[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Edelweiss+ and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
When Bill Sweeney passed away, it was big news. He was famous in the literary world. And he had been working on a new memoir. The one about his deceased wife had been extremely well-received. The publishing world could only dream of what Bill might share next from his personal life.
The Sweeney sisters come home for the funeral: dutiful Liza who lives nearby, flighty and emotional Maggie the artist, and Tricia, the baby – the most controlled and put together of the bunch.
The Sweeney sisters have generally had good relationships with one another. Different circumstances bring out different pairings and alliances. But in a crisis like burying their father, handling the estate, and finding his final missing manuscript, they pull together. But their father’s death raises a new, unforeseen wrinkle.
There is a fourth Sweeney sister.
Thanks to a DNA test, Serena discovers Bill Sweeney was her biological father. This leaves the original Sweeney sisters reeling and wondering what agenda Serena might bring to their task of managing Bill’s estate. Will Serena capitalize on the scandal with a book of her own? Is she only there for whatever money she can squeeze from the estate? And what might the missing memoir have to say about Bill’s infidelity and his surprise heir?
Review
I enjoyed this novel about sisterhood and legacy. The blurbs promised me “belly laughs” and something “uproarious.” But I didn’t find much hilarity in this. It’s touching and nuanced as it explores the five main characters of the story – the sisters and their father.
The core of the book is the father’s death and what the loss means for the family, from dealing with the house to the search for the missing memoir. And there’s a good bit here about legacy. Those pieces of the story were good and engaging.
But the best part of the story for me was the exploration of sisterhood. The three main sisters have distinct personalities and bring a good amount of personal baggage into the grief journey. On their own, they are all dealing with something – Liza’s rocky marriage, Maggie’s flighty personality and work ethic and penchant for drama, and Tricia’s new romantic relationship. But in addition to their individual journeys there’s a great layer of sisterhood over the top.
The sisterhood pieces were fascinating to Serena as an outsider. She longs to be part of that dynamic, but she know she doesn’t really fit. I loved how she found her own way to step into the sisterly dance the other three already have going.
Readers who enjoy contemporary women’s fiction, family stories, and books with literary elements should not miss this one! (Language)