The good sister

The good sister

Sally Hepworth

Book - 2021

"Sally Hepworth, the author of The Mother-In-Law, delivers a knock-out of a novel about the lies that bind two sisters. From the outside, everyone might think Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be: Rose is the responsible one, with a home and a husband and a fierce desire to become a mother. Fern is the quirky one, the free spirit, the librarian who avoids social interaction and whom the world might just describe as truly odd. But the sisters are devoted to one another and Rose has always been Fern's protector from the time they were small. Fern needed protecting because their mother was a true sociopath who hid her true nature from the world, and only Rose could see it. Fern always saw the good in everyone. Years ago,... Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. When Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart's desire of having a baby, Rose realizes with growing horror that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn't realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And that their mother might have the last word after all. Spine tingling, creepy, utterly compelling and unpredictable, The Good Sister is about the ties that bind sisters together...and about the madness that lurks where you least expect it"--

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Subjects
Sisters > Fiction.
Surrogate motherhood > Fiction.
Family secrets > Fiction.
Librarians > Fiction.
Domestic fiction.
Thrillers (Fiction)
Novels.
Genres
Domestic fiction
Thrillers (Fiction)
Novels
Published
New York : St. Martin's Press 2021.
Language
English
Main Author
Sally Hepworth (author)
Edition
First U.S. edition
Physical Description
309 pages ; 25 cm
ISBN
9781250120953
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Hepworth's latest (after The Mother-in-Law, 2019) further solidifies her place among the top domestic suspense authors. Twins Fern and Rose have protected one another all their lives, including from a mother who seems to do nothing but belittle them. They've never told their childhood secret, each safeguarding the other from the consequences. Now grown, Fern struggles with sensory issues but enjoys her life as a librarian. Rose longs to have a baby but has been unable to do so. Fern sees a perfect opportunity to support Rose by becoming pregnant herself and giving Rose the baby. But secrets have a way of coming to light and exposing those who are not what they seem to be. Narration alternates between Rose's adolescent diary and Fern in the present day, successfully revealing just enough insight into each character's motivations. Fern is drawn as smart, capable, and probably on the spectrum, and she is multilayered and relatable to readers, illustrating Hepworth's talent for page-turners with depth. Give to fans of Shari Lapena, Paula Hawkins, or fellow Australians Liane Moriarty and Kelly Rimmer.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Rose Castle and her twin sister, Fern, who share narrative duties in this addictive psychological thriller from Hepworth (The Mother-in-Law), live in Victoria, Australia. Rose is a married interior designer, and Fern is a librarian who suffers from a sensory processing disorder. When Fern discovers that Rose desperately wants to become a mother, but has been unable to conceive, she considers everything Rose has done for her, including protecting Fern from their abusive mother during their childhood, and decides to act as a surrogate. To that end, she seduces a library patron in order to get pregnant. Fearful of Fern's emotional fragility, Rose moves in with her sister to ensure the pregnancy runs smoothly. Excerpts from Rose's journal heighten the suspense by gradually revealing the abuse the girls suffered as children. Meanwhile, Fern expresses her growing discomfort with her sister's arrangements while giving insights into living with her disorder. Punchy prose helps propel the twisty plot to a creepy but satisfying conclusion. For fans of domestic dramas, this is a treat. (Apr.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Fraternal twins Rose and Fern Castle share all but three things: Rose's diabetes, Fern's sensory-processing difficulties, and their memories of how their mother raised them. As long as Fern can remember, Rose has been angry with their mother, accusing her of rages and neglect that Fern doesn't recall. Rose has always taken care of Fern, steering her in the right direction when her social perceptions fail her. Fern trusts her implicitly. She knows that sisterhood is not perfect; it's "both sunshine and guts, lollipops and blood, good and bad." But when Fern meets a man who "gets" her--another person living on the margins of "normal" society--Rose moves to rescue her sister from certain disaster. How far will she go to keep Fern's devotion? When details of a long-ago death are revealed, each sister knows what she must do to survive. VERDICT Hepworth's latest (after The Mother-in-Law) is written from one sister's perspective with the other's thoughts in diary form. It's a warped tale of twisted memories and skewed perceptions that will make fans of psychological thrillers say, "Wow, I didn't see that coming."--K.L. Romo, Duncanville, TX

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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