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There are currently 40 member reviews
for The Flower Sisters
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Barbara R. (Lander, WY)
The Flower Sisters
I received The Flower Sisters as an ARC to review. The story is set in the small town of Possum Flats, Missouri in dual timelines of 1928 and 1978. The central event affecting both timelines was the disastrous explosion at the local Lambe's Dance Hall in August of 1928 that killed dozens of young people. Among the dead was one of the Flower sisters, identical twins Violet and Rose, who were very different in personality.
In the summer of 1978, fifteen-year-old Daisy Flowers is left in Possum Flats by her hippie mother. She's to stay with her Grandmother Rose, the local funeral director. A miserable, bored Daisy talks herself into a job as an intern at the local newspaper, and then into a "Today in History" column. In the paper's back issues, she discovers stories about the explosion and is shocked to learn that one of the victims was Violet, the twin sister her grandmother has never mentioned.
Daisy is determined to tell the story of the explosion by talking to survivors and victims' families, who don't want to talk to her. Her questions cause problems for those who have have spent fifty years hiding the trauma, guilt, and the secrets of that night. Additionally, in the Bible Belt town, many people felt at the time that those who were killed while dancing to Jazz had it coming for their evil ways.
The prologue, set in 1928, describes the events of the night at Lambe's in the voices of Violet and her boyfriend, Dash. The chapters alternate between Daisy, Rose, Dash, now a fundamentalist minister, and the other survivors, whose memories provide the 1928 timeline. Daisy's newspaper column for each story was included afterward.
I really disliked Daisy in her first several segments. She seemed self-absorbed, over-confident, and insensitive to the concerns of those she was determined to interview for her big "scoop." The author started out by overdoing her 70's teen persona. I fleetingly thought of skipping her segments, but kept on in hopes that the character would show some growth.
Rose was a hoot; strong, outspoken and finding humor in sometimes awkward situations. Rev. "Dash" Edmonds was zealous and humorless. I guess as he was supposed to be. The other characters, the survivors and Daisy's coworkers, were well-developed.
The stories of the survivors were told in a effective way, slowly revealing the story of the night of the explosion. I didn't care for the ending, which seemed out of sync with the rest of the book.
The Flower Sisters is a story of secrets, regrets, and remembrances, of finding truths, family, and home. I would recommend it.
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Carolyn L. (New York, NY)
Enjoyable read.
A page turner from beginning to end. As I read, I experienced the actions of the different characters. The writing was vivid and colorful. While reading, I was able to imagine scenes and hear the voices of the different characters, A good read.
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Stephanie G. (Woodcliff Lake, NJ)
Explosions, Funerals and Family Secrets
The Flower Sisters was a great read - based on a little know true story of a dance hall explosion in small town Missouri. The plot and characters felt familiar but at the same time unique. The many narratives easily crossed many ages and stages of life and tied into a cohesive narrative. Anderson brought us into the funeral business, small town dynamics and family secrets slowly... so the reader could savor the unfolding of the story. I appreciate her bring this little-known story back into the public consciousness. Great first novel.
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Jean S. (Mequon, WI)
The Flower Sisters
While The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson, is not the type of book I usually read, I have to admit I liked it quite a bit. Overall, I found Anderson to be a very capable writer, in fact, there were times when her prose amazed me with its brilliance. For example, (I think I can share with you her description of one character's mother-in-law without giving away the plot). "Gladys was a turkey vulture circling on the hot updrafts of our skirmishes waiting for first blood to swoop in with a raised eyebrow or acidic comment."
Not only was Anderson's prose engaging, I found the structure of the book to be quite interesting as well. In the first chapter Anderson propels us from 1928 to 1978. Sprinkling this fifty- year span with interesting characters whose secrets and lies kept me reading to the end.
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Kay D. (Strongsville, OH)
Small Town Historical Fiction
A wonderful, easy read. Storyline based on a factual tragedy in a small town in 1928. Well written. Multiple angles and characters provide a 360 view of the event and of the town and its "survivors" 50 years later in 1978. Characters were well defined and provided a wide-range of personalities. Liked the back and forth structure of the novel between 1928 and 1978, and the focus on personal responses to a tragic event. Touches on post traumatic stress and different ways individuals coped. Recommend.
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Doris K. (Mountain Iron, MN)
The Flower Sisters
I almost gave up on this book as the beginning is very dark and depressing. However I followed the 100 page rule of not giving up until 100 pages have been read. It became apparent that there was a good story to tell. The author writes beautiful descriptions sometimes a bit too wordy. Throughout the book there are surprise "twists and turns" The understanding of how identical twins relate is fascinating. Also the fact that the book is based on an actual explosion makes it a good read.
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Beth P. (Amagansett, NY)
Flower Power!!
The Flower Sisters, by Michelle Collins Anderson, offers the reader a well researched literary insight into the 1928 world of a small town in Missouri. The novel revolves around a true incident: the deadly explosion of a local dance hall during a crowded much anticipated evening celebration. But the book is much more than a simple retelling of a tragedy that changes many lives (and the town itself) forever.
The characters are richly drawn and interconnected, giving the reader a close look into this slice of the American landscape.
The book's format may not appeal to all: the chapters alternate among characters, both the "major players" and the "support players" as well as time periods…..in addition, there are newspaper articles and letters inserted between chapters,….
As the plot unfolds, and the reader learns about the townspeople of today as well as their historical connections, a truer picture of the tragedy unfolds and the parallel storyline of the young heroine adjusting to a new life becomes clear…..
The ending of the novel wraps everything up in a very satisfying way…..
The Flower Sisters will appeal to Book Clubs, offering varied and unique discussion options!
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