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

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author conveyed a deep sensitivity and connection with the emotional threads that bound and separated the members of this family. I hated having to put the book down and at the close of each chapter looked forward to rejoining that character when next we met. I think this will be an excellent choice for book clubs, generating significant discussion.

I was enthralled with this novel from the first chapter, mainly because I identified so closely with the women and their history. The characters were real; their actions, interaction and secrets held my attention throughout. I did find it a bit confusing to keep track of the entire Fischer family, and frequently referred to the family tree in the front of the book. The outcome may not be what I would have hoped for, but it fit the story perfectly. What a wonderful book for book clubs to read and discuss. I have already recommended it to others.

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.

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.

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.

The story begins in the 1920's and follows the lives of two sisters and their families throughout the years. It touches on families and family secrets and the heartbreak and joy involved in both. I enjoyed the book very much. Each generation had their own story to tell, often painful, but also hopeful . It would make a great bookclub read.

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.

This is a book that really made me think about how family dynamics shape our lives in so many ways. The story opens with two sisters who live rather desperate lives in a small town in Kentucky. The older one makes a radical choice to protect her younger sister. What results from that choice is a lifetime of separation. The younger sister develops deep rooted bitterness that just seems to perpetuate itself with the next generation. In addition to being a story of family, it is also a story of American women over the decades. The thought I kept having was how grateful I am to have lived my life in a time that women could make choices about education, professions, marriage,and birth control. There was a great deal of misery in this book, some caused by poor choices; at other times the lack of any choice. But the most compelling thing that keeps drawing the characters of this book together is the bonds of family and their love for one another. I think that is what we all hope we have with family. That is the reward the reader is able to experience from reading this book.