a hypothetical situation. My sister knew then (and she still knows) that I have no desire to give birth – it looks painful and messy and I have heard that sometimes you poop. Carla is my sister and I would do anything for her and so I agreed. Fortunately for me my sister didn’t need to call on me and my uterus and gave birth to my gorgeous niece in 2015. However, this story was mentioned because if you have sisters you know what you would do for them. Daisy Buchanan just gets it.
The Sisterhood is a celebration of the sisters we have in life. Buchanan mentions friends that become sisters and she talks in depth about real life siblings. She celebrates each of them for their individuality, she shares stories of their shared past and she shows that sometimes being a sister can be hard.
What is wonderful about this collection of essays is that Daisy Buchanan doesn’t hide behind her words. She shows aspects of her own personality that aren’t always the most desirable qualities but she needs to do that to help you understand how much you can love your sister but want to thump them in the arm until they squeal too.
It is an amazing celebration of sisterhood that can be found within these pages. Read it, love it, and then buy it for your sister for Christmas.
The Sisterhood – A Love Letter to the Women Who Have Shaped Me by Daisy Buchanan is available now.
The Sisterhood is a celebration of the sisters we have in life. Buchanan mentions friends that become sisters and she talks in depth about real life siblings. She celebrates each of them for their individuality, she shares stories of their shared past and she shows that sometimes being a sister can be hard.
What is wonderful about this collection of essays is that Daisy Buchanan doesn’t hide behind her words. She shows aspects of her own personality that aren’t always the most desirable qualities but she needs to do that to help you understand how much you can love your sister but want to thump them in the arm until they squeal too.
It is an amazing celebration of sisterhood that can be found within these pages. Read it, love it, and then buy it for your sister for Christmas.
The Sisterhood – A Love Letter to the Women Who Have Shaped Me by Daisy Buchanan is available now.
February 2, 2021
Really didn’t rate this at all.
February 4, 2022
I met Daisy Buchanan when she interviewed the Duchess of York and myself at the Henley Literary Festival last year, and liked her immediately. She is quirky, smart and funny and she has excellent tast in boots. I didn't know until afterwards that she is also the eldest of six sisters - a real life Bennet!
As the eldest of seven, I have three sisters, so Daisy's love letter to her own sisters instantly appealed to me. So much of what she says resonates. So much of what she writes I’ve experienced, but never really thought too much about. No-one can hurt you like a sister, or love you – or do both at the same time! And no-one but a big sister understands what that means, the need to always know what to do, the need to be the one to be consulted, to dispense sage advice, and the scars we bear of always having been the first, growing up, to bend and break the rules, making it much easier for the rest of them to follow suit!
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed at having such a big family, and mortified when we were compared (as we often were) to the Von Trapps. Now I realise how fortunate I am. During the pandemic, my mum, sisters and I all missed dreadfully our various outings, and we all took to sending each other mementos - postcards of favourite days out, little things to remind us that we'd be together again soon. When we were growing up, we couldn't wait to be apart. This book encapsulates so much of what I felt and do feel. I didn't need reminding of what I have, but this made me understand more of why it means so much too me.
As the eldest of seven, I have three sisters, so Daisy's love letter to her own sisters instantly appealed to me. So much of what she says resonates. So much of what she writes I’ve experienced, but never really thought too much about. No-one can hurt you like a sister, or love you – or do both at the same time! And no-one but a big sister understands what that means, the need to always know what to do, the need to be the one to be consulted, to dispense sage advice, and the scars we bear of always having been the first, growing up, to bend and break the rules, making it much easier for the rest of them to follow suit!
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed at having such a big family, and mortified when we were compared (as we often were) to the Von Trapps. Now I realise how fortunate I am. During the pandemic, my mum, sisters and I all missed dreadfully our various outings, and we all took to sending each other mementos - postcards of favourite days out, little things to remind us that we'd be together again soon. When we were growing up, we couldn't wait to be apart. This book encapsulates so much of what I felt and do feel. I didn't need reminding of what I have, but this made me understand more of why it means so much too me.
April 1, 2019
Painfully honest, laugh-out-loud funny and also very moving in places, this entertaining account of growing up as the eldest of six sisters is more than just a love letter to (a quite posh and very eccentric) family. It's really about a much wider sisterhood, about women, our support for each other but also and the ways in which we treat each other badly. And how we sometimes act even more unkindly towards ourselves.
