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There are currently 40 member reviews
for The Flower Sisters
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Dotty G. (Alpharetta, GA)
The Flower Sisters
The Flower Sisters is a debut novel centered around a true tragic event in an Ozarks dance hall in1938. This event happened in West Plains, Missouri, the author's hometown. To this day, much mystery surrounds this tragedy.
The novel has a dual timeline spanning from 1938 to 1978. I found the characters especially, Daisy, to be complicated and fascinating. All is not what it appears to be in this novel. There are many secrets, a mystery to be solved, a beautiful setting, and the unpredictable lives of the characters. There is much to think about in this novel.
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Linda J. (Ballwin, MO)
"The Flower Sisters" Bloom
Starting the book, I was a bit unsure if it would fall into my "unfinished" pile. But Anderson's plot development kept me going. I am glad I did. Being from Missouri and familiar with the setting, I found myself completely invested in Daisy, Violet, and Rose. With a town named "Possum Flats" and a 50-year-old tragedy taking the lives lives of so many young people, I realized I had to follow Daisy's path to finding out the secret that the older population was keeping.
Anderson's development of Daisy's relationship with her grandmother was a joy to explore. Daisy hates that her mother "dumped" on her Rose and is determined to make the best of a bad situation. When Fence, the editor of the local newspaper hires her, she finds an article on the explosion, she sees her chance to make her mark by writing a series of articles.
Unfortunately, the townspeople who remember do not want to share their memories with her, but she wears down many of them who find her "hippy" attire (this was the 70's after all) a bit strange.
She writes letters to her mother every few days, and they all go unanswered. But Daisy just believes her mother has not found a place for them to live yet and hopes that she has dumped the latest in a long line of loser boyfriends.
In the meantime, she finds a friend in Joe, the town jock whose grandfather, Dash, is the local preacher of the fire and brimstone ilk who is trying to escape his memories of that fateful night.
However, one of her articles starts a chain of events that sets the town on its ear and causes Daisy to lose her job at the paper. And that is just the first link in a chain of events that will, eventually, answer the questions of the Lamb's Dance Hall explosion.
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Mary H. (Phoenix, AZ)
On This Date In History
This book is a welcome into a family history, and as all families have complexities, this is no different. It is common place nowadays to invest in your ancestry to discover long lost relatives or your genealogy in order to learn more about your family background, but in this story it is the year 1978. Left to her own imagination Daisy does her own sleuthing by way of the local Picayune newspaper with individual pieces to showcase the history of Possum Flats. She encourages the residents of this small town in Missouri to remember a tragedy that occurred fifty years prior and bring to life some of those who perished long ago.
The residents of the town react to her reporting with both delight and angst. All involved have their own rendition of the night of the dance and the fire which took so many young lives. Despite not really knowing her grandmother very well, Daisy believes that her own grandmother Rose has memories that can shed light on the event, as her twin sister perished. By digging into the past, Daisy uncovers much more than she expected.
Rich in characterization, the book involves individual back stories which connect the real events with those that surface as truths. I totally enjoyed this book from start to finish and my only hint is to be sure to read the Prologue.
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Laurette A. (Rome, NY)
Unique portrait of a tragic event
I chose this book mainly because I enjoy historical fiction and The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson did not disappoint. It is based on the tragic and true event of the Bond Dance Hall fire in West Plains, MO that happened one hot August night in 1928. In this novel Ms. Anderson gives 15-year old Daisy Flowers her "voice" when, as a summer intern for the local paper, she takes on the task of interviewing the survivors (many very reluctantly) of the of fire that occurred 50 years prior in the town (fictionalized here as Possum Flats). In the process secrets come to light, old wounds are reopened and new friendships form. Although the cause of the fire still remains unknown, Ms Anderson's imagination easily pulls you into the story line with characters that are well-drawn with varied personalities and her novel flows easily. I'm looking forward to reading more from this talented author.
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Tracey S. (Largo, FL)
Kept my interest
I was enthralled by this book from the beginning! It was a dual timeline between 1928 and 50 years later. An explosion at a dance hall led to secrets being kept about that night. Daisy, the granddaughter of Rose, wants to write about the dance hall fire with the anniversary coming up. And she is not met with cooperation from those who remember that tragic night. As she asks questions she gets closer to the secret her grandmother is keeping. Once I got started I couldn't put this book down! I think it would be a great book club discussion book.
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Carol S. (Mt. Juliet, TN)
Home is Where the Heart is
One of the very best "First Impressions" books I have reviewed for Book Browse, "The Flower Sisters" by Michelle Collins Anderson, was a delightful and moving read.
The story was inspired by an explosion at a local dance hall in West Plains, Missouri in 1928. This tragic event killed 39 people, most of them young and in the prime of their lives. We meet survivors and other townspeople 50 years later, many still dealing with the emotional fallout from this event. Indeed the character of the town, itself, changed.
Daisy, the protagonist of the story, visiting her grandmother for what she expects will be the most boring summer of her life, takes an internship at the local paper. She convinces her boss to allow her to write a four-part series interviewing survivors of the 1928 tragedy.
Prepare yourself for twists, turns and huge surprises as Daisy learns small towns have
many truths and secrets to reveal, even about herself. The warmth and spirit of Mrs. Andersons' writing will keep you turning pages, laughing or crying but always happy to be in the middle of the action.
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Monica W. (Pottstown, PA)
The Flower Sisters
A book based on a true story of an explosion at a dance hall that alters not only the lives of the twin sisters, but the lives of everyone in this small town of Possum Flats.
Family secrets, love lost, suspense and plot twists. The authors descriptions of some characters seemed spot on.
There were some wow moments, that I did not see coming. Great read for any book club. I would recommend this to anyone.
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