The Secret Lives of Sisters

(Paperback)

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Description

Hannah has always felt in the shadow of her older sister, Cat. Cat is the flamboyant one, the one who can make everyone laugh. Hannah is so quiet that her parents often joke, Has Cat got your tongue' Now Hannah has a daughter of her own, who is about to get married. On the day of the wedding, Cat s caustic tongue is once again let loose with devastating consequences. As Hannah is compelled to examine her past and to try to make sense of her complicated relationship with her sister, she begins to unravel the secrets and lies on which their seemingly normal family was built. While the truth has the potential to finally unite the sisters, it also has the power to tear them apart for good. Linda Kelsey s new novel has all the emotional intelligence, warmth and honesty that characterised her debut, Fifty is Not a Four-letter Word. It s a novel for every woman with a sister, and every woman who ever wanted one.

Reviews

'The story that unfolds reads like a beautifully written memoir. The lonely formality of Hannah's l950s childhood, the tragic and disturbing loss of her mother in her early teens, her sexual awakening in l960s Paris and her eventual discovery of true love, followed by the heartbreaking loss of her husband, are all vividly and truthfully told. But it is the portrayal of her relationship with her sister that is most compelling. The vulnerability she feels about winning her sister's love and their see-sawing between adoration and rivalry is so astutely crafted that it is painful to read.' -- Telegraph On FIFTY IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD: 'Bridget Jones for grown-ups! ... Women "of a certain age" will relate to Hope as she struggles to make sense of her life. An enjoyable holiday read.' -- My Weekly 'The novel is fun and frothy and very good' -- Evening Standard 'A witty, involving novel' -- Easy Living 'Funny, perceptive - I absolutely loved it.' -- Penny Vincenzi 'This is a coming-of-age novel with a difference. The age in question is 50, which these days is arguably more difficult to handle than those awkward teenage years. Wise, witty and wonderful.' -- Sue Peart, You Magazine 'Funny, spiky, and with the ring of truth on every page' -- Rosie Thomas 'Funny, wise and proof that the perfect heroine doesn't have to be a chardonnay-swilling thirty-something, this made me laugh and weep from start to finish. Linda Kelsey has the knack of making you care about her characters and she deals with huge issues with the lightest touch. I wish I'd written this!' -- Cathy Kelly 'Funny, wise, true and not just for women of fifty!' -- Wendy Holden 'Compulsive and poignant with well drawn characters.' -- Catherine Alliott

Author Bio

Linda Kelsey is a former editor of Cosmopolitan and SHE, and twice awarded Editor of the Year. She is now a freelance journalist. She lives in London with her husband and son.