Debra Ginsberg, author of WAITING and RAISING BLAZE, successfully
and marvelously conveys what it means to be a sister in her latest
memoir, ABOUT MY SISTERS. The very title was appealing to me, as I
am the youngest of five sisters. I thought I could relate. And I
did. It caused me to step back and look at the relationship I have
with my own sisters, and made me realize the importance of family
and spending time with those you love. It is because of this that I
couldn't put the book down.

Tracking the course of a year in the lives of her three sisters,
who only live ten minutes apart, Ginsberg eloquently follows their
relationships with each other, Ginsberg's son, parents and one
brother. Through birthday parties, family gatherings, changes in
careers and dilemmas with boyfriends and each other, Ginsberg
brilliantly expresses the union they share as sisters and
friends.

Being the oldest sister, Ginsberg begins by telling of her
relationship with her younger sister, Maya, moving from country to
country and state to state with their nomadic parents. Because of
this, a bond was formed between them that is described by Ginsberg
so well: "I never even put 'sister' before her name when I talk
about her. She is the part of me who is Maya." She then discusses
the birth of each sibling after and how the family dynamic adjusted
as their birth order was changed. Each sister has a special role in
the family and shares a unique bond with one another that is not
like any other connection possible --- whether with a parent or
friend.

Immediately pulling readers into the story, Ginsberg's memoir reads
more like a novel. Her ability to bring you into her family, as if
you are a silent viewer on the sidelines of her life, is
exceptional. She shows that sisters can argue, disagree, have
different personalities and not tell each other everything, but
still have the comfort and assurance that they will always be there
to support each other no matter what, because they are
sisters.

As Ginsberg states, "Together we illuminate each other. When we
reflect off each other, whatever light we possess individually is
made that much brighter … It is the brilliance and power of
sisters."