"Sisters, Sisters, there were never such devoted sisters," goes the song but in reality the relationship between sisters is much messier and more complex.
As someone with a brother I've long been fascinated by the relationship between sisters and fiction that turns around this complicated dynamic always attracts me.
Here are some brilliant books about sisters - the good, the bad and everything in between!
The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce
I’ve been a fan of Rachel Joyce’s writing since her debut, The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry. Her new novel is a darker book in tone and subject, but equally compelling.
Having lost their mum when they were young, Goose and his three sisters have been raised by their dad, Vic, a world-famous artist whose parenting style could at best be described as laissez-faire and at worst neglectful. A big drinker and womaniser, Vic is a larger-than-life presence who dominates the family.
When he announces in his 70s that he’s planning to marry a woman nearly 50 years his junior, his children are baffled. Over the next couple of months, he begins to pull away – only contacting them to let them know he’s taken his new wife, Bella-Mae, to the family’s holiday home on an island in Italy to paint ‘a new masterpiece’. Then they receive a shocking call; their father has drowned in suspicious circumstances in Lake Orta.
During a scaldingly hot Italian summer, the siblings gather at the house to try to understand what has happened and locate the missing painting. Once Bella-Mae joins them there, things begin to unravel and revelations and long-held grudges come spilling out, leaving the once-close siblings estranged from one another. Long after I finished the last page, I found I missed these characters – always the sign of a special book.
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
Another atmospheric, eerie tale from the author of bestseller Weyward. In 2019, Lucy wakes with her hands around her ex-boyfriend’s throat after sleepwalking to his room; in 1800, Mary and Eliza are being transported to Australia on a convict ship when they notice strange changes to their bodies.
Nuclear Family by Kate Davies
When Lena decides to surprise her twin sister, Alison, and father, Tom, with DNA testing kits for Christmas, it opens up a whole can of worms – not least concerning the identity of the girls’ biological father and whether they should try to find him. I loved this funny, thoughtful book about identity and what family really means.
Girls by Kirsty Capes
Sisters Mattie and Nora are estranged after a turbulent childhood with their bohemian artist mother. When a new exhibition of her work is planned, the two women come together to try to stop a biographer who’s getting too close to the truth. There are lots of big emotions in this heartfelt read, but humour, too.
The Castaways by Lucy Clarke
After Lori boards an island-hopping flight on a holiday to Fiji, her sister Erin is horrified to discover the plane nor her sibling ever arrived at their destination in this escapist thriller set on a paradise island.
The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes
When eldest sister Olwen goes off-grid, the other three Flattery daughters set out to find her. The new novel from rising Irish star Hughes is a thought-provoking, gorgeously written look at the meaning of sisterhood and the many ways of showing care.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
This modern-day homage to the literary classic Little Women is the story of the four Padavano sisters, who are close in age – and in every other way. Into this happy family comes William, boyfriend of the eldest sister Julia, whose trauma from his difficult childhood threatens to shake the sisters’ loyalty to one another.
Circus Of Mirrors by Julie Owen Moylan
Fans of Cabaret will love this atmospheric historical novel set in the glittery world of the Babylon Circus underground club in 1920s Berlin. Nearly 40 years later, two sisters look back on their time there and the difficult decisions they had to make to survive after the deaths of both their parents.
Playing Games by Huma Qureshi
Sisters Mira and Hana share the same birthday, two years apart, but their relationship has become increasingly strained as they’ve got older. When Mira overhears an argument between Hana and her husband, she uses it as inspiration for the play she has long been trying to write, but at what cost? Qureshi brilliantly captures the complexities of sisterhood in this intimate novel.
I'm Sorry You Feel That Way by Rebecca Wait
This family drama, about twin sisters and their dominant mother, hits that sweet spot between poignancy and humour. All three characters are flawed and relatable in their own ways and the dynamic between them is so believable.
My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes
No one writes about messy, imperfect lives as well as Keyes. Her latest warm and witty story sees Anna Walsh (what a joy to be back with the Walsh sisters!) chuck in her life in New York and come home to Ireland. When she takes a job doing PR for a hotel, she becomes caught up in a tussle with locals – and one of her few allies is a man from her past with whom she has unfinished business.
This Could Be Everything by Eva Rice
The author of The Lost Art Of Keeping Secrets returns with another moving novel about sisterhood, grief and first love. February Kingdom hasn’t left the house in the six months since her twin sister died, but could an escaped canary and the boy he belongs to give her a reason to rejoin the world?
The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore
Sisters Rachel, Imogen and Sasha are all trying to escape the long shadow cast by their parents’ tumultuous marriage. As their mother approaches her 60th birthday, family secrets threaten to come out that will devastate them all. Read this terrific debut for the compelling characters and the gorgeous descriptions of the Isle of Wight.
Dialogue Books The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Twin sisters Desiree and Stella are brought up together but their lives diverge completely as adults, with one sister staying in the predominantly-Black community where they grew up and the other marries a white man and passes as white. A clever and emotionally powerful read.
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
The four Sorensen sisters have grown up in the shadow of their parents all-consuming love and are struggling to find their own happy-ever-afters. When the baby middle sister, Violet, gave up for adoption 15 years ago as a teenager turns up, it affects the whole family. The sisters’ relationships with each other are messy, complicated, loving and so, so realistically described. A terrific and satisfying read to get lost in.
