(Hodder & Stroughton, Hachette 2021)

A story that stays with you long after you’ve shut the novel, and tried sleeping on it afterward. The core of this rather remarkable novel by Hepworth, who is a consummate storyteller, is told in the voices of the two GOOD sisters, and is deceptively quirky for starters. One wonders on as to who in fact is the good sister. Well, you have to listen in, read on and figure out after every little chapter, is Fern the good sister, or is it Rose?

So, while the premise is simple enough- fraternal twins growing up with an outlandish mother, who appears to be narcissistic, totally self-obsessed and can’t hold on to any one relationship, it is not quite as simple as one might believe.

Fern is special because of neuro-linguistic difficulties, and is definitely the brighter of the two sisters and better-loved of the two too. Rose is a fighter, who must constantly win her mother’s approval against all odds.

The writing is quirky, witty and leads us one way, then another. Both Rose and Fern have distinct voices and tell their story via their inimitable and distinct perceptions of reality.

What is real, is the question, that hovers around after you’ve read about fifty percent of the book.

This isn’t touted to be a mystery thriller – yet it does turn out to be one, a psychological one in fact.

I was completely taken by the narrative style, the power of the relationships that hold their own and grow in strength.

A little about the characters : Fern works in the library and it lends her the routine she requires to keep her head above water. She can’t stand loud noises, or lights. Wally (Rocco) is the man Fern discovers in the library one fine day. They form a relationship because Fern decides that she must have a baby for the sake of her sister who is incapable of birthing one herself.

Rose, on the other hand has juvenile diabetes and a boyfriend named Owen. She is not someone to be ignored is all I can say.

The story is wound around the perceptions of reality of the two sisters. We believe what we wish to believe as a reader.

There is mystery, there is fear, there is grief and there are tears.

The two sisters blend two opposite ends of the spectrum seamlessly, where one ends, the other begins. Is this love? Is it dependance? Is there a simple definition of what the two have shared all their lives? Nope.

Some quotes here about what sisterhood might mean to many of us:

In Fern’s voice:

“Sisterly relationships are so strange in this way. The way I can be mad at Rose but still want to please her. Be terrified of her and also want to run to her. Hate her and love her, Both at the same time. Maybe when it comes to sisters, boundaries are always a little bit blurry. Blurred boundaries, I think, are what sisters do best.”

I also liked this because I believe it to be true: “Angry is just a pen name for sad,” Janet had explained. “In my experience, nine times out of ten if you are kind to the angry person, you will calm them down and find out what is really going on with them.”

Pick it up, because once you’ve sunk your teeth into this one, you shan’t put it down. It draws you in pretty fast.

©kamalininatesanSept2021