Sunday, March 2, 2008

Book Review #2

The Secret Sisters by Joni Rodgers

I just finished this book today......and I must admit I was rushing to get through it because I wanted to move onto something new. I picked this book up on the new arrivals shelf at the library thinking it sounded interesting, which it was but not in the way I typically like. I am the happy ending, easy pleasant read, get a glimpse into someone else's life kind of read. Don't get me wrong, this one filled several of those things just not the easy pleasant read part.

This is the tale of 2 sisters and one sister-in-law (sounds kind of like my last book review doesn't it?!) Each is struggling with their own loss (again, it's sounding like my last review) and as the book moves along they are working through their own isses (yes, it is a different book, I had to go back and check to make sure tho!). Pia, sister number one, is devastated when her husband dies unexpectantly. She had been an extremely capable, high power lawyer who traveled and worked all the time. The untimely death of her husband sends her into a tail spin and she becomes someone totally different. She can't fly, she doesn't like to leave the house, she won't go back to her job. She does get remarried but she attempts to take her life and still has a very difficult time just functioning. A chance meeting with an antique dealer is the beginning on a new friendship. Daphne is quite the character and I found myself not really liking her....feeling she was taking advantage of Pia when she was weak and at the end I find out why I didn't like her. Her relationship with Daphne, no matter Dahpne's intentions did end up being a good thing for Pia because she does appear to break free of her issues through her friendship with Daphne. There is an interesting twist at the very end of the book regarding Daphne which really took me by surprise!

Pia's sister, Lily is in jail throughout the entire book. She tried many times unsuccessfully to get out on parole and as time goes on, she becomes more and more jaded. She is 'courted' by a guard who she wants nothing to do with. You see her progression to healing most strongly close to the end of the book. A cathartic outburst during a parole hearing was just what she needed to begin to let go.

Beth, the sister in law to Lily and Pia has the smallest role but one that ties the entire book together. Her daughter, Easter was 6 years old when she was killed in a car accident.......Lily was driving the car! Beth struggles with 'good days' and 'not good days' the few times we see her in the book. She has a great deal of anger toward Lily and attends each of Lily's parole hearings to make sure she does not get out.

What I found interesting about this book was the way the author worked the characters and the people in their lives. Pia interacted with Lily quite a bit at first but then gradually pulled away so each of them becomes very 'on their own' but it doesn't really speak to why they pulled away except that Pia moves away and can't visit Lily as much. Also, Pia has 2 sons and they are in the beginning of the book briefly but go off to college and pretty much disappear from further mention. If I as any good at all about reading the hidden meanings I would know what all these things mean............but I have never been too good about symbolism.

I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars in my book diary..........mainly because I found myself rushing through the end. Everytime I want to get done with a book (skipping over lots of paragraphs and words just to get done versus loving it so much I want to keep reading!) I give it a low score...it's lost my interest but I just can't stand to not finish it. I am at least interested enough to want to know how it ends.

Fiction/358 pages

No comments: