Get our Best Book Club Books of 2025 eBook!

What do readers think of The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan? Write your own review.

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan

The Sisterhood

by Helen Bryan

  • Readers' Rating (35):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2013, 420 pages
  • Rate this book

About this book

Reviews

Page 2 of 5
There are currently 35 reader reviews for The Sisterhood
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Sarah N. (Corte Madera, CA)

Great Story Line...
It was the "voices" of the different characters that I had a hard time distinguishing. I felt that the women from earlier eras in the book would have had a more formal tone. I often found myself having to backtrack to figure out who was "speaking." I was captivated by what was happening and enjoyed how things connected.
Mary Jane D. (Arlington Heights, IL)

An epic historical read
The Sisterhood covers a long time period alternating between present and past. I enjoyed the historical parts and the interesting characters that were developed. Just as I thought it was bogging down a bit a new character or situation would be introduced. I was a little disappointed in the ending and wanted more detail of the main character's connection. Catholics would disagree with the premise of the "new" Gospel.
Patricia L. (Seward, AK)

Sisters through the ages
Sisterhood by Helen Bryan was an entertaining and informative read, especially if one is interested in the history of convents and those who dwell within. The most intriguing aspect of this book was the notion that there were/are non-nuns behind the secure doors and the stories that are told as a result. How women act and help each other as they are rendered powerless by events such as the Spanish Inquisition and into the 21st century with kidnapping and forced prostitution is the premise of this book. Blending history and current events under this theme makes a good read albeit not great literature. Bryan'smore
Rosemary C. (Austin, TX)

Ancient intrigue, modern connections
Helen Bryan takes on an ambitious project in weaving a 16th century story over two continents and bringing it to have relevance in the present day. For the most part, she succeeds. I especially enjoyed the portion of the book that dealt primarily with the women of the convents in Spain and America in the 1500's, and I think the writing was more skillful there. I did get engrossed in the book, but it seemed to end very abruptly and just a little on the side of trite.
Barbara P. (Worcester, MA)

The comfort of Lies, by Randy Susan Meyers
This women's story is filled with many contrasts.
Motherhood, families, couples, a single parent, their livelihood, community, and their love for a five year old adopted girl.
This is a great book for discussion in a book group. It's more interesting than the usual adoption story of a child searching for its birth mother.
The conflicts and struggles of the three families draw you into this love story.
Shirin M. (BEVERLY HILLS, CA)

A "travelling" Sisterhood
The story moves from the 1500s to the 21st century; from the old to the new world. The plot centers around the mystery surrounding a medal and ancient text which contain secrets that are revealed as the story meanders between the old and new. The main characters are women and the issues raised are as old as time: Exploitation, tyranny, poverty. Good themes and a fast read. The story reminded me of "The Da Vinci Code" and "People of the Book". Fans of historical fiction should enjoy this book.
Terrie J. (Eagan, MN)

Entertaining and Knowledgable
This book kept me intrigued and led me through historical events. I typically don't like historical fiction, but the character development in both the current and past stories was well done. The way Helen intertwined the stories and brought them together in the end was well done. The end was unexpected, but I did think that it wrapped up a little fast after the length it took to get there. I would highly recommend this book!
Lucy B. (Urbana, OH)

The Sisterhood
There were several levels of this book, from year 1552 until 2000. There were several characters in the book and sometimes I found it hard to follow the back and forth stories. All in all I enjoyed the book and became engrossed in the story of Menina Ann Walker's life and the stories within the convents.

More Information

Read-Alikes

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Real Americans
    by Rachel Khong
    From the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, a novel exploring family, identity, and the shaping of destiny.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The Fairbanks Four
    by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue

    One murder, four guilty convictions, and a community determined to find justice.

  • Book Jacket

    One Death at a Time
    by Abbi Waxman

    A cranky ex-actress and her Gen Z sobriety sponsor team up to solve a murder that could send her back to prison in this dazzling mystery.

  • Book Jacket

    The Seven O'Clock Club
    by Amelia Ireland

    Four strangers join an experimental treatment to heal broken hearts in Amelia Ireland's heartfelt debut novel.

  • Book Jacket

    Happy Land
    by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

    From the New York Times bestselling author, a novel about a family's secret ties to a vanished American Kingdom.

Who Said...

Our wisdom comes from our experience, and our experience comes from our foolishness

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

A C on H S

and be entered to win..

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.