Annette Lyon sent me a pass-along copy of her newly released book Band of Sisters. I was excited to read it and gobbled it up in a day. I have to admit she made me cry more than once. But I am getting ahead of myself. Here is what the book is about:(From the back of the book)
When the war on terror calls their husbands to duty, five LDS women are left behind to fight battles of their own: Kim, newlywed and pregnant, frightened of what the future might bring. Brenda, struggling to manage three unruly boys and a crippling bout of depression. Jessie, secretly grappling with mixed feelings about her emotionally abusive husband. Marianne, wrestling with a rebellious teen daughter. And Nora, the seasoned Army wife with perfect hair, an immaculate home--and an ill-tempered mother dying of cancer.
"Knowing that the separation of deployment is extremely difficult, Nora gathers the wives together every week to share lunch and burdens. In good company, they worry over safety in the field and stability at home and offer one another counsel and comfort. But as their personal crises build, each woman faces the risks of forming deep bonds of trust. And when tragedy strikes, they must confront the painful realities of war that pull families apart and bring friends together as sisters."
Band of Sisters reminded me of The Joy Luck Club in that it rotated the storyline between each of the five main characters. Lyon does this successfully--each "sister" gets enough time and each has a unique and interesting situation she works through. I particularly liked the wide age range of the "sisters" and felt I was able to connect with each of them on different levels. They were easy to relate to. I particularly liked Kim's character and challenge of being pregnant while her husband was gone. The only character I felt did not have enough resolve to her problem was Jesse; there was no direct communication between her and her husband at the end to at least partially overcome their marital issues. But maybe that's because the deployment is only halfway done and Lyon is planning a sequel??
After reading Band of Sisters I passed it on the my friend Julie (who has a rockin', keep it real kind of blog) who loves to read. I am missing having my own copy already--I tend to like to re-read a book several times to make sure I catch all of the details. Guess I will have to pick up a copy of my own now! Those of you who know Julie, be sure tell her you want to be next in line to read this great book.
Click here to read the first three chapters of Band of Sisters online. Or, you can purchase the book or book on CD here.
Scripture of the Day: Galatians 5:22
Thank you for this review. Sounds like something I would like so I'm going to check into it!
ReplyDeleteThat book sounds just like my daughter's friends. She lives in Colorado Springs by an air force base and most of her friends have husbands over seas. One has a mentally ill mother leaving with her, another just had a baby, another is struggling with a personal illness. It is such a lonely and difficult life for them all. It would be interesting to read the book and see how it compares.
ReplyDeleteLoved this book; Annette did such a great job of capturing the full spectrum of the experience.
ReplyDeleteI went to Deseret Book last week and was able to pick up a copy of this (and your scripture study one). Can't wait to get started on both!
ReplyDeletei'm loving it. thanks for sharing it with me. can't wait to pass it on, i keep thinking of someone else it's perfect for.
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