Het lied van zussen

by Louise Allan, Roeleke Meijer-Muilwijk (Translator)

Het lied van de zussen van Louise Allan is een roman over muziek, moederschap en dromen, en de onverbrekelijke band tussen zussen.

De gelukkige kindertijd van Nora en haar zusje Ida eindigt abrupt als hun vader overlijdt. De meisjes trekken in bij hun grootmoeder, die Nora aanmoedigt haar muzikale talent te ontwikkelen. Ida gaat als kindermeisje werken, hartstochtelijk verlangend naar een eigen gezin.

Als Nora’s droom in duigen valt, komt ze met haar gezin man en kinderen dichtbij haar zus wonen, teleurgesteld en verbitterd. Ida, die waarschijnlijk nooit moeder zal worden, moet aanzien hoe Nora alles lijkt te hebben wat het leven de moeite waard maakt – maar er niets om geeft.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Australia, Fiction, Book Club, Historical

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2018

About the author

Louise's first novel, ‘The Sisters’ Song' (A&U 2018) won the 2018 Tina Kane Emergent Writer Award. Prior to publication, it was shortlisted for the City of Fremantle—TAG Hungerford Award and awarded a Varuna Residential Fellowship. She was the Katharine Susannah Prichard Scholarship Writer in Residence in 2019.

Louise grew up in Tasmania, Australia, and her first career was as a doctor. She is now a full-time writer and mentor.

Louise also enjoys swimming, music, reading and nature. She lives in Western Australia with her family and two dogs.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was 1927 in a sleepy country town in Tasmania, and sisters Ida and Nora were completely different - Ida was the mischievous one or the "bad girl" while Nora did everything that was asked of her, even as a small child. Ida was the eldest and cared for Nora, loved her and cuddled her when she was upset. Their family life was happy - Mum, Dad and the two girls. But then their father died and their mother didn't cope - life as the girls knew it changed dramatically.

The girls went to live with their grandmother who nurtured and encouraged Nora's love of music; her gift of song. But when their mother joined them, she was a negative influence on the musical ability of her youngest daughter. When Nora was old enough, she ran away, determined to follow her musical dream...

At twenty Ida married Len, happy and content with a husband who loved her, her home and a garden to cherish and hopeful of children to bless their family. Then Nora returned unexpectedly; Ida was so happy to see her but Nora's life had changed and she was an unhappy and angry young woman.

With Ida desperate to become a mother, she was the best Aunty to Nora's children that she could be. But heartache dogged the girls in one way or another...

The Sisters' Song by Aussie author Louise Allan is an absolutely amazing debut novel - heartbreaking and sad, poignant and loving - the story of two sisters who both knew what it was like to lose something they wanted so desperately. The bond of sisterhood shone through and although at times it was a rocky path, their love remained. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin AU for my ARC to read and review.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
A true labour of love and years in the making, the assured debut novel from Louise Allan, The Sisters’ Song, is a commanding tale set in the beautiful surrounds of Tasmania. The Sisters’ Song carefully and comprehensively chronicles the lives of Ida and Nora, who are sisters yet disparate individuals. Louise Allan is a cultivated voice to emerge in the Australian fiction field with her pensive historical fiction offering. The emotional pull of The Sisters’ Song is strong and I felt from the very beginning, to the close of the novel that I completely inhabited every aspect of life I shared with Ida and Nora.

The Sisters’ Song introduces two memorable figures, Ida and Nora, sisters living in Tasmania. In the year 1926, Ida and Nora’s lives take a dramatic change when their beloved father dies. With their mother emotionally distraught, the girls are shipped off to their grandmother. It is a positive change for the two young girls, as Nora’s aptitude for music and song is able to flourish under the guidance of their grandmother. Meanwhile, Ida branches out and a career as a nanny beckons. Eventually, the two sisters go their separate ways, following their own hopes and dreams of careers, love and family. Some years later, the sisters reconnect when Nora is found in the heart of the Tasmanian bush, married and with a newborn to care for. It seems all Nora’s dreams have fallen in a heap and it is up to big sister Ida to rescue Nora, before she falls into further despair. What follows is the powerful story, spanning decades, as Ida and Nora both attempt to come to grips with a life neither envisioned for themselves.

I have been looking forward to the release of The Sisters’ Song for some time, as I have closely followed debut novelist Louise Allan on her heartfelt journey from medical practitioner and mother, to a writer. I am so glad she made this career transition, as the result of her efforts in the historical fiction field is simply marvellous. Allan’s first novel, The Sisters’ Song, lived up to its premise of ‘read it, love it’. Definitely take my word for it, The Sister’s Song is a truly impeccable piece of literature, which I believe will leave its stain on the Australian historical fiction genre.

The initial appeal of The Sisters’ Song for me personally was the setting. I fell in love with Tasmania after I visited the state in 2010. Allan took me to the echoes of yesteryear, in one of my favourite parts of our country. She conveys the natural beauty and wilds of the Tasmanian bush, the mountains, as well as the tranquility of this part of the world. As this is a book that spans over 70 years, opening in 1926, Allan has worked hard to ensure her period detail is precise and evocative. There is no faulting Allan’s level of historical research, which has culminated in the production of a very authentic tale.

Sisterhood and the bonds of family are the overarching themes of this debut novel. For those who do not have firsthand experience in the unique sibling relationship between sisters (like me), Allan helps the reader to better understand the bond sisters share. This includes the positive and negative feelings experienced by sisters, such as the affinity sisters share, the unconditional bond, the desire to help when the other is in need, envy, jealously and sense of protection. Over the course of the unfolding story, we witness the growth and change in the sisterly relationship between Ida and Nora. It is an emotionally heartfelt exploration into sisterhood. Impressively, Allan also explores the complex relations between husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, grandparents and their grandchildren, as well as aunts and their nieces/nephews. It is a real family affair in The Sisters’ Song.

Another pressing theme that I took away from reading this novel was the way in which Allan drew the reader’s attention to the inability the women in this novel faced, mostly Nora, in aligning personal dreams with family responsibilities. It is an age old issue that has as much relevance today, as in the past. Allan brings this issue to our attention through the events in The Sisters’ Song and I believe this important theme was explored extremely well by the author.

Rounding off The Sisters’ Song are a number of features that added to the appeal of this novel. These key features include a strong emphasis on music, through the aspirations of Nora and eventually her own daughter’s hopes. Then there is Ida’s passion for tending to her gardens, which comes as a therapeutic means to overcome her grief. Photography also has a significant place in The Sisters’ Song. This holds further meaning for the book when the author revealed that the idea for this novel was inspired by her own ancestry and family photographs. It certainly gives the book another fabulous and very personal layer. Readers will be interested to know that the character of Ida is inspired by Allan’s own grandmother, who sadly suffered three miscarriages before she successfully brought two sons into the world. This personal history is closely aligned to Ida’s experiences in The Sisters’ Song and it gives the novel further depth.

When I reached the conclusion of The Sisters’ Song, I felt I had fully experienced every single page contained in this novel, which is rare for a speed reader such as myself! I felt uplifted by the book’s lasting message, which offers a poignant commentary on sisterhood.

Louise Allan serves up a fine contribution to the Australian historical fiction genre, with her heartfelt rendition to the bonds of sisters and the circle of life. The Sisters’ Song is an outstanding debut and one book that without a doubt lived up to my expectations and more!

*I wish to thank Louise Allan and Allen & Unwin for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts back in Tasmania in 1926. When her husband dies, Alice in her grief turns inward. She takes to her room and basically leaves her two girls Nora and Ida to fend for themselves. After a time they move in with their grandmother, who encourages Nora with her singing and musical talents. Nora wants to make singing her career but her mother does al she can to prevent it. Till eventually Nora leaves. But Nora’s life takes an unexpected turn. Ida meanwhile wants nothing more than to marry and have a family. She marries Len but it seems motherhood for her it is not destined to be the reality. Over the years both women find their lives do not work out as they initially planned. Choices made and circumstances affect not only them but the choices of others in the family.
This is a debut novel but you would never know it. It has an assured and authentic feel. The story, the setting and the characters sucked me in completely. I have never been to Tasmania, but thanks to the description feel I could visualise it all. I loved Ida and Len, felt sorry for Alf and the family of children who suffer. Alice I disliked from the start and Nora I came to dislike as well, mainly because of the suffering she brought about for others. But her sister Ida, even when she doesn’t agree with Nora and what she is doing, never ceases to love her. The story does raise a lot of issues about the way the expectations and rights of women have changed over the years.
There are some heartbreaking moments in this story and that results in anger and tears at times. Even when I didn’t like them or agree with what they are doing, the characters are so realistically portrayed I could not help but feel I was right there with them. This book is definitely worth reading. It will be very interesting to see what this author writes next.

[Kali Napier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, it's taken a day since I finished reading this, but I think I have my feelings and thoughts under control now. Louise Allan's debut novel affected me so deeply, at first as a reader, with tears streaming down my face from chapter three, wetting the pages, afraid of ruining the type. Then, as a writer -- feelings which I'm still trying to cope with, as my writing seems so inadequate compared with Louise's. She has said before that her language is simple, but the language of this story of two sisters, Ida and Nora, and the elastic bonds between them as they endure family heartache, the loss of dreams, shame, and despair and sheer devastation, from childhood through adulthood, is not simple. There is an economy of words, with each bearing tremendous emotional weight. My heart muscle was wrung out by the end of this story. There are beautiful moments of connection between family members, husbands and wives, and friends. Brief moments of intense feeling and passion. But these women are of a previous era when dreams were actively discouraged, often thwarted, and broke apart with tragic consequences. I particularly resonated with Louise's author note where she talks of the influence of The Yellow Wallpaper. Far too often, women had to put aside, to bite down, and to hide their passion, for fear of being committed to mental health facilities. Instead, they were confined to narrow patriarchally defined gender roles around motherhood. Such a great read, and thoroughly recommended.

