The
Sisters Of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen – 4 Stars
Two
sisters in this novel set in the Midwest during the Great Depression. Each sister has something that she wishes she
had, that her sister has. Neither is
truly happy. Their Mother finds a way to
bring them together after years of not seeing each other and hopes that she can
restore peace between these two, but Mom has her own secrets. One of the sisters’ husband has the infamous
“sleeping sickness” which was a real thing I’d never heard of. The other married to a doctor works as a
Betty, one of the many “Betty’s” working in Betty Crocker’s test kitchen which
was another thing I didn’t know was such a big deal back in the day. The book was an interesting read, but it
didn’t pull me in and keep me so interested that I couldn’t put it down. It may have been me, I had injured my leg and
was recovering while trying to read the book, picking it up and putting it
down. The book was good, historically
correct, very interesting. I did like
the book!
This
book was received through NetGalley.com in the kindle format. I voluntarily
read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are
my own. #TheSistersOfSummitAvenue.
#Netgalley #LynnCullen.
Description
From
Lynn Cullen, the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s
End, comes a powerful novel set in the Midwest during the Great Depression,
about two sisters bound together by love, duty, and pain.
Ruth has been single-handedly raising four young daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for eight long years, ever since her husband, John, fell into a comatose state, infected by the infamous “sleeping sickness” devastating families across the country. If only she could trade places with her older sister, June, who is the envy of everyone she meets: blonde and beautiful, married to a wealthy doctor, living in a mansion in St. Paul. And June has a coveted job, too, as one of “the Bettys,” the perky recipe developers who populate General Mills’ famous Betty Crocker test kitchens. But these gilded trappings hide sorrows: she has borne no children. And the man she used to love more than anything belongs to Ruth.
When the two sisters reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making. And their mother, Dorothy, who’s brought the two of them together, has her own dark secrets, which might blow up the fragile peace she hopes to restore between her daughters.
An emotional journey of redemption, inner strength, and the ties that bind families together, for better or worse, The Sisters of Summit Avenue is a heartfelt love letter to mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere.
Ruth has been single-handedly raising four young daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for eight long years, ever since her husband, John, fell into a comatose state, infected by the infamous “sleeping sickness” devastating families across the country. If only she could trade places with her older sister, June, who is the envy of everyone she meets: blonde and beautiful, married to a wealthy doctor, living in a mansion in St. Paul. And June has a coveted job, too, as one of “the Bettys,” the perky recipe developers who populate General Mills’ famous Betty Crocker test kitchens. But these gilded trappings hide sorrows: she has borne no children. And the man she used to love more than anything belongs to Ruth.
When the two sisters reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making. And their mother, Dorothy, who’s brought the two of them together, has her own dark secrets, which might blow up the fragile peace she hopes to restore between her daughters.
An emotional journey of redemption, inner strength, and the ties that bind families together, for better or worse, The Sisters of Summit Avenue is a heartfelt love letter to mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere.
