Reviewed by Fionnuala Kearney
I read Linda Kelsey’s first book Fifty Is Not a Four Letter Word a few months ago and so had a sense I would enjoy this one too.
Hannah and Cat are typical sisters, different yet the same, enemies yet best friends. Their privileged childhood with a remote unfeeling mother, a vibrant gambling father, a housekeeper who loves Hannah and loathes Cat, provides the early backdrop for the sister’s increasingly complicated relationship. Now adults, Cat is a successful single fashion designer while Hannah, a widowed mother of two is herself a successful business woman.
A tightly written mixture of present day narrative and flashbacks reveal the secrets and lies behind Hannah and Cat’s apparently "normal" family. When Hannah’s daughter’s wedding day acts as a catalyst for the truth, will the explosive mix of their past, present and future unite them or sever their link forever?
Linda Kelsey’s strong characterisation and well crafted story had me wanting more and I read the book in two sessions, with only a break for lunch in between. She has a knack of getting under her character’s skin and her insightful concise dialogue never wastes a word.
Only nitpick for me (without offering spoilers) was the sub plot love interest at the end. It didn’t feel real in an otherwise real book and indeed spoiled the ending for me. Only the ending, mind…
Rating: 4/5
Like this? Try Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane
