‘The Sister’ by Poppy Adams
The story takes place over four days and begins with Ginny waiting for her younger sister to arrive. Vivien hasn’t been home since the death of their mother.
Ginny is reclusive and a slave to routine and order. She followed in her father’s footsteps, collecting