Book Review: Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah ~ Life Is Complicated

Pros: good depth to most characters and relationships, well-paced story

 Cons: the character of Bobby, some contrived moments, the ending

 Summary: There are things that could have been better in Between Sisters, but overall I did enjoy reading it and recommend it.

 Kristin Hannah is great at writing the tear-jerker. If you don’t want your emotional heart-strings pulled, she’s an author to avoid. However, if you enjoy that sort of fiction, there aren’t many that do it better. Her characters usually have a great deal of depth and follow a path that makes sense while the reader experiences the highs and lows of the emotional journey at this point in their lives with them.

 Between Sisters is one of those good reads. It tells the story of two siblings, Meghann Dontress and Claire Cavanaugh, who didn’t have everything going for them in their lives. Raised for the most part by an alcoholic, self-involved mother, Claire relied on Meghann to be the parental figure in their young lives. When their mother disappeared, Meghann made a decision that’s haunted both of them to this day and fractured their relationship.

 Now adults, Meghann is a successful divorce lawyer. She’s a partner in a practice in Seattle, and has everything to show for it, except for any personal connections. One marriage ended in divorce and she now bounces from relationship to relationship, never allowing anyone to get too close. Claire went to live with her biological father in a more nurturing environment, but her life has not been roses and sunshine either. Although she’s happy being a single mother in the small town they live in, there are issues and regrets in her own life.

 Claire meets and quickly falls for Bobby, a broke country singer. Meghann has a crisis of faith with regard to her work and decides to take a break at the same time Bobby proposes to Claire. This puts the two of them at odds at a time the two should be closer. Instead of being a time to heal, the impending nuptials feel more like a divide between the sisters, especially with Meghann pushing for a prenuptial agreement. As usual, instead of dealing with the issue at hand, Meghann runs into the arms of a stranger and finds Joe, who is trying to cure his own demons. These lives swirl together in a series of events that will either bring the family closer together or break them apart forever.

 Yes, this is an emotional tear-jerker that kept me turning the page, although not quite as good at evoking the tears as other books by Hannah I’ve read. I think the reason for that is the ending. It’s a little disappointing and too much of a happily-ever-after fairytale. I think there could have been ways of handling the situation that was much more realistic, if a little sadder. There are a few other contrivances in the book, but none of those bothered me as much as the ending.

 The rest of the book was solid. Meghann and Claire have a complicated relationship and it’s not always clear to the reader exactly why there is so much of a strain between them. Yes, it’s obvious that in many ways Meghann is jealous of what Claire has with the friends and family that surround her in a simple small town, but there seems to be more to it. Hannah does a great job slowly revealing the history of the two women in conjunction with what’s happening now, without dragging it along too much. With the exception of Bobby, the characters have a real feel to them too. They are multi-dimensional with tons of history and baggage. Bobby is a bit of a caricature in that everything that sends up warning signs for him isn’t possibly as bad as it seems, he’s good looking, a good singer, etc. who just hasn’t had anything break right for him in his life until he meets Claire and then it’s love at first sight. I have to say, my reaction would probably be more along the lines of Meghann’s as well. His character is hard to believe.

 Aside from that, I did enjoy reading Between Sisters. It was a page-turner with complicated relationships. A few moments that feel forced along with the ending make it feel less than perfect, but compared to some other chick-lit books that are entirely too saccharine, this is a good read.







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