What do readers think of The Sisters by Nancy Jensen? Write your own review.

As I read this book superlatives kept coming to me. It is stunning, superb, astounding. The title could have easily been Secrets. So many family secrets. We see the story in chronological order by different women, all related to the sisters, as well as the sisters themselves. The story of the sisters is bittersweet. This is a book that I will recommend to our bookclub, as it is usually all women. In our small community, we are all sisters, and the story will resonate with all of us.

There is nothing I love more than reading an author’s first novel. This is a wonderful story about two sisters, one trying to protect the other from a horrible secret that leads to a misunderstanding and throws both their lives on totally different paths. As the story unfolds, you can see how circumstances and decisions affect not only the sister’s lives but the lives of future generations. I predict this novel will become a book club favorite and provide a very interesting discussion.

"The Sisters" covers a span of years from 1927 to 2007 in the lives of two related families. We see the years unfold through the lives of the female offspring of the two sisters. Even though years pass between chapters (the family tree certainly helps keep track of names, ages, etc.), the main characters are well developed, with their rich voices and strong unique natures. Various kinds of relationships are explored, besides sister to sister, with good effect. This is a book I would read again to capture more of its subtle symbolism and nuances.

This novel shows how one misunderstanding--one missed communication--between sisters Mabel and Bertie can nullify Mabel's sacrifices. It underlines the serious consequences of Bertie's stubborn heart that have an ill effect on her, the next generation, and then even the next. I wish I had come away with a more hopeful feeling when I finished the book, but it is a good read with well-defined characters. Book clubs would have much interesting discussion on several topics.

The Sisters is a compelling story that spans several decades and follows the story of two sisters who, although separated, lead intertwining lives. While a few of the premises of the story seemed contrived, the exploration of family dysfunction and relationships is noteworthy and I suspect that this novel will prove quite popular with book clubs. This is the author's debut effort and I look forward to her future efforts as her style becomes more mature and refined.

It is hard for me to assign a numerical rating to this book because while I believe that it is very well written, with authentic characters and an interesting story, it was simply too bleak for me to enjoy it. The women in this story endure one tragedy after another, and are uniformly tortured souls. I can read and appreciate a sad book with the best of them, but this one had not one uplifting moment, with the exception of one section toward the end.

While reading this one, I couldn’t help but think of another novel that I read last year that I recommend often, The Quickening, by Michelle Hoover, which was also quite bleak in its tone and underlying story -- but I ended up really liking it because there were moments of pure joy expressed by some of the characters.

This was a fine book. It just wasn't for me.

Nancy Jensen's debut novel is an emotionally weighty and melancholy portrait of two sisters forever separated by an event which ultimately reshapes their lives, characters and future. It is a well written, complex and compelling portrayal of family, unintended consequences and survival. I wanted to give this novel 5 stars, chapter by chapter, but I found it necessary to refer to the family tree quite often. Still highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this gifted author.

This is an entertaining novel, but don't start it on a day when you're feeling down. Through four generations, the female descendants of Imogene East Fischer hardly ever catch a break when choosing a mate or raising a child. You'll ask yourself, "How can these women be so clueless?" And be glad this is not your family.