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Review of THE SISTERS, a novel by Nancy Jensen

Review of THE SISTERS, a novel by Nancy Jensen

Sacrifice misinterpreted as selfishness becomes the catalyst that drives two beloved sisters, Mabel and Bertie Fischer, apart in Nancy Jensen’s compelling, multi-generational debut novel, The Sisters, selected as the #1 Indie Next Pick for December 2011. Initially set in the rural town of Juniper, Kentucky — where everyone’s dirty laundry is aired regardless if it’s hanging on the line or not — Mabel’s departure with Bertie’s sweetheart on the day of Bertie’s eighth grade graduation appears to both her sister and the town as an unforgivable act.
Propelled by the betrayal of the two people she had trusted and loved the most, Bertie’s bitterness and refusal to read or answer Mabel’s numerous letters explaining her actions causes the sisters’ previously inseparable lives to remain adrift. Through the lean years of the Great Depression, the Second World War, Vietnam, to present day, Mabel and Bertie continue to grow and change without the other sister taking part in each other’s transformation from girl to woman, wife to mother.
Nancy Jensen, in unflinching prose that captures both the poetic beauty and pain of frayed familial bonds, effortlessly braids together the threads of three generations of Fischer women — of sisters — whose lives follow the same pattern of heartbreak and misunderstanding as Mabel and Bertie. From Bertie’s daughter Alma who yearns to be Shirley Temple in childhood so she can make everything right again and draw close to her distant mother, to Grace whose name exemplifies her ability — unlike the other sisters — to reach beyond her circumstances and find healing through unconditional love and art, The Sisters does not draw upon a cache of clichéd characters, but each sister is made unique in her many struggles and triumphs.

The Sisters is based on the untold story surrounding Nancy Jensen’s own grandmother whose sister was not known to the family until an announcement revealed both her existence and her death. Because Jensen was never told her grandmother’s motivations for denying having a sister throughout her life, Jensen allowed her imagination to conjure forth her grandmother’s reasons and how these reasons for denying her sister’s presence might have affected not only her grandmother’s life but Jensen’s as well.

Though weighted with the hard-bitten truths surrounding dire familial misunderstandings, the ending of The Sisters conveyed through the dynamic character Grace’s eyes makes the journey over the span of eighty years and three generations of unforgettable women far worth the trip.

The Sisters: A Novel by Nancy Jensen
Available from Amazon.com
■Hardcover: 336 pages
■Publisher: St. Martin’s Press; First Edition edition (November 8, 2011)
■Language: English
■ISBN-10: 0312542704
■ISBN-13: 978-0312542702
book review / debut author / historical novels / Nancy Jensen / Novels / The Sisters: a novel / women's literature

Comments

  • cynthiarobertson

    This one sounds interesting! I've heard the title, but this is the first review I've read of it. You've made me want to read it, Jolina.

    November 14, 2011
  • Julia Munroe Martin

    Wow, I agree with Cynthia — this sounds so interesting. I hadn't heard of the book, but I'll definitely check it out! Great review!

    November 14, 2011
  • Jolina Petersheim

    Nancy's writing is superb, Cynthia–I hope you do check THE SISTERS out! 🙂

    November 14, 2011
  • Jolina Petersheim

    Thanks, Julia. I really enjoyed writing this review. It was a nice break from my normal posts. (But I don't know how many of them can be classified as “normal”. ;))

    November 14, 2011
  • Katie Shea

    Great review! Looking forward to picking this one up (once I have some time!). What a beautiful cover St. Martin's did.

    November 15, 2011
  • Jolina Petersheim

    Oh, the cover is gorgeous, Katie. One of my favorites in a long time. The picture does not do it justice. Thanks for stopping by!

    November 15, 2011
  • leahsthoughts.com

    This looks fabulous! I'm always drawn to books that have the words “sisters” or “daughters” in the title. Maybe because I have three sisters? I will add this one to my wish list.

    November 15, 2011
  • Jolina Petersheim

    Glad to hear it, Leah. I like simple titles as well that cut straight to what the story's all about; hope you enjoy THE SISTERS! 🙂

    November 15, 2011
  • Melissa Crytzer Fry

    Oh, Jolina… This sounds WONDERFUL. Going over to put on my GoodReads TBR list right NOW. Thanks for the review! Missed you, girl.

    November 15, 2011
  • Sara Grambusch

    Oh I love real life type stories like this. Thanks for reviewing it!

    November 15, 2011
  • Jolina Petersheim

    You're back, Melissa!? So happy to see you, and I hope you had a wonderful time “off” (although I am sure you were working like crazy during it). I really think you will enjoy THE SISTERS; it is a highly literary read, and that seems hard to come by these days! 🙂

    November 16, 2011
  • Jolina Petersheim

    I love “real life” stories, too, Sarah. So glad you enjoyed the review!

    November 16, 2011
  • Hallie Sawyer

    I love reading about families and all their dysfunctions. Makes me feel so much more “normal.” 🙂 Great review-will add it to the to-read pile!

    November 17, 2011
  • Jolina Petersheim

    I agree that reading about dysfunctional families is fun, Hallie–especially when that dysfunctional family has secrets like in THE SISTERS. 🙂 Hope you and your wonderfully “normal” family are doing well!

    November 17, 2011

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