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The Bird Sisters (2011)

by Rebecca Rasmussen(Favorite Author)

3.28 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0307717968 (ISBN13: 9780307717962)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Crown

review 1: I enjoyed the structure of this novel. The back-and-forth in time, shifting between the two sisters' points of view—these are not easy maneuvers for even the most seasoned writers to execute with grace. That "The Bird Sisters" is Rebecca Rasmussen's debut novel makes her deft construction of a sprawling story all the more surprising. Yes, I did have to stop occasionally and figure out where I was in time. Yes, some of the flashbacks went on a bit long—particularly the ones that interrupted moments of great tension. But Rasmussen laced her secrets and quiet suspense through the narrative from the very beginning, pulling me to keep turning the pages of these short chapters. The sisters Twiss and Milly are drawn with clarity and empathy, though Milly's unfailing goodness ... moremade me wish sometimes for her to do something just slightly wicked. I was happiest when Twiss showed up in an active scene where her lines of dialogue cracked like an angry whip snapping up from the page. Rasmussen's portrayal of rural America, post-World War II, feels spot on, and we root and ache for Twiss, no matter how long it's been since we walked through adolescence. There was a special pleasure in getting to know "the bird sisters" as elders.
review 2: I have mixed feelings about this book. It wasn't a book that I couldn't put down, yet I found myself continuing to think about it and analyze it after finishing. The plot was unusual in a good way, and the author held my attention throughout the book as I wondered what kept the two spinster sisters living in their childhood home throughout their lives. The prose was flowing and descriptive, yet I did not find myself connecting with the characters, which is perhaps why I rated the book a three. I liked the sisters better in the end when I had the full picture of their motivations. less

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