November 2011

THE SISTERS, a debut novel by Nancy Jensen, opens in rural Kentucky in 1927 with two sisters --- Bertie Fischer and her older sister, Mabel --- who become separated through a tragic string of events. For a moment, I got settled in with these characters and thought this book was just going to be their story. But as I kept reading, I realized that these are not the only compelling sister characters we come to know in THE SISTERS. As the years unfold, other generations of sisters in this family form the backdrop for the narrative. The story flows through 80 years, marking the social changes that affect life in America as well as the ways these changes affect the characters. A secret that was buried in the past will impact all these sisters --- and the courses of their lives.

I see a bright future for it as people discuss the power of sisterhood, as well as how society through the years has influenced the roles of women. Book groups will love this book; I can see wonderful conversations with folks tripping their opinions over each other arising from discussions about it.