Jennifer Weiner draws us into her latest novel with a mysterious event in the past, as she introduces us to two estranged sisters and the daughter who ultimately brings them together again. In THE GRIFFIN SISTERS’ GREATEST HITS, we meet Zoe and Cassie Grossberg, two siblings who could not be more unlike each other. Pretty and vivacious, Zoe always knows just what to wear, what to say, and how to make friends. Cassie is homely, shy and insecure, and her only joy is making music.

As Weiner deftly juggles several timelines --- the present, 25 years in the past, and even farther than that --- we get an idea of the struggles each of the sisters faced. In 2024, Zoe and Cassie haven't seen each other or even spoken in decades. We are aware that Zoe's husband, Russell D'Angelo, has died. But we don't know the circumstances behind his death or why Cassie, the real talent of the two, disappeared.

The Griffin Sisters became a band practically by accident. Zoe's flirtatious behavior got her kicked out of her teenage girl band right before a local battle of the bands, so she begs Cassie to appear with her instead. Cassie, who has lived her whole short life being humiliated and cruelly teased because of her large body and ungainly manner, is desperate not to be in the limelight. She doesn't want people looking at her.

"This novel is one that begs to be a book club choice as there are numerous issues and themes to be explored.... THE GRIFFIN SISTERS’ GREATEST HITS will be read and reread, and then passed on to friends to share."

But throughout their childhood, Zoe has made sure that Cassie was included with her friends and had someone to talk to and play with. So Cassie feels indebted to Zoe and reluctantly agrees to sing with her onstage. By chance, a member of the audience is in the music business and recognizes Cassie's incredible talent. But they are a team, and Cassie will only sing with Zoe. Besides, Zoe is the one who desperately wants to be a famous singer in a band, even if she has no talent. Cassie was studying classical music but will do anything for Zoe.

Thus the Griffin Sisters' band is formed, and their label adds singer/songwriter Russell to the group. Zoe falls in love with the idea of having a relationship with him more than actually falling in love with him. But when she sees how Cassie and Russell mesh over their love of music and writing lyrics and melodies, she's determined to have him for herself. While the band is wildly popular, Cassie's brilliant ability to capture an audience engenders jealousy in Zoe, who feels "the first threads of envy gathering inside her, twisting and knotting into something nasty and sharp-edged."

After their incredibly successful debut album goes platinum, the band breaks up and Cassie disappears. For much of the story, we don't know why. Weiner shows us, in the present, how the sisters lead very different lives. Cassie has retreated to a rural setting in Alaska, away from towns, where she reaps a modest income from two small rental cabins on her property. She lives in the third cabin with a dog who appeared on her doorstep one day. She doesn't sing or allow herself any pleasures.

Conversely, Zoe's life is filled with family. She's married to a successful guy, and they live in a large suburban house in New Jersey with his son from his first marriage, her daughter Cherry, and their two sons. Zoe's stepson, Bix, is a strange kid. He's obsessed with Cherry, and while Cherry has complained to her mother about the weird, uncomfortable attention he gives her, Zoe brushes it off because he has never actually touched her.

As we are drawn further into the lives of the two sisters in the present, we become intrigued by their past. What happened to them to cause the estrangement? Why has Cassie punished herself for the past two decades? What secrets does Zoe keep, and why is she determined to keep the gifted Cherry away from a career in music?

It takes a writer as talented as Weiner to present characters we grow to love and care for in spite of their obvious --- and sometimes not-so-obvious --- flaws. While none of us is perfect, some mistakes and heinous actions are worse than others. The question becomes whether or not one sister can overlook the betrayal by the other, a horrible twisting of facts and truth that caused emotional destruction.

This novel is one that begs to be a book club choice as there are numerous issues and themes to be explored. Discussions regarding sisterly love, sibling rivalry and parental love are obvious. But there are also questions about the music industry and what it demands of performers --- in terms of not just ability and genius, but also physical perfection, the men who take advantage of women who aspire to perform, and the record companies that abandon their talent the minute they bring in less money. Weiner also covers the change in the industry since the time before streaming music, YouTube videos and TikTok.

Weiner beautifully presents the part that music plays in our lives. The lyrics and the melodies that Cassie and Russell write appeal to girls who feel like outcasts. Their songs give hope to teenagers in the throes of depression and angst. The poetry they set to music helps heal the souls of a multitude of listeners, mostly girls. And that's what the best of music does for us. It completes us and can transport us to a better place.

In addition to the content of this wonderfully gripping and emotionally satisfying novel, there's the beauty of the physical hardcover. The deluxe limited edition's cover shows the silhouette of two girls, and the book has stenciled edges --- white musical notes on a purple background and beautifully illustrated endpapers. THE GRIFFIN SISTERS’ GREATEST HITS will be read and reread, and then passed on to friends to share.