Book #48 The Weird Sisters

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At first glance the plot seems a bit cliched.  Rose, the oldest sister, has stayed home to care for aging parents.  When her mother is diagnosed with cancer, her two sisters Bianca and Cordelia return home.  But their motive for homecoming goes beyond helping to care for their mother.  Each has a secret she is hiding and home is a place to run away and hide in.

I'm not sure what made this book so compelling:  the unusual narration (first person plural), the tension between the three sisters, the Shakespearean tapestry weaving the story together, or the oh,so accurate depiction of caring for a breast cancer fighter.  When I first started reading, I had to get used to the narration style, but once I got past that, I loved how the shared perspective enriched my understanding of the characters. I connected with the sisters' shared rivalry as they each attempted to be "first" in their parents' hearts.  I also remember quite clearly going home to help my own mother with her mastectomy and recovery, and many years later, to help care for her through her final battle with colon cancer. Most of all I connected with the love that each sister had for each other.  Despite their rivalries and insecurities, the sisters understood the meaning of family.  Eleanor Brown caught the nuances of family relationships perfectly.


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