This list was interesting to put together because each of these books has an extremely similar underlying theme and yet ultimately they all appear to be completely different, which makes sense since they are all rather different. I say that because each of these books focuses on the same thing, the bond between sisters, but manifests that in drastically different ways. Now I don’t know much about the sisterly bond because my sisters don’t act anything remotely similar to what is shown in these books but from what I see in these books it is supposed to be about supporting and taking care of each other, no matter what they are up against. The idea of that does rather grab your attention doesn’t it. In each of these books there is a set of two sisters who seem to care deeply about each other even when also being surprisingly antagonistic to each other as well. The core theme though is that there is a bond of some sort between the two sisters. I wasn’t sure what order to go with for this list so I am just going to dive right in.
- Serial Killer Support Group
My first choice is a book that was actually included in a previous list so you may already be familiar with it. It is Serial Killer Support Group by Saratoga Schaefer and I picked this book for my list because it is supposedly about the bond between Cyra, the protagonist, and her younger sister Mira whose death she spends the whole book trying to avenge. Don’t know about you but that does give the impression of a deep bond between the siblings. The problem with this particular example though is that we also really only get to see Cyra’s perspective on that bond since Mira is dead before the book opens. What is shown about the bond is that Cyra is ridiculously overprotective of her younger sister which is not entirely unexpected all things considered. I will say that there are times where it feels overexaggerated and like Cyra is using that supposed bond as an excuse but it also still gives the impression that the bond is there and real nonetheless. This is probably not an example of a healthy sisterly bond but it is definitely a prominent part of the overall story.
2. Blood Will Tell
My second choice is similar in some aspects regarding the sisterly bond but different in others. Blood Will Tell by Heather Chavez is about the bond between Frankie Barrera and her younger sister Izzy. Due to various reasons, Frankie often ended up playing the role of surrogate mom for Izzy growing up and this left her feeling like she has to clean Izzy’s messes and mistakes. Honestly, I would say that their bond is only marginally healthier than the one between Cyra and Mira but in this book Frankie doesn’t take that overprotectiveness too far. She is willing to admit that she might have in the past and that now she has to let Izzy actually grow up. Not something that comes easy for her but that she is willing to do when she realizes the results and consequences of her previous behavior. The bond between the two is again a prominent theme in the story but much like the previous book there is a small problem though. The story is told almost entirely from Frankie’s perspective and only the flashbacks are Izzy’s which again provides a slightly lopsided picture of what their relationship actually is. Luckily that is not the case in my last two picks.
3. Practical Magic
My next pick is a book that is about two sisters and how they pick their relationship back up after years apart. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman is about Sally and Gillian Owens, two sisters whose paths diverged when they each found their own route to escape the family legacy of being known as witches. The book primarily takes place years later though when Gillian shows up needing help from Sally and Sally, though reluctant, provides it. I know this book is about the bond between the sisters but there are a lot more aspects to this one than the previous ones. There is the definite slightly overprotectiveness coming from Sally towards Gillian due to her being the older sister and stepping in after their parents passed but there is more to it than that. Sally also shows some possible resentment that Gillian acted like nothing ever actually mattered to her and was so willing to hide or overlook their relationship at times. Gillian just wants her sister to be happy but struggles to understand that their ideas of happiness are completely different. This sisterly bond is definitely different in many ways than the other two books show. I feel like this one is probably the more realistic depiction of that bond.
4. Sisters of the Great War
My last choice is perhaps the more interesting of the ones I have picked as it shows a more unusual version of the sisterly bond. Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman is about Ruth and Elise Duncan and covers their lives during WWI. Unlike the previous books listed, this book shows the bond as being uncaring and blind support for each other. Ruth wants to be a doctor so Elise jumps right in to helping her figure out how she can achieve that, even if that means she has to defy their father and leave home to learn overseas. When they realise that part of the plan, Elise jumps right in and is like if you are going to serve in the war then I am going with you, so she does by enlisting as an ambulance driver and mechanic. As the story progresses and Elise starts struggling with her feelings for a fellow female driver, Ruth talks her off the ledge and shows support for her as she works through the idea. I can’t think of any major incident in this story where they weren’t like that. This probably is not an extremely realistic portrayal of the bond between sisters but it does give a pretty good example to strive toward nonetheless. There are probably other books out there that also highlight the bond between sisters so if you are aware of any feel free to recommend them in the comments as these are just some of the ones I am aware of. Hope you enjoyed this month’s list.