Genre: Fiction

ISBN: 978-1-4000-7577-5

Intended Audience: Anyone with solid reading skills, but mainly women

Summary: The story follows two sisters, Louisa and Clemente, their unique relationship and the changes and struggles they face throughout their childhood and spanning twenty-five years into their adult lives.  The two are far more different than alike-Louisa a passionate and struggling artist, and Clem a guardian of wildlife.  Louisa strives for the steadiness of marriage and home, and Clem is always restless in her work and love.  The story highlights their life experiences and times they share together, and explores the intimacies and nature of sisterhood.

Review: The New Yorker said it best, calling this book “Quietly powerful.”  I originally expected a profound, somewhat humorous, but intimate look into the very unique bond that two sisters share.  The novel delivered in portraying some parts of sisterhood at a very deep level, but failed to be uplifting or humorous by any means.  I felt I really connected with parts of the story, sharing in emotions and understanding the unspoken love between the two girls, but it always felt like there was something missing.  I can’t exactly pinpoint what was lacking in the story; It may have been the extreme nature of the characters themselves, but in reading, I consistently found myself wishing for that missing piece to somewhere reveal itself.  Overall, the novel was beautifully written, and the author did a good job of revealing the very difficult essence of sisterhood at its most basic level.  This novel is, by no means, an uplifting or cheerful read, but is very good, nonetheless.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Lilly,

your innocent face

and precious smile

light up my own

every time

I light up

my phone.

Not the
only
work
in progress
in
my life.

Why
do we
put ourselves
through such
agony?
The thrill of
the chase,
or the
sense of
accomplishment?

The only
picture
I took
the day before
the race.
Boy, this
sure wasn’t
fun to
look at.

01/08/10, originally uploaded by Kindra T.

Boys
will be
boys.
But they
sure are
fun
to watch.

Moon:
You were
stellar
this morning,
so full and
warm.
Why must you
always
be just
out of reach?

Monster
Mc
Faddie.
You really are
in
your
own
little world.

The best part
of Christmas
was Connie
and her Philippino
Christmas star.
She may
be home now,
but I’ll be
on the other side
of the world
with her
soon.