The Sweeney Sisters
Ratings1
Average rating4
15
Ratings1
Average rating4
"This is a big-hearted belly-laugh of a book, told with wit and poignancy. Family secrets, laughter and tears, shocking reveals, and an uplifting ending make this a story to savor--and share."--Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost and Found Bookshop An accomplished storyteller returns with her biggest, boldest, most entertaining novel yet—a hilarious, heartfelt story about books, love, sisterhood, and the surprises we discover in our DNA. Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature. But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister. When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now. Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story? By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family. "Dolan uses her experience in podcasting with her own sisters to craft believable women characters who worry about real problems and use wry humor to push through dark moments . . . . A warmhearted portrait of love embracing true hearts."—Kirkus
Reviews with the most likes.
We chose this book for book club this year and after reading it I'm thrilled to talk to the author at our meeting this week! This is a story of three sisters who find out some shocking secrets after their father dies. It's also a story of family, sisterhood, forgiveness and growing into the person you are meant to be. All of the sisters in the novel face their own challenges, and they each deal with them in their own personal way. While the characters are not always likeable, they are very real and the story is very satisfying to read. By the midpoint of the story I was rooting for all of them. I was also looking forward to reading this book due to the setting in New England, and I'm a New England girl at heart. On Lian Dolan's website there are pictures of the town that serves as inspiration for the novel's setting. I can totally relate to
If you are looking for a book to finish out your summer or prepare for all the holiday family gatherings this year, I would recommend this one. I feel like this is a good book club choice, also, as there is a lot to discuss about the story and the choices the characters make.
Read about 30% before I called it quits. The writing is an absurd amount of telling in too long sentences instead of showing.. and way too much passive tense... which are slowly becoming my super pet peeves. I think the story is good, so I was almost willing to forgive the weird passive writing, but it was too much to handle in the end. Sorry, beautiful cover.. but DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.
