Summary | Discuss | Reviews | More Information | More Books
by Margaret Dilloway
The award-winning author of How to Be an American Housewife returns with a poignant story of estranged sisters, forced together by family tragedy, who soon learn that sisterhood knows no limits.
Rachel and Drew Snow may be sisters, but their lives have followed completely different paths.
Married to a wonderful man and a mother to two strong-minded teens, Rachel hasn't returned to her childhood home since being kicked out by her strict father after an act of careless teenage rebellion. Drew, her younger sister, followed her passion for music but takes side jobs to make ends meet and longs for the stability that has always eluded her. Both sisters recall how close they were, but the distance between them seems more than they can bridge. When their deferential Japanese mother, Hikari, is diagnosed with dementia and gives Rachel power of attorney, Rachel's domineering father, Killian becomes enraged.
In a rare moment of lucidity, Hikari asks Rachel for a book in her sewing room, and Rachel enlists her sister's help in the search. The book which tells the tale of real-life female samurai Tomoe Gozen, an epic saga of love, loss, and conflict during twelfth-century Japan, reveals truths about Drew and Rachel's relationship that resonate across the centuries, connecting them in ways that turn their differences into assets.
You can see the full discussion here. This discussion will contain spoilers!
Some of the recent comments posted about Sisters of Heart and Snow:
Can you think of other books you've enjoyed that discussed similar themes or were similar in style?
This book was a dime a dozen, typical formulaic contemporary fiction. Names of examples escape me at the moment. - mal
Did you like the book? Love it? Hate it? Would you recommend it to others?
I found it interesting that so many reviewers did not like flipping through stories. To me it seems to be common now. While the disjunction in the family caused predictable responses I did enjoy the book. - swchis39
Did you sympathize more with Rachel or with Drew?
Rachel because of the trauma of being thrown out of the home at such a young age. - kathleenb
Do you see parallels between the stories of Tomoe, and Rachel and Drew
Tomoe and Kamabuki were a team. Kamabuki worked from home and did the feminine side of things that needed doing and was the close friend and "sister of heart" for Tomoe. Rachel and Drew needed to get close just like Tomoe and Kamabuki originally did... - kathleenb
Do you think it would be worth becoming a mail-order bride if you were faced with similar circumstances?
I believe Hikari did the only thing she could under the circumstances. Only she knew what her life was going to be like if she didn't find a way out. I think she must have had some hope, that she might find a man who would at least treat her with ... - reene
"Spanning centuries, Dilloway's intricate, multigenerational saga of repressive family dynamics offers a timeless look at the bonds of sisterhood." - Booklist
"In this enjoyable novel, imperfect and at times unlikable women become lovable." - Kirkus
"A skillfully woven tale where the lore of a twelfth-century female samurai helps two present-day sisters release the past and heal their fractured lives. Vivid, detailed, and historically fascinating." - Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Me
"I deeply admire Margaret Dilloway's deftness in braiding together past and present, but what I love best about this book is that every relationship rings true, particularly the complicated bonds of sisterhood." - Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Love Walked In and Belong to Me
"Dilloway's historical tale of legendary love and loss illuminates a modern-day struggle between sisters - both the intense conflict and devotion." - Julie Kibler, author of Calling Me Home
This information about Sisters of Heart and Snow was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Margaret Dilloway is the author of How to Be an American Housewife and The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns. She lives in California with her husband and their three children. Visit her at margaretdilloway.com
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.