The Secret Sisters

This book is more than your regular sisterly hug-gy book which is I think what I was originally expecting from it. From examining the changes in 3 sisters lives, and their obvious impacts on each other, it charts new directions for each character and delves deeply into some of the places we can go if we truly look for new directions in our own lives. I was surprised by some of the relationship developments and delighted by the freedom the author allowed with one of the character's sense of her own sexuality. Friends had to put this one down because they were so bored by it, but I was glad I stuck it out.

Joni Rodgers is a new author for me and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book. One of the main reasons is that it is unlike any other book I've read, and another reason is that the characters face real life problems. How people cope with losing loved ones is something every reader can relate to - I know of two families who are dealing with the loss of a child and their lives are changed forever just as the characters in the book. As for the erotic theme - it was a surprise and it's great - I like a woman author who explores the sexual lives of older women who are starting over in a relationship - very good book!

The Secret Sisters is about love, loss, self-discovery, and reinvention. It is the story of Pia, Lily, and their sister-in-law Beth, three very different women. Pia is a career woman with a devoted husband and a perfect life. Lily is a party girl with a zest for life and a no-nonsense attitude. Beth is a former nun who left the religious life to marry and raise a daughter. Each woman experiences a life-shattering loss that leaves her completely lost and questioning everything that she once thought was true. The novel follows each of the three characters through the most turbulent period of her life. On parallel trajectories, the women fall and flounder, doing all the wrong things in their efforts to cope on their own. However before they can come to terms with their losses, each woman has to come to terms with herself and her own failures. In the end Pia, Lily, and Beth each receive inspiration from a most unsuspected source. And, it is only with the help of another person that each one can find the strength to accept herself and the situation, and have the purpose to reinvent herself and move on with her life. Rodgers uses a different narrative strategy for each of the women's stories to brilliant effect. The telling of each story seems custom-designed to her character. This split narrative both highlights the differences between the sisters and serves to make the characters more believable. To be honest, this book was not what I expected. The publisher's description does the book a disservice. It seems to promise something fantastical, something that the book does not really deliver. Armchair Interviews says: This is a shame because what Rodgers does deliver in The Secret Sisters is something much harder to achieve: a beautifully written book with three very true-to-life characters.

The Secret Sisters tells the story of three interconnected women: Pia, who faces the sudden unexpected loss of her husband; her sister Lily, who is doing jail time for a drunk driving accident; and their sister-in-law Beth, who is mourning the loss of her only child. Each of these three women responds to her loss in a very different manner. For Pia, she discovers new love, yet she is crippled by anxiety. Lily struggles to cope with her feelings of guilt while at the same time trying to deal with the rage which she attempts to hold inside. And Beth vacillates between good days and bad days, never quite striking a balance between the two. Pia's story quickly emerges as being the dominant one. Whereas the depiction of her emotional difficulties was both fascinating and true-to-life, the portrayal of her re-awakening felt less real, bordering on the bizarre. Lily initially presents as a somewhat unlikable character, but as the book wears on, it becomes easier to develop sympathy for her. Ultimately, however, is Beth's story that feels the most genuine; I was disappointed that her character was given the least amount of time. Still, I found each woman's experiences to be completely engrossing, and I finished the book in only two days. I would definitely recommend this novel to others, and I hope to read this author's previous works, including her memoir.

The Secret Sisters is my fifth book, and it's a bit of a departure from my previous work. I've always been a happy and optimistic person by nature-and I still am-but this novel definitely leans more toward tragedy than comedy. It's darker, more erotic, and more message-driven than anything else I've written. My prime directive is always to tell a great story, but deeply saddened by what I've seen happening in the world since 9-11, I wanted to tell a deeper, more thought-provoking tale this time. Pia's story is a parable about what we sacrifice when we embrace fear as a lifestyle. It's about the art of manipulation, the craft of seduction, and the blissful but dangerous state of denial. But it's also a story about redemption, empowerment, and accountability. Life is an adventure in self-discovery. Every character in every book I write is on a quest for peace and love, and I'm humbly grateful to all the readers who've opened their hearts and minds, engaged the page, and journeyed with me. Shalom and best ~ Joni Rodgers