[Natasha Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't felt so affected by a book in such a long time. The relationship between the sisters is complicated, tricky, difficult, sad but ultimately beautiful and I know Nora and Ida will stay with me for a long time. There really is nothing better than a book that makes you think about life and love and the things that matter. I'm lucky enough to be launching the book soon and I truly can't wait to send it out into the world with all my best wishes. Highly recommended.

[Louise]

I've read this book a few times, and I think it's pretty good. :-)

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Themes of motherhood and family obligation play out against a background of musical passion and thwarted dreams in this exquisite debut novel by Western Australian author, Louise Allan. The Sisters’ Song follows the lives of two sisters from childhood through to their twilight years, both of them living lives vastly different to what they had ever hoped for.



The Sisters’ Song is a character driven narrative, told exclusively from the perspective of Ida, the elder sister. It’s testimony to the skill Louise has as a writer that this story was so perfectly balanced, despite us only ever walking in Ida’s shoes. Ida is a faithful narrator, neither demonising others nor martyring herself. Her introspection is frank and often heartbreaking and her interpretation of the motivations of others is always tempered by her inclination to give those she loves the benefit of the doubt. In short, Ida is a beautiful character. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the story from her perspective. Set against Nora, it’s easy to recognise Ida from the outset as the more deserving sister.



Motherhood is the sun that everything else orbits around in this novel:

“It was dawning on me that not all women were built for childrearing, even if they’d been built for childbearing.”

The irony of a woman who desperately wants children but can’t have them, yet has to watch someone who doesn’t want them have them one after the other, is not a new concept to explore. Yet Louise does so with finesse in The Sisters’ Song. It’s safe to say without spoiling the novel that Nora is an abominable mother, even worse than her own was. Her actions at times were shockingly senseless and she dragged herself through life bitterly resenting her lost opportunities and openly blaming her husband and children for her own poor judgement. There are serious repercussions from Nora’s behaviour, on more than one occasion, but she remains a woman entirely self absorbed with little empathy and scant redemption. I felt this added a layer of authenticity to the story that might have otherwise been challenged if Nora had been less despicable. Sometimes, in life, there are people who are born with a selfish nature; they live out their lives in a selfish manner and die without redemption. Louise has done a stellar job at articulating this. There are indeed reasons that explain Nora’s initial inclinations, but they don’t excuse her behaviour nor warrant the ongoing extent of her destruction.



With Ida, Louise has created the perfect offset to Nora. By no means perfect, Ida is a woman who acts at all times with dignity and honour. She is fiercely loyal, even when that loyalty is not deserved, nor reciprocated. But we see, as the story progresses, just how appreciated Ida is by those who love her and I adored this aspect of the story. Through Ida, Louise shows how consistent kindness and everlasting love can outweigh the biological attachments a child has with its mother. You don’t need to give birth to a child in order to mother them, to be their safe harbour. Novels that explore ideas of motherhood can be tricky little minefields but if crafted well, they can do much to dispel the myth that all women are natural mothers. The Sisters’ Song demonstrates that oftentimes women can be propelled into motherhood against their wishes and instead of falling into the role naturally, they instead have to fight against their instincts to run away. For those women who do have a natural inclination towards being a mother, accepting that all women don’t feel the same way as them is often times too much of a challenge, so a barrier forms, another way that women end up dividing and pitting themselves against each other instead of universally accepting and supporting each other as a community. Mothers can be judgmental creatures, experts within their own right, casting aspersions on women who don’t have children as well as on those who do but don’t necessarily do it well. And what of the mother who has lost her children? Where does she fall into all of this? With two sisters, Louise has explored all of these themes and more, weaving it all through the story in a way that will have you contemplating more than just the two sisters at hand.



Both the setting and the era were richly recreated within the novel. A myriad of little details that gave you a solid sense of time and place. Louise has a sophisticated edge to her narrative that makes for a truly pleasurable reading experience:

“The rain ebbed away and there was no sound except for the crackle of the fire and the gurgle of the stormwater running down the pipes. Then the birdsong came, and the night was wrapped in light, and it was gone.”

Not overly lyrical throughout, but enough to give you a greater appreciation of the story. The supporting characters were all well established and unique. I particularly liked both of the husbands, Len and Alf, two solidly reliable men. They both acted with honour throughout their married lives, and while my heart broke at what Alf endured married to Nora, he still kept on, a devoted husband despite living in a permanent state of bewilderment. Len was a particularly understanding man. His unwavering love for Ida was never more demonstrated than in his acceptance of her insistence that she look after her mother and her sister’s family. I think it’s fair to consider music as a character within this novel. Indeed, it was a physical presence in both Nora’s and her grandmother’s life and in Ida’s by association. Music was something Ida resented though; as a child, her lack of aptitude and talent giving her reason to turn away from the pleasure of even listening. I loved watching Ida reconnect with music on her own terms and then later, witnessing her connection to Nora through music, despite not being able to create it herself.



There is just so much I could continue to say about The Sisters’ Song. It’s an exquisitely moving novel. When I wasn’t weeping, I was busy trying not to weep. But I don’t want to imply that it’s a sad story; on the contrary, there are moments of joy and celebration throughout. It’s deeply poignant though, and gives the reader much opportunity for reflection, which in turn leads to highly emotional encounters. What an achievement for a debut author. Congratulations must be extended to Louise Allan because she’s excelled at crafting a finely tuned and highly engaging novel that captures a slice of our Australian history to perfection.



Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Sisters’ Song for review.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a good book that is centred around Australian life and this was not a disappointment to me. I really enjoyed reading this book.

A story of family and one we can all relate to I'm sure. Tragedy, life circumstances, and lives that separate and then entwine again later in life. Sisters whose lives go in different directions only to come full circle and once again one sister looks after the other as life goes on around them.

Sisterhood, family, careers, love, children. This book has it all and will not disappoint. It is well worth the read.

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sister’s Song (Allen & Unwin Books 2018), the debut novel for Louise Allan, is an historical fiction tale about the strength of family, the friendship of sisters, and the dichotomy of parenthood (and more particularly, motherhood) – what we gain and what we sacrifice. Opening in the early 1920’s and spanning the next 70 years, the story introduces us to sisters Ida and Nora, very different in character and disposition, but alike in that neither gets the life they desire.
Their father dies at a young age and the girls’ mother raises them in an often strained atmosphere. They live with their paternal grandmother, who encourages Nora’s musical talent – her piano playing and her beautiful singing voice. Ida is a nanny and dreams of having a husband and family – her own children – one day. But life doesn’t go according to plan, and the sisters find themselves each in situations that they would not have chosen, each with shattered dreams and dashed hopes, each living day-to-day in an existence far from what they had planned. Each sister believes the other has everything that matters; each feels their own life has been small and paltry because of what is missing.
The story is set in rural Tasmania, and the evocation of place is rich and detailed. The intervening years between the beginning and the conclusion of the novel cover such a lot of time, and yet the author manages the pace well by choosing particular moments or events to explore in great detail, while passing over some years with barely a glance. She has clearly done her research into times past, and the historical aspects seem authentic.
Music is a consistent theme in the novel, representing love, ambition and piety. The ways in which music strengthens bonds and connects people, and the lengths some will go to in pursuit of musical achievement, provide threads throughout the story that stitch it together.
This is a gentle, meandering tale that reads almost like a fictional biography; Ida and Nora seem very real, especially Ida, who narrates in the first person. Fans of Ashley Hay, Kali Napier and Natasha Lester will enjoy the portrayal of strong women and the obstacles they face. For that is the real beating heart of the story: the age-old conflict of years gone by, of women wanting one thing and being forced to make do with another. Women who desired love and passion but settled for stability and commitment; bright women who wanted to use their skills and knowledge in jobs of their choosing but who had to put up with tending the hearth and home; women who secretly chased their artistic passions while publicly hiding their dreams; and women before the days of IVF who desperately sought to birth babies and raise children but who were unable to do so. This story is set during a time when pregnancy and children often arrived unexpectedly and unplanned, and were consequently viewed as either a blessing and a joy, or a curse and an inconvenience, when choices were limited and options were few.
The men, too, are constrained by society’s expectations of them as breadwinners and steady, reliable sorts that won’t become ‘hysterical’ or unmoored by life’s tragedies; sometimes the men’s suffering is just as keen, if perhaps differently expressed, than the women’s.
The Sisters’ Song is an exploration of the relationships not only between sisters, and between siblings, but between parents (both mothers and fathers) and their children, and it also captures the bonds between other extended family members – aunts and uncles, grandmothers – which sometimes replace primary nuclear relationships because of difficult circumstances or fraught emotions.
This is a lovely story, told in a tender and compassionate voice, with much empathy for all of the characters, even those who act in a way with which we might disagree. This novel would make a lovely gift for a mother, aunt, daughter or – of course – a sister.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family relationships can be complicated at the best of times, but the death of a beloved husband and father plummets Alice, a young wife and mother, into a deep depression that has painful consequences for her daughters, Ida and Nora. History repeats when Nora inadvertently becomes a mother herself. No longer able to pursue her dream of singing professionally, Nora becomes miserable and resentful of her new life, and relies on Ida to help raise her children. Ida, on the other hand, wants children more than anything, but multiple miscarriages makes this impossible. Over the span of seventy years, tragic family patterns become apparent. Ultimately however, the cycle is broken by Ida’s niece, Grace. A young, strong-minded woman, she is determined to follow her dream rather than adhere to family pressure and societal expectations.