October 25, 2023
Favourite quotes:
‘For me, the solace of sisterhood is finding a space where we can stop performing. We don’t need to try to be cute, or girly or delicate. It doesn’t matter if a sister is biological or simply logical, she’s a person who makes you feel like the woman you are, not the woman you feel you should pretend to be. While we’ll always hold back parts of ourselves and share others by degrees, I know that when I’m with my sisters I’m not the best version of myself, but the truest.’
‘For me, the solace of sisterhood is finding a space where we can stop performing. We don’t need to try to be cute, or girly or delicate. It doesn’t matter if a sister is biological or simply logical, she’s a person who makes you feel like the woman you are, not the woman you feel you should pretend to be. While we’ll always hold back parts of ourselves and share others by degrees, I know that when I’m with my sisters I’m not the best version of myself, but the truest.’
June 6, 2019
Hilarious, heartwarming and inspiring. I don’t have sisters, but this book made me think differently about the relationships with my friends, colleagues, girlfriend and brother.
A must read for anyone who feels a little lost, or ever feels tensions in their friendships and family relationships. Thanks Daisy for sharing your honest stories.
A must read for anyone who feels a little lost, or ever feels tensions in their friendships and family relationships. Thanks Daisy for sharing your honest stories.
August 15, 2022
This took me forever to read because of the memoir/essay format. HOWEVER… every time I picked it up I was constantly annotating it, laughing out loud, crying, and texting my sisters quotes. Maybe it’s because I too am the eldest of many sisters- but this book really resonated with me. Loved it! 🙌🏼🥹🤣
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July 31, 2024Loved this. Immediately re-read passages because they so wonderfully articulate the beauty and complexities of sisterhood (biological & chosen). There’s self-deprecating humour; raw, relatable and moving confessions; tributes written with fierce love and sensitive and sound advice - reminding us to be a sister to ourselves, too.
March 11, 2025
1.75 ⭐️ This book put me in a reading SLUMP! I’m proud I finished it and that it wasn’t my first DNF of the year. I don’t know whether it’s because I don’t have sisters, so the majority of the book was unrelatable and quite boring for me. The references to feminism and the impact of friendships were okay but quite surface level & repetitive. Overall meh for me
April 13, 2019
I really loved reading this book. It was so honest, funny, and quite moving. Being the eldest of three sisters, there were a few things I could relate to as I was reading it. This book is a great guide about women and how to advise each other in certain situations.
August 4, 2019
This book is a great read for any woman with sisters or female friends. It helped me reflect on those relationships and realise how valuable they are, even when we don’t always get along perfectly. It was funny, heartwarming and exactly what I needed right now.
July 20, 2020
Heart-warming and hilarious. I laughed and I cried!!! Loved Daisy's honesty and the narrative helped me to reflect on my relationships and friendships. It's reassuring to know that we're not alone. With each turning page, I grew fonder of the book. Thank you for sharing Daisy!
May 29, 2024
This book does contain some sensitive/triggering subjects: eating disorders, depression, body image.
I loved this book, it was a warm hug. I cried, I laughed out loud, it gave me an even bigger love for my big sister who can be a little sister sometimes. I have always looked up to mine and this book gave me a better understanding of her thoughts and feelings of being guidance and advice and cheerleader all in one.
If you have siblings sisters or best friends I would recommend this book and even if you don’t have siblings or close girl friends I’d still recommend it. It’s so damn good!!
February 4, 2019
Even though I don't have any sisters this was just a wonderful read- found myself laughing so many times!
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October 6, 2019I don't have sisters, but a lot of this was very familiar to me from the stories of my mother and aunts. A comforting, funny book, like having a good gossip with a friend.
March 19, 2020
This was such a gorgeous, funny account of sisterhood and all that comes with it.
May 16, 2020
This is a great book about sisterhood, feminism, friendship and love 💕 funny and insightful, loved it!
July 2, 2020
I absolutely loved this book! So poignant and real. Very uplifting, authentic and shares the love. Must read for any women!
June 24, 2021
A cute read.
March 28, 2023
This book was okay, a little bit lacking I though but I enjoyed it
October 4, 2024
i believe this should be a mandatory read for any young woman
October 24, 2025
Had some laughs. I love the messages she sent as a woman, and I could relate. I love how I could feel the author’s affection and respect for her sisters and their uniqueness.
July 30, 2022
This book just wasn’t very interesting, and it wasn’t as funny as it thought it was. Her family wasn’t objectively that interesting, nor were the wider political or social points about sisterhood in general that were shoehorned in. There were a couple of nice lines or moments, but overall a bit of a drag.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews