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

I gave this book a 4 out of 5 because I felt the mechanics of the book were lacking. I found myself needing to refer to the family tree at the beginning of the book. Thank goodness it was there. The theme and concept of the book was interesting especially to women and will definitely be a top pick among women's book clubs. It will make interesting discussion about secrets, sacrifice, forgiveness, and real love. Thoughts that came to mind while reading: Sacrifice without forgiveness and no concept of what love really is. Secrets born of sacrifices made out of love that's never explicitly expressed. Interesting book.

A masterfully written story that takes the reader through a series of colorful and often times painful snapshots illustrating the history of the modern woman's role in society from the 1920's to the present. At first I was struck by how different the role of yesterday's woman is compared to the apparent strength and freedom of today's. But then as I read on I realized that all of us, no matter the year of our birth, at some point share the burden of pain and the glory of transcending pain to become more of who we really are. The Sisters should be read by all women whether they are struggling to find their voice or not. I was a little frustrated that the whole story balanced on a simple miscommunication and I did not get the closure I was hoping for but the importance of the message more than makes up for this.

I liked the concept of the book, although the elements were depressing. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters from chapter to chapter, having to make sure I read the chapter heading, character name, city and the changing time frames. Other readers may enjoy reading a story of details better than I did.

Sisters is a very interesting, complex story of what can go wrong because of secrets, life choices and misunderstandings in families. I was grateful for the family tree diagram, because the narrator, as well as the story line, shifted with each chapter.

Jensen was able to develop some great characters, while others were just mentioned. I would have like to see fewer characters.

I appreciated the opportunity to read this book. When I read a book, I always think, " Could I recommend this book to a friend as, a good read?"
My answer would be no, because for me it was a depressing read.

A great many issues and events are included in Nancy Jensen's The Sisters — sexual abuse, family loss and sibling betrayal, love lost, the lives of women throughout the 20th century, politics and war; even detailed pages and pages about photography and jewelry/armor-making (symbolic or not, it did not always work). The initial story of Mabel and Bertie's (and Bertie and Wallace's) separation was not convincing. There were myriad ways in which all three characters could have come back together early in the story. Overall it was an interesting read; however, the wait to find out if the two sisters would reconnect was lengthy and dissatisfying.

I have rewritten this review three times and each time felt I hadn't put my finger on what disturbed me about this book. Was it the format with alternating narrators? Was it too many serious social problems superficially covered? Was it that there were too many characters and I had to keep referring to the family tree? The story was interesting and I am a fan of family sagas. My main problem was with character development. The author could have made the characters more three dimensional. The motivation for some of their actions seemed contrived and not consistent with who we had been led to believe they were.

I got it about secrets being corrosive and how they eat you up bit by bit, and how secrets destroy relationships for generations. I'm sure this book will be popular with book clubs but it's not for me.

Sisters graphically explores the disastrous effects of sexual abuse on the victim, Mabel, her sister, Bertie, and future generations of daughters. Half-truths, lies and thwarted dreams cripple these bitter, unhappy women. The chapters that alternate between characters and time periods are melodramatic, confusing, and superficial. Real insight into human nature sometimes shines through but not often enough to have this novel be a satisfying read.