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Sisterland
Linda Newbery Random House Children's Books, 2004 |
I thoroughly enjoyed Linda Newbery’s Sisterland. The story jumps from the main character, Hilly, at present times back to the days of her grandmother, Heidi, during WWII. I believe that the title of this book pretty much summarizes the story. Hilly and her sister clash and it takes a frightening situation to bring them together.
The story takes place in England. Hilly’s family takes on the burden of bringing her grandmother to live with them. She is suffering from Alzheimer’s and it has become unsafe for her to life alone. At first, this addition seems unbearable. Heidi is extremely emotional one moment and perfectly normal the next. Every member of the family feels the strain of caring for her, but it is not until the end that Hilly discovers the secrets of her grandmother’s true past.
I would recommend this book to any reader, but especially to girl readers. I am an only child, but the sisterly relationships were definitely touching. I don’t mean to discourage any guys, though. I believe this book would fit on anyone’s reading list. The story was relatively realistic and probably someone between 12 and 18 years of age would appreciate it the most. (The main character is about 18 years old). The dialogue struck me as simplistic- almost juvenile- but the author dealt with other issues such as sex and death. The characters are pleasantly delightful and I found their speech very interesting (they are English). All in all, I loved Sisterland - a charming tale about the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood and the lengths we go to for those we love.
~ Sara Moledor, 12th grade, Firestone High School in Akron, OH