Henry's Sisters

Being invited into the lives of the Bommarito sisters, Cecilia, Isabel, and Janie with their addled grandmother, who believes she is a famous woman pilot, their mentally challenged brother Henry, who exudes love to all he sees, and their narcissist mother, was quite the visitation for me!!!! Cathy Lamb brings to life this dysfunctional family that fight to repair the wrongs of a tragic childhood and foster safer, enriching adulthoods. This doesn't occur overnight; the characters all have their funny peccadilloes as well as disturbing traits. Their goals are waged, their prices paid. As a reader I empathized, cringed, laughed uproariously and sobbed my heart out under the tutelage of Cathy Lamb, brilliant wordsmith and divine character writer. Lamb has become a "must read author" for me and that is no small feat. I am a bibliophile and very picky so to evoke this much sentiment for a novel I read weeks ago speaks volumes to it's authenticity and powerful prose. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Even though the Bommarito sister's, Isabelle, Janie and Cecelia are close emotionally, they've all moved away from Trillium River, except for Cecelia. That is until they receive one of their mothers infamous pink notes beckoning them home. She's having surgery and needs the girls to come home and take care of their grandmother and mentally challenged brother, as well as run the family bakery. Each sister has her reasons for not wanting to return home. But the one reason they all have in common is the very reason they are asked to return - their mother River. River is, well, a bitch. She is cruel and mean and spiteful. No one wants to be around her. But the women all realize that while they may not want to help their mother, their brother and grandmother need them. Isabelle (Cecelia's fraternal twin) lives a lonely, dark, depressing, self destructive lifestyle. Well known for her award winning photographs, she doesn't let anyone "in". Living a life full of traveling to third world countries, drinking Kahlua for breakfast, and hanging out her loft window naked (who cares if the people in the other building can see), she is afraid to commit and spends her nights with one night stands. One of which may just might get her killed. Janie is a famous mystery author who leads a life alone on her houseboat. She hates going out and will only do so when necessary. She also has OCD and her rituals are very important to her. When Isabelle comes to discuss the pink letter from their mother, she forces her to walk out and come back in because she did not have a smile on her face when she came in the first time. Sweet, loving, quiet Janie spends her day thinking of the most gruesome ways in which to kill people in her books. Ideas that fill her head day and night. Janie is afraid that if she returns home to the harshness of her mothers tongue she will further retreat into her self as opposed to the centered calm self she is while on her houseboat. And what happens when poor frumpy Janie faces the potential of falling in love? Cecelia is a bitter, harsh kindergarten teacher who has remained close to the family home to help care for her family. She also is not even close to being afraid of speaking her mind. Often hitting below the belt with the venom she spews. She's extremely overweight as she continually shoves food in her mouth to compensate for the hurt she is feeling. The hurt from a father that left them when they were young, and the hurt of a ass of a husband who is cheating on her with a bimbo. She also has two beautiful daughters. One who spends each month "trying on" different religions, and one who is so unsure of her self, pulls her hair out a strand at a time. Henry is beautiful. While he is mentally challenged, he doesn't have a care in the world. He loves the work he does at the bakery, the shelter and the church. He is the light of his sisters lives. They will, and have, fought for him. Both physically and emotionally. There is nothing they

I would like to tell everyone to read this book! It was one of those books that I am never going to forget and will reread again. Thank you so much is order to Cathy Lamb for a brilliant storyline about a family that is so dysfunctional yet so utterly charming, although they will make you cry and then laugh a page later! All I can say again is...Thank you..Thank you..Thank you! Not sure why all of the reviews are under Kindle. I read this in paperback.

This author never lets me down! I laughed and cried. What a great escape this book gave me. If could meet the author I would love to tell her thank you for the entertainment.

This is an exceptionally poignant story, of love, loss, family and self awareness. I was up all night reading it and am emotionally drained but very glad I read this well written book.