The Story Sisters
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Product Description
Review
'When it comes to blending magic and the mundane routines of life, there's no finer writer than Alice Hoffman - but even she has outdone herself with her latest novel. THE STORY SISTERS hearkens back to the classic fairy tale, where one must suffer fear and loss before stumbling upon a happy ending. Hoffman reminds us with every sentence that words have the power to transport us to alternate worlds, to heal a broken heart, and to tie us irrevocably to the people we love.' Jodi Picoult
'"Little Women" on mushrooms.' New York Times Book Review
'This bewitching novel explores the bonds of sisterhood like a haunting modern fairy tale.' Glamour
'The always dazzling Hoffman has outdone herself in this bewitching weave of psychologically astute fantasy and shattering realism….this is an entrancing and romantic drama shot through with radiant beauty and belief in human resilience and transformation.' Booklist (starred review)
Product Description
A haunting and emotionally satisfying novel from a much-loved and critically acclaimed author, which weaves fairy tale and gritty realism together to dazzlingly effect.
‘The Story Sisters’ charts the lives of three sisters – Elv, Claire and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.
What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you?
At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, ‘The Story Sisters’ sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
What would you do for the love of your sister or brother? Alice Hoffman takes us on a journey into the minds of three sisters who are so close as children that they have created a fantasy world where no others are allowed. This world is the creation of the oldest sister, Elv, who rescues her youngest sibling from probably child molestation by taking shoving her out of a moving car and taking her place. When she is released she keeps it all inside herself, vowing to keep both her sisters safe from the demons that inhabit the real world.
Elv and her sisters are the products of divorced parents. Annie, their mother, thinks she has a close bond with the girls but sadly knows nothing of their fantasy world and Elv's private hell.
Elv is driven to sex, drugs, and the dark side in her search for love. Claire, the youngest, who Elv rescued from being a victim, watches this downward spiral. She blames herself not only for Elv's fall but also for the deaths of people and animals she loves. Most importantly Claire blames herself for the death of their middle sister, Megan, and vows never again to love another being.
In the end, we watch the lives of the sisters drift apart before they reunite years later. It is a long, intricate journey but one that is skillfully woven by Ms. Hoffman. The characters are believable and vulnerable and I was anxious to see how they would fare. I would have enjoyed getting deeper into the feelings of Claire and learning more of the young Megan. Perhaps even learning about how the actions of the sisters caused their mother to do some of the things she did. Another aspect I would have enjoyed would have been the story of the girls' father and how he viewed his rebellious oldest daughter.
As in other Hoffman novels we are treated to wonderful descriptions of Long Island and New England. The author makes good use of using the seasons to reflect the changing lives of Elv and her family. Another thread, common in many of Hoffman's stories, is the use of black roses to signify the dark side of things.
In all, I didn't like this book as much as Ms. Hoffman's earlier works. There was just something missing, that elusive call to the reader that says, "don't put me down just yet".
The story starts out full of promise but it isn't until the final chapters that the promise is fulfilled. The middle reads like just so many other stories one sees on the nightly news.
Elv and her sisters are the products of divorced parents. Annie, their mother, thinks she has a close bond with the girls but sadly knows nothing of their fantasy world and Elv's private hell.
Elv is driven to sex, drugs, and the dark side in her search for love. Claire, the youngest, who Elv rescued from being a victim, watches this downward spiral. She blames herself not only for Elv's fall but also for the deaths of people and animals she loves. Most importantly Claire blames herself for the death of their middle sister, Megan, and vows never again to love another being.
In the end, we watch the lives of the sisters drift apart before they reunite years later. It is a long, intricate journey but one that is skillfully woven by Ms. Hoffman. The characters are believable and vulnerable and I was anxious to see how they would fare. I would have enjoyed getting deeper into the feelings of Claire and learning more of the young Megan. Perhaps even learning about how the actions of the sisters caused their mother to do some of the things she did. Another aspect I would have enjoyed would have been the story of the girls' father and how he viewed his rebellious oldest daughter.
As in other Hoffman novels we are treated to wonderful descriptions of Long Island and New England. The author makes good use of using the seasons to reflect the changing lives of Elv and her family. Another thread, common in many of Hoffman's stories, is the use of black roses to signify the dark side of things.
In all, I didn't like this book as much as Ms. Hoffman's earlier works. There was just something missing, that elusive call to the reader that says, "don't put me down just yet".
The story starts out full of promise but it isn't until the final chapters that the promise is fulfilled. The middle reads like just so many other stories one sees on the nightly news.
Format:Kindle Edition
This is a family saga, detailing the lives of the three story sisters. The eldest girl, Elv, endures a nasty attack when they are all young; this secret not only blights Elv's life but also alters the relationships between the three girls and affects all their lives.
This book is beautifully written in typical Alice Hoffman style - where things are hinted at rather than directly told, and have all the more emotional power because of it. I was glad it had a happy ending - it would have been too much to bear otherwise!
This book is beautifully written in typical Alice Hoffman style - where things are hinted at rather than directly told, and have all the more emotional power because of it. I was glad it had a happy ending - it would have been too much to bear otherwise!
Format:Paperback
This was a rather strange book - it was dark, mysterious and also enchanting as well as being a very difficult book to describe! The way that it is written is detailed and beautiful - I really do think that the writing style should be commended. Especially in the sections situated in Paris, I soaked up the atmosphere and felt as though I was there. The subjects that are faced in this book are pretty 'sinister' (Abuse, mental issues, drugs) and the book does seem dark, but not at all horrifying - I guess you could call it slightly eerie. This book is clever and quite psychological without getting too deep or confusing. Absolutely loads of things happen in this book and everything does seem significant in it's own way. There are several characters, each with a reasonably well formed personality and appearance.
The one thing that I believe could've been better dealt with was the world of Arnelle. It added a magical side throughout the beginning of the book but somewhat lost steam through the middle and end - I do think that it could have been focused on or developed more though I am glad that it didn't competely dominate the story.
Whilst I wasn't that compelled by this book at the beginning, once I became more accustomed to it, I began to enjoy it more. I appreciated this one a lot.
The one thing that I believe could've been better dealt with was the world of Arnelle. It added a magical side throughout the beginning of the book but somewhat lost steam through the middle and end - I do think that it could have been focused on or developed more though I am glad that it didn't competely dominate the story.
Whilst I wasn't that compelled by this book at the beginning, once I became more accustomed to it, I began to enjoy it more. I appreciated this one a lot.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Story Sisters
Loved this book from start to finish.The three sisters were totally believable characters.The book was well-paced and I had sympathy with all the sisters' predicaments. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Patricia Humphreys
wonderful as always
as usual her books give you the feeling your living in the story. you always want to go back and get your book and keep reading.
Published 9 months ago by heidi
Easy read
This book is very easy to read and perhaps one to take on holiday. I did find the beginning rather silly and unrealistic, although the story and characters did begin to develop... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Jackabo
Haunting and beautiful book
In my opinion, this book doesn't start that well, and it took me a while to get into it but it was well worth persevering with. Read more
Published 15 months ago by B
An Excellent choice
When I picked up The Story Sisters in the supermarket I did so with the intention of it being a quick simple read, something to tide me through in-between more complex reads such... Read more
Published 18 months ago by R. Greenland
Sisters are doing it ...
Elv, Claire and Meg Story are sisters. They're extremely close, inventing a language all of their own - Arnish - even their mother is excluded from their fantasy world, and the... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Annabel Gaskell
A story worth reading
I bought this book on spec without too many expectations but it was one of the most enjoyable reads I've had for quite a while. Read more
Published 20 months ago by kayo
About the book
This book wasn't what I expected. The book covers a number of years in the girls life, focalization switches from each character over the years. Read more
Published on 30 April 2010 by Aalexandra R. Darcy
"Love reminded them of everything they'd lost"
What is a tale of the love between three sisters, rapidly turns into a searing portrayal of one sister who lives on the edge as she descends into a world of drug abuse and crime. Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2009 by Michael Leonard
Story telling
A title like "The Story Sisters" could be any kind of book -- and in the case of Alice Hoffman's writing, it means that the girls are "story" by name and by nature. Read more
Published on 7 Jun 2009 by E. A Solinas
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