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The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan

The Sisterhood

by Helen Bryan

  • Published:
  • Apr 2013, 420 pages
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There are currently 35 member reviews
for The Sisterhood
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  • 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.
  • Joan C. (Warwick, RI)
    The Sisterhood
    This book has everything a reader could ask for - intrigue, romance, heroes, heroines, history, family and religion. Did I miss anything? I'm sure I did, so you need to read Sisterhood to find out what. Flashing the setting back and forth between modern and medieval times in Spain and "New Spain", you read to find out what the connection is between the characters then and now, bu It isn't until the very end that the author enlightens us. Set against the backdrop of a Catholic convent, young female babies and girls are left at the convent's gates because of the mores of the historical period. These children come under the nurturing care, love and teachings of nuns and novices of Las Golondrinas Convent. How wonderful to read a book full of love, hope and kindness and how these themes kept on being "played forward" in "Sisterhood".
  • Gail L. (Cypress, TX)
    Great story
    At the heart of Helen Bryan's novel, The Sisterhood, is a great story. It held my attention on several levels: historical information, women's issues, the Catholic Church. However,the author could not seem to decide if she was writing a work of historical fiction or a romance novel! The vehicle in which she presents her interesting story is weak.

    The author is ambitious and tries to present too much information rather than giving more depth to her history.

    The book held my attention from beginning to end, and I easily forgave obvious flaws in the writing style.
  • Anna S. (Auburn, AL)
    The Sisterhood
    This is a story of the present and the past and how they intertwined. I particularly enjoyed 'past' part of the novel which dealt with the way the Spanish Inquisition led to the founding of an order of nuns in 'New Spain', and their relationship with the Incas.

    Had it not been for a couple of improbable coincidences I would have rated this book as a 5 .
  • Esther L. (Newtown, PA)
    I love historical fiction
    Thank you to BookBrowse for allowing me to preview The Sisterhood. I read her previous book, War Brides and enjoyed that story. This book was even better. I thoroughly enjoyed the history of the 16th century Spanish convent and the nuns that lived and worked there to make women's lives better and care for many orphans. I was less involved in the modern character of Menina and found the ending a little contrived. I will recommend this book because of its historical details.
  • Joan P. (Owego, NY)
    The Sisterhood
    This book is enlightening as well as a good story. Through flashbacks, a young American girl tells the story of Los Golondrinas, an order of nuns with convents in Spain and South America. The reader is introduced to five young girls from the time of the Spanish Inquisition who for various reasons sought asylum in the convent in Spain. We get a good look at the terrors they experienced and the courage of the nuns helping women in a male dominated world. There are love stories, a little art history and even a mystery that keeps the reader enthralled until the end. Even though I liked this book, I found myself flipping back and forth to keep the characters straight. A timeline or list of characters would have made the experience better.

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