I’m one of three sisters and a major strength of this story for me was the way in which the author captured so convincingly not only the complex mix of fierce rivalry, loyalty and love which permeates relationships between sisters, but also the powerful and unexpected ways in which old patterns of behaviour are likely to be resurrected whenever siblings get together! There were moments when I thought that some of the interactions between Lottie and Tina stretched my credulity, with many of their “out of character” decisions feeling far too exaggerated, However, I think that many of her reflections on how, at times of crisis, people can reassess their relationships and make changes which will strengthen their bonds, were very acutely observed. Initially I did find myself feeling very irritated by Tina’s manipulative, and at times childish, behaviour in relation to Lottie but, as the story progressed and it became clearer that Tina was far more vulnerable than she at first appeared, this feeling lessened – although it didn’t completely disappear!
In an unexpected and unplanned way, the sisters are joined on their journey by an ex-boyfriend of Tina and, whilst he becomes a useful conduit for some of the plot development and the insights into what makes each of the sisters tick, I found his presence, and several scenarios which resulted, just a bit too contrived. Some of the other characters the trio met during their journey did add an enjoyable dimension to the developing story – even if some of them did seem rather clichéd!
When the author rediscovered the very detailed journal she had kept many years ago, when she and her sister had embarked on a road trip in America, she realised she wanted to reflect on sisterly bonds by writing a novel based on those experiences. As the road trip in her story followed almost exactly the same route as the one she and her sister had undertaken, her lyrical descriptions of the places Lottie and Tina visited, as well as the changing scenery they encountered, felt evocatively authentic, adding an important depth and enjoyment to my reading experience. I think that without this I would probably have found the story rather too insubstantial. However, on balance I found this an entertaining, enjoyable and, at times, thought-provoking read.
In an unexpected and unplanned way, the sisters are joined on their journey by an ex-boyfriend of Tina and, whilst he becomes a useful conduit for some of the plot development and the insights into what makes each of the sisters tick, I found his presence, and several scenarios which resulted, just a bit too contrived. Some of the other characters the trio met during their journey did add an enjoyable dimension to the developing story – even if some of them did seem rather clichéd!
When the author rediscovered the very detailed journal she had kept many years ago, when she and her sister had embarked on a road trip in America, she realised she wanted to reflect on sisterly bonds by writing a novel based on those experiences. As the road trip in her story followed almost exactly the same route as the one she and her sister had undertaken, her lyrical descriptions of the places Lottie and Tina visited, as well as the changing scenery they encountered, felt evocatively authentic, adding an important depth and enjoyment to my reading experience. I think that without this I would probably have found the story rather too insubstantial. However, on balance I found this an entertaining, enjoyable and, at times, thought-provoking read.