The Sisters’ Song (a debut novel for author, Louise Allan) is fictional – written in the style of a memoir from Ida’s point of view. Events and emotions are captured and described so honestly and authentically that I was hooked instantly, and totally bought into Ida’s story. Ida’s thoughts and insecurities during the difficult years following her father’s death and mother’s decline broke my heart. She tries constantly to be a good girl, but is always missing the mark. Her self doubt and negative self-talk lead her to believe she doesn’t have a brain for learning – all the while watching Nora’s gift for piano and singing blossom.

While Ida is constantly getting into trouble, Nora comes across as a ‘goody-two-shoes’. But this feels more like a survival instinct (avoiding the worst of their mother’s cruel taunts and punishments) than an annoying personality trait, and is possibly also a result of having her talent nurtured and self-worth reinforced. The nurturing of Nora’s gift by their grandmother (who had to give up on her own dreams) drives a wedge between the sisters, and I emphasised deeply with Ida when she said, ‘I couldn’t make music, I only made noise’.

Ida’s gift is that she is considerate, forgiving and level-headed. Attributes that are fostered when she takes a job as a nanny for the Godfrey-Smiths – one of my favourite parts of the novel. Ida is treasured by the Godfrey-Smiths, and re-lives her interrupted childhood by caring for their young girls. They encourage her to listen to beautiful music and from this, she is able to fully embrace Nora’s talent.

The characterisation throughout the novel is strong and continues to develop right to the end. I particularly liked the character arc of the grandmother, who initially comes across as prim and proper (never to be seen in a nightdress). She softens and becomes more youthful in the presence of Ida and Nora and understands what it’s like to give up something you love. Unlike their mother, she ‘gets’ the young girls. She instills a love of gardening in Ida, growing tiny plants from seed, explaining to Ida that, ‘They need nurturing until they can survive on their own. Just like children.’

The girls’ mother, Alice, is a complex character. You can’t help but sympathise with her mental health issues, especially in an era where there was little understanding of, or tolerance for, depression, and the phrase ‘positive parenting’ was unheard of. Having said that, her behaviour still managed to make me angry at times.

The men central to the story are depicted as good, decent blokes, providing a positive balance to the turbulence of the women’s hardships. Alf and Len brought me to tears more than once – sad scenes written so beautifully and sympathetically that I found myself reaching for the Kleenex.

The book tackles some deep themes, which despite the bygone era it is set in, are still relevant today. Mental health, post-natal depression, child abuse and ‘tough parenting’, repetition of family patterns, and the pressure to give up on dreams are universal topics that continue to devastate individuals and families. At the novel’s heart is family – the one that Ida and Nola are born into, those created by marriage, and those by chance – like the Godfrey-Smiths, raising a pertinent question. Why is it that a woman’s expected role in life is to have children? By exploring what can go wrong when women are coerced or forced into marriage and motherhood, the author deftly makes a point that motherhood is not for everyone. Not having babies, or being unable to care for them, does not make anyone any less of a woman. Some may see Grace’s actions at the end of the novel as selfish, but I think she is a brave woman, unwilling to repeat mistakes of the past, and hopeful for her own future.

For all the heartbreak and sadness in the novel, there is much light. The music woven throughout the book is sublime, and Ida’s reaction to newfangled technology (telephones, television and vacuum cleaners) made me smile. The Godfrey-Smiths were a delight, and Ida’s forgiveness and kindness is inspiring. Beautifully written, with energy flowing strongly in pivotal scenes, the story culminates in an uplifting ending. Ida’s life is brought full-circle, and she is left a very happy woman.

Authentic, engaging and melodious, I loved The Sister’s Song. It celebrates the best and worst of family relationships and I can’t wait to read more from the author, Louise Allan.


More of my reviews can be found at mariemclean.com

[Kirsty Dummin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely heartbreaking, but so beautifully written.

I was immersed in Ida and Nora’s world so thoroughly and could feel the unfairness of life’s journey for them both.

I particularly enjoyed the fullness of the story. Every character was written with a uniqueness that made them real and each of their stories, troubles and achievements were considered. Nothing felt unfinished and in the end, the most beautiful thing of this book is how closely it resembles the lives of ordinary people.

