Has anyone else noticed the presence of sisters/sisterhood in this book?

Abigail had a sister who jumped overboard and Abigail misses her and mentions her in the story. Margot and Veronique were close and we see their relationship in more detail. Gaelle and Rose have a strong relationship. Only Winter ( as far as I can tell) does not have a sister as she was taken in by Mother Abigail as a baby. Winter is also a character who is more unsettled than the others. She is more of a misfit, not well accepted by the others in Remembrance and it often seems she is at war within herself. I wondered if this corresponded to her lack of another close, supportive, sister type figure. In each pair we are led to believe that one of the sisters has the power - while no mention is made of the other having any. I have wondered if this type of balance and closeness provided the acceptance and support that Winter lacked and thereby made her feel and behave as she did.

The females stuck together and cared for one another to keep each other as safe as possible.

The intertwining of the sisters mentioned in another thread models the notion that true sisterhood is possible whether the women are related or not. Gaelle and Rosie, Veronique and Margot are archtypes of the different ways in which women can help and depend upon each other. They appear to remind the reader that when women combine their strength and talents, they are more powerful than any problem which they face. Also, while Mother Abigail doesn't fall into the category we would call "sister", she calls forth from each of the women surrounding her a special talent and provides reinforcement and protection through time and space to the women around her. As a powerful character in the story, her role may be to show all of the "sisters" who read about her that they have more within them than they realize.

Having a sister- whether by birth or by choice makes a woman stronger, creates an instant community of two (or more) and is empowering. I did not really feel the bond between Gaelle and Rose, we were told it existed but I didn't feel it. I did not really understand why everyone shunned Winter - especially in this community where everyone had to rely on one another to survive. I get that they feared her uncontrolled powers but they also were jealous of a child and this felt cruel. She would have been stronger had she had more "sisters.

I agree Ruthiea. Winter would have been more secure in her position if she had had the support of a sister or sister like figure . I think feeling more secure would have made Winter more stable.

I was very much aware of the sisters and found that to be very interesting.

There is a tension in the book between the sisterly bonds depicted and the presence of Josiah. Winter is bound to him by invisible ties which come between her and her daughter as well as distancing her from the women of Remembrance who love and admire her, but are fearful of Josiah. Unlike the examples of sisterhood in all its faces: Gaelle lovingly feeding her sister, Rose, warming the hands of her sister in spirit, Toya and caring physical relief given to the strange patient, Winter, Josiah does not enhance the women's relationships, he intrudes upon them and appears to impose his own will on each of the enslaved characters in the novel.
The opening chapters are peopled with mutually beneficial female relationships including Margot and her sister Veronique at Far Water. If we look at Josiah's history, we should ask if he is the Yon Nwa. The Dark One. The Evil One. Perhaps we can relate that thought to the absolute resistance of many modern men to the idea of sisterhood and their draconian efforts to deprive women of their hard-won rights as Josiah apparently deprives Winter of the peaceful nothingness which she so desired by taking her from the nursing home at the end of her story. Is the author afraid to sustain powerful women? Or is she cognizant of the evil which men can do when challenged for power?

Ireneh, your interpretation is masterful! I love it! You have dissected the relationships and crafted a detailed and nuanced explanation for exactly what I was sensing in a way that eluded me. Thank you for articulating it so well. I think Dr Woods is cognizant of as you so well put it -“ the evil which men can do when challenged for power.” I can definitely relate to the current state of our country where efforts have recently increased to shred women of any power they have fought for and to remove our ability to control our own bodies. I only hope we can learn to pull together and unleash a backlash as powerful as Gaelle, Mother Abigail and Winter did against those who choose to oppress and objectify us.

Yes sisters/sisterhood was a strong theme in this book.