WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS — MAY 23

Welcome to our weekly bookish event, Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill, at Breaking the Spine.

For those of us who are eagerly awaiting upcoming releases, Wednesdays are the chance to visit other blogs and find even more books to add to our lists.

Today I’ve selected a book from an author I’ve come to enjoy so much:  Amy Hatvany, whose newest release, The Language of Sisters, will be coming on 7/31/12.

A poignant novel about going home again—and how the most complex relationships can yield the most rewarding surprises.Ten years ago, Nicole Hunter left her troubled past behind her, unable to cope with the demands of a life with her disabled sister, Jenny. Though her search for happiness—both in career and love—has fallen short of her dreams, Nicole pretends that all is well. Then a shattering event turns her world upside down, and suddenly, she is back in her hometown, caring for her pregnant sister and trying to heal her embattled relationship with her mother.

Reunited with her family and forced to confront the guilt that haunts her, Nicole finally has the chance to be the sister she always wished she’d been. And when she is faced with the most difficult choice of her life, Nicole rediscovers the beauty of sisterhood—and receives a special gift that will change her life forever.

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I  love the cover, the blurb, and every book this author has brought out so far.  Now…I’m off to see what the rest of you have discovered!

INTRODUCING A NEW GENERATION OF SISTERS — A REVIEW

In this delightful tale of the imagined descendants of the characters from Little Women, we are introduced to a modern day family of sisters living in London. The three seem eerily like three of the sisters in the original tale, but with contemporary facets.

The mother, Fee, was a Bostonian who lived in a collective; when she met and fell in love with David, a Brit, she had some adjustments to make in creating a new life in England.

Soon we learn that Jo, from Little Women, was the great-great grandmother to the Atwater girls. Lulu, the middle sister, is the one who goes up to the attic one day to search for old recipes and discovers a cache of Great-Great-Grandmother Jo’s letters. Letters she wrote to Meg, to Amy, and even to Beth.

This discovery comes at an especially pivotal time in Lulu’s life, as she searches for what to do about her future. As she struggles to find something she is passionate enough about to make into a career, she also questions whether or not someone like her will ever find love.

Themes of identity, belonging, and family connections fill the pages of The Little Women Letters, and I was hooked from the beginning. We see a sampling of the letters interspersed with the daily lives of the sisters. I had trouble liking Sophie, the youngest sister, with her sarcastic tongue and her dramatic flair. Emma was easy to like, with her level head and sensible approach. But it was Lulu who captivated me, with her flaws and insecurities. Who wouldn’t love such a person?

Just as the characters in Little Women found a place in my heart, so did this new generation of sisters. This was a lovely book that is just calling out for a sequel, since I’m not feeling satiated by these characters. Five stars.