This book is a triumph of family, love and bonds that simply can’t be broken, no matter what seems to stand in the way.

I cannot wait to read more from Louise Allan.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The Sisters’ Song by Louise Allan is a heartbreaking tale centred around two sisters, Ida and Nora.

Although the writing is exquisite and the description of the Tasmanian bush and the township of Ben Craeg is stunning the story is depressing and left me sobbing and blurry eyed at the end of the book. Most of the characters were pretty darn selfish and the constant negative attitudes had me just about pulling my hair out. Nora’s actions were inexcusable, she had a loving sister that would have done anything for her, sadly Nora’s selfishness wouldn’t allow her to see past her own needs and wants.

However, The Sisters’ Song receives four and a half stars due to the writing, as I said above, it’s exquisite and flowed beautifully, the author writes with such passion, the characters were so convincing and realistic many times I thought I was walking in their shoes

The first half of this book was without a doubt five stars - the writing and the storyline sucked me right in.

Subtracting half a star because by the time of the books ending I was a wreck, and a tad angry and here I am a few days later still thinking about the characters and still feeling vexed. Yes, I know, it proves that Louise Allan is a great author/storyteller by having the ability to make me feel all these different emotions, but damn, what am I meant to do with them!
After consideration perhaps this was not the best time to have read this book after the death of my father only a few months ago and trying to cope with awful family members.

Nevertheless, I do recommend this highly and I am looking forward to reading more works by Louise Allan. Seriously hoping the next one will be less heart-rending.

#Book-bingo 2018: ‘A book by an author you’ve never read before’ - The Sisters’ Song by Louise Allan

[D]

Slight disclaimer as Louise is a friend and fellow doctor-turned-writer but bravo Louise! It’s a beautiful story essentially about families, centered around the relationship over a lifetime of two sisters. Beautiful historical details show depth of research and a lovely setting in Tasmania. It made me cry, which shows how convincing and memorable the characters were. Great read!

[Lily Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I first read this book in one of its revisions about three years ago, after becoming online writing friends with the author. I bought my copy of the book last week very proudly in paperback at a bookstore. I'm also mentioned in the acknowledgements and I'm very proud to be there! I truly think this is the debut book of an author who will become very well loved across Australia, and that this story of two sisters will travel much further across the world than 1920s-1980s Tasmania.

This is an incredibly emotive story written in a beautiful nostalgic voice, and from the very beginning I felt great engagement with the narrative character, Ida. Throughout the book I share deeply in Ida's losses and her longings. Ida has far more forgiveness in her heart that me, however. If I'd had interactions with my mother and my sister, as Ida does... I'm not sure I could remain so generous and forgiving toward them!
I love the setting in rural Tasmania, and the time period. I love how the mountain range of Ben Craeg has so much depth and symbolism for the characters and the story. It's like when Ida cannot see the mountain out of her window, or moves away from its protective shadow, that's when things go bad. When the fog lifts, or she visits the mountain for fishing or picnics with family, that's when she is in her happy place.
I love the steadfastness of Len and Ida in the story, whilst much around them is ever-changing and fickle. Len is a wonderful character, a rock.
Some of the scenes are incredibly heart-rending, enough to make me cry. But it's tempered with enough light moments to not leave me sobbing over-long in my cornflakes. My favourite and remembered scenes remain those when the family goes fishing, and later in the book when Ben introduces a new television, then a telephone, and finally a vacuum cleaner into Ida's life.
Other scenes that strike me as incredibly moving are the early incident with Ida's doll and her mother; scenes with Nora and her children, and the final scene involving Grace.
The story unwinds much like a mountain road in rural Tasmania, always twisting while climbing steadily higher to its one destination. Spending time with characters such as Ida and Len, and Ida's 'children', make me feel a better, more settled person this morning after my weekend's read.
I have nothing but praise for Louise Allan and The Sisters' Song, and couldn't recommend it more highly.

[Claire Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully moving story of family and friendship. Of dreams lost and dreams found. This follows two sisters Ida and Nora from childhood to adulthood, through heartbreak and love, joy and turbulent times. Set in Tasmania in 1926 it tells of a time when women weren't always encouraged to follow their dreams. Ida and Nora's mother is a hard woman who I didn't much care for at all, though I could knew her hard character came from her own lost dreams. The story follows these two sister through to the 1980's through a journey of self discovery, forgiveness and learning to live with the hand we are dealt. Make sure you have tissues close by.

