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There are currently 40 member reviews
for The Flower Sisters
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Patricia C. (Naples, FL)
A Character Driven Novel
As I read "The Flower Sisters" and was introduced to the characters of this fictional Ozark town, I felt this is a novel about real people. Not only are the twin Flower sisters's characters well developed, but also the several people who had been part of a horrific explosion at a dance hall which killed 29 young people in 1928 and also those who survived and whom we meet 50 years later.
The author, Michelle Collins Anderson, has captured the spirit, the prejudices, the morality of the small town and its inhabitants who have to come to grips with what had happened on that August, 1928 date. And she uses a lonely, very bright teen ager girl who becomes the person who helps the town accept and finally put to rest that horrible tragedy.
Although the ending was a bit predictable, the book will be enjoyed by book clubs and readers. I definitely recommend it.
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Gloria F. (York, PA)
Charming novel based on a true story
The author did a good job taking a real-life occurrence, a dance hall explosion in her hometown, and turning it into an interesting novel. I liked that she used the different viewpoints of the people who survived the explosion and those that loved the ones who didn't survive, to tell the story. The characters were very believable and I found a few quite compelling. My only criticism is the ending, which I found a bit too "happy." Otherwise, a worthwhile read.
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Cindy M. (Raleigh, NC)
Small Town Secrets
I selected this book as an advance read based upon the "Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks" billing. Sadly, the writing of the author did not live up to this hype.
I wanted to like the book and it had potential but there were too many non-plausible elements that got in the way. Overall, I felt as though the author has issues with God that are unresolved and worked their way into the story unnecessarily. I was put off from the start with an unnecessary funeral "mishap". .
The story revolves around a real life dance hall explosion in a small town in 1928. The author examines the impact of that event 50 years later through the lives of 3 main characters - one of the Flowers sisters (twins where one attended and one died), her date, and her granddaughter. Each chapter is written in the voice of one of the characters which was helpful to keep the story understandable. The granddaughter (Daisy) is dumped in the small town so that her hippie mother can follow a man to California. Daisy (whose mother is completely estranged from her mother) had never met her grandmother. Daisy is miserable and ultimately obtains a job with the local paper (as a high school student) and begins to investigate what truly happened the night of the explosion (much to the chagrin of the community). This seemed entirely non-believable and yet it is one of the central elements of the story.
The villain (Dash) was the date. Dash was a playboy at the time of the dance but is so wracked with guilt for surviving that he becomes an insufferable preacher. He has an ongoing conflict with Daisy's grandmother (Rose).
Rose is a well known figure on the town. She is a gruff funeral director (which she inherited from her deceased husband's family) with a lot of spunk. She is the most believable character.
The story moves quickly and is an easy read. The characters are well developed and easily relatable given the time period. I think book clubs that enjoy light hearted stories will find much to discuss. It just wasn't for me as I could not get past the premise that a teenage novice "reporter" uncovers the secrets and wounds of a family and the entire town.
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Dawn G. (Lake in the Hills, IL)
Just Okay
I liked this book however I found it to be a little slow. Usually I can read for hours but with this one I could easily put it down after a chapter or two. With that being said though I do think the plot was intriguing and I liked how it was told in many different characters recollections of the explosion. What I didn't like was how the end of the book basically tied it all up in a pretty bow. It almost seemed like the ending was written by someone else……someone who writes hallmark feel good stories.
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Mary W. (Mesa, AZ)
The Flower Sisters book review
I am somewhat indifferent about this book. Certainly the explosion was a great starting point for the novel. The descriptions of both life in a small town and the impact of the explosion on the townspeople were well done. However, the pace is uneven and the ending horribly contrived.
I read the book, then put it down for a few days. When I went back and looked at the book what I remembered most was the contrived ending. Not good.
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