(Image from Barnes & Noble)
After the trauma of losing their mother and youngest sister in a sudden storm, none of the remaining Hemingway sisters had any reason to stay in their tiny hometown in the Ozarks. As soon as they were old enough to leave Cold River, Missouri, they did. The only thing that could bring the three sisters back is the death of the aunt who raised them. As the women return to the dilapidated ancestral farmhouse where they grew up, they're filled with grief, anxiety, and fear. All of them are harboring secrets they haven't shared with the others. When Aunt Bea posthumously lets out a few of her own skeletons, the Hemingway sisters are thrown for a dizzying, unexpected loop.
As Hadley, Pfeiffer, and Martha try to puzzle out a family mystery, they must come together in a way they haven't since they were children. With the help of friends old and new, including an affectionate basset hound who adopts them despite their protests, they will discover that the happiness and fulfillment which has been so elusive to all of them might just be waiting in the exact place they never expected to find it—home.
I love books about sisters, family secrets, and coming home, so a story that combines all three is always going to appeal to me. The Sisters Hemingway by Annie England Noblin offers this bewitching trifecta in an engaging novel that is compelling, upbeat, and enjoyable. I would have liked a stronger mystery plot, but really it's the relationship between the sisters that is at the heart of this novel. And while none of the women are all that original or exciting, they're all sympathetic and likable. I cared about what happened to them. There were a few holes in the novel's plot that had me scratching my head and I got a good laugh out of Noblin's description of driving a new Tesla with "keys" and an engine that "purred" (we use an app on our phones to drive ours [with a slim key card as a back-up] and the engine is eerily silent, an oddity that a first-time electric car driver would definitely notice). Overall, though, I found The Sisters Hemingway to be an easy, entertaining read that I liked but didn't love.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of Joshilyn Jackson's Southern family sagas, especially Almost Sisters)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (one F-bomb plus milder expletives) and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Sisters Hemingway from the generous folks at William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins) via those at TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Interested in more opinions on The Sisters Hemingway? Follow along on the book's blog tour by clicking the links below:
I just noticed that you are listing how many books you've read for each state (on the right of your blog). What a great idea. I'm just listing the first one I read for a state, but I like the idea of counting as well.
ReplyDeleteSisters...Family secrets...yep! Sounds like one I would enjoy. Thanks. I’ll put it on my list.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes find when your book is around 3 (or more) characters it's really hard for them to all be likable, so I'm really glad that's the case here. It's hard for me to get into a book if I don't really like who I'm reading about. Thanks for being on this tour!
ReplyDeleteSara @ TLC Book Tours
For me to like a book like this it has to be written really, really well. But I'm glad you enjoyed this one. And that whole thing about driving a Tesla totally made me laugh. :D
ReplyDeleteOh too funny about the Tesla stuff. I've never driven one so I didn't notice but I can definitely see why you got a laugh out of it! I just finished this one and felt much the same way about it. Good read though not perfect.
ReplyDelete