[Margi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowsa. What a brilliant, compelling yet at times very sad and bittersweet family saga spanning over 70 years. A story set in Tasmania of 2 very different sister's chasing very different dreams and ones that weren't realised. I witnessed love, commitment , heartbreak, grief, loss, selfishness, sadness, joy, mental illness, motherhood and family while music flowed throughout the pages of this captivating story. This story pulled at my heartsrings repeatedly throughout and was one beautifully written novel that I could not put down. I commend Louise on her fabulous debut novel.
I highly recommend this wonderful novel.

[Monique Mulligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I beta read this book two years before publication and the writer is a good friend. This review is my honest response to her final work.

This book has been years in the making but what a triumph of determination it is. It's heartfelt and relatable in terms of the often challenging relationships we have with loved ones; it's poignant and yet complex; it is wrenching but there are glimmers of hope and light throughout. Themes of sibling rivalry, lost dreams, mother-daughter relationships, mental illness, mother love and guilt, infertility and more are tackled with a sensitive and knowing touch, without veering towards the sentimental. The setting is evocative, both of time and place. And above all, it's beautifully written, with some almost lyrical language underscoring the well-crafted tale and complex characters. A book to savour, I highly recommend it. 

[Jazzy Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this.

[Sharon J · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful but melancholy story. Following the lives of two sisters Ida and Nora from their childhood until their ageing years we share their joys and sorrows and that of their families. Neither of their destinies is what they hoped for and life is never really fair. Despite the sadness it was still an enjoyable novel to read.

Set in the beautiful countryside of Tasmania it has a charming air about it; with the small towns, the rugged mountains and rough terrain with small communities. It was an enchanting location for the story.

The musical element was an added aspect that gave link between the generations of the women in the family. It made me wish I could hear what was being played on the piano and sung - certainly this story would have a lot to offer as a movie!

While it wasn’t necessarily the only theme in the story it did explore the changing roles of women in the 20th Century and how they didn’t have the same control over their destinies as they have come to have.

Highly recommended read!


Thank you to Goodreads and publisher, Allen & Unwin for an advanced reader copy to read and review.

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt, tear jerker of a read. Louise Alan has written from the depth of her heart with this one and put so much into this story that it really tugged on all my emotions. Nora and Ide were such beautiful characters who were surrounded by strong characters. But my overall favourite was Len. He was Ide's rock everytime she needed him and his love for her never wavered.

[Cailin O'neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished reading The Sisters' Song by Louise Allan and I simply had to tell someone about how good this book is.

Two sisters, two very different young women, bound together by loss, regret, and love.

This story is told from the perspective of Ida, the elder of the two sisters, and opens with a seven year old girl dealing with the loss of her beloved father in rural Tasmania in 1926 and the family upheaval such a loss causes. Right from the start Ida is a character you can't help falling in love with. She's passionate, inquisitive, protective, and displays a depth of strength and character that will carry her through all the trials that she will face while still being deeply flawed and human.

Nora, her younger sister and the main protagonist of the story, walks a very fine line between being selfish and sympathetic, a combination that at times had me wanting to slap her and comfort her within the space of a few paragraphs and all witnessed through the eyes of the one person who will always be her most perceptive audience: her sister.

Louise Allan has clearly poured a lot of love and research into this novel but has pulled it off without making the narrative clunky or jarring. Setting this story against the backdrop of a swiftly changing society in rural Tasmania I think really helped ground the story and echoed the conflict within our two main characters. There are times when the emotions pouring off the page are so visceral and real that it lodges in your chest but at no point did it occur to me to close the book and walk away. I was absolutely swept up by these characters and so invested that I couldn't bear to look away.

This is a sweeping saga full of highs and lows, but the bond shared by these two sisters and Ida's love and compassion despite everything is truly inspiring and is bound to ensure that this book will remain one of my favourite reads for the year.

[Meredith Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sisters' Song is an assured debut from Louise Allan. Tracing the relationship from childhood to late middle age, Allan reveals a complex, fraught relationship between older sister Ida and her gifted younger sister Nora.
Each has something the other wants. Ida longs for a family but is unable to carry babies to full term. Nora wants nothing more than pursue a career as a singer, beyond the narrow confines of life in rural Tasmania to Covent Garden and the great stages of the world. Instead Nora is destined to a life of motherhood, marriage to a man she does not love and scraping by. How she wishes it was she who was barren so that she could enjoy the same freedom Ida does.
The fulcrum of the sisters' relationship is the one they share with their mother. Their mother was always volatile, even before their father died, but grief sends her deep into self, only emerging when whipped into temper or to dampen the dreams of her daughters. It is their paternal grandmother that fans the flames of Nora's dreams and this is who their mother blames when those dreams amount to nothing.
As they years roll by, Allan takes the reader deep into the lives of both women, exposes the glue that binds them despite the terrible way they sometimes treat each other and those they love. Allan has a gift for exposing the nuances and fragility of human relationships, how our mistakes can come to define us and how it can be a personal battle of epic proportions to rise above our lesser selves.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, what a book this was!! A sweeping family saga about two sisters who each have their own dreams, one to be a singer and one to be a mother - and neither of them will realise their wishes.

Nora and Ida are close sisters and since their father passed away they live with their mother and grandmother. Their mother is a very negative person and believes that Nora is being silly wanting to pursue a musical career, fortunately Nora's grandmother sees her talent and encourages her to pursue her dreams. All Ida wants is to be happily married and have a family of her own. Shattered dreams await both sisters and the consequences of one sister's actions will have an affect on the rest of their lives.

Set in Tasmania spanning several decades this debut novel had me hooked from beginning to end, I can't wait to see what Louise's future books hold!!

[Robert Lukins · Rating 5 out of 5]

So thoughtful, engaging and sad; written with such control; a beautiful picture of the bonds between people and how they operate.

[Rebecca Bowyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should absolutely put The Sisters’ Song on your ‘to be read’ list this summer if you like Australian historical fiction – it’s beautiful and uplifting; devastating and with plenty of truths about life, motherhood and the bond between sisters.

The Sisters’ Song is a story about the cruelty of women being at the mercy of their own bodies, and the expectations of a society which believed a woman’s place – and her happiness – was in the home.

By tracing the lives of Ida and Nora, debut author Louise Allan illustrates in stark detail how wrong this assumption is, and how many lives were destroyed by the insistence that all women were better off with babies.

Nora is forced into family life while Ida is forced to watch her sister rear children she never wanted. Children that Ida would dearly love to raise herself. And yet, through her pain and grief, Ida’s love for her sister – and perhaps a decent portion of self-interest – leads her to help Nora care for her children.

Mental illness, including post-natal depression, also rears its destructive head in a time when it was little understood and there were very few treatment options.

This is a wonderfully written family saga spanning 70 years. I devoured it in two days, shooing away the kids to get time to read just a few more pages.

Warning: You will need tissues.

Disclosure: I received an advance copy from the publisher for the purpose of review.

[Michelle Barraclough · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful summer read (actually perfect for any season!) I read The Sisters' Song in two days on the beach in between reapplying zinc to little noses and hot chip runs. A beautiful evocative story that reminded me of how things were for my grandparents - you just got on with things, no matter what tragedies befell you in the age before easy travel and communications, before decent health care and labour saving white goods, before men and women were allowed to name the sadness and get treatment. I enjoyed this book so much. Congratulations Louise on a stellar debut novel.

[Amy Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Kate Murdoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sisters’ Song is a wonderful read, one of the most absorbing books I’ve read in a while. I liked the simplicity of the linear narrative which drew me quickly into the story, combined with great emotional subtlety. The story explores sibling rivalry, the role of women and the limitations placed on them, and what happens to people when their dreams are snatched away. It tells the story of Nora and Ida, two sisters living in Tasmania, whose differences both challenge and unite them. The novel spans the 1920’s to the 1990’s and is authentic to time and place.

Nora seems destined for a life on the stage as a singer, and Ida aspires to be a loving wife and mother. Over several generations, we see the complexities of their marriages, their conflicted bond with each other, and how their expectations change. The characters felt very real to me. Ida is earthy and nurturing – she is a universal feminine archetype, the type of woman most of us know or have known, who lives to care for and love others. She’s no pushover, but her warmth and sacrifice shine through the pages. Nora is more guarded with her feelings, and single-minded in her determination to succeed. In a different way, she is also very relatable, as someone who prioritises her dreams and talent. This is also something to admire and would have been more unusual in the period depicted in the novel.

Beautiful descriptions of nature permeate the story – I found the sections set in the forest showing the lives of loggers, their simple huts and the towering trees above them moving and evocative. Their poverty contrasting with the magnificence of the natural surrounds.

This is an emotionally engaging page-turner which stayed with me long after I finished reading. I look forward to more by Louise Allan.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won an ARC in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, so thanks to Goodreads and the publisher, Allen & Unwin.

I really enjoyed this. Although it was heart-breaking - I don't know how someone could survive what Ida went through and keep her sense of humour intact. It certainly addressed some hot topics including mental health.

It was set in Launceston, Tasmania, although I thought at first that the Ben Craeg described in the beginning was a Scottish mountain.

I would happily read any further books by Louise Allan.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved this novel from the very first chapter. I was completely immersed in the story of two sisters Ida and Nora from young girls to old women. What a heartbreaking but captivating story – a tale of sisters, love, family, heartbreak, loss and grief. The setting was fabulous starting in the early 1920’s in Tasmania and was so vivid I could just see the story come to life. This is a story of family as we follow them on their life’s journey and I absolutely loved every single page. Highly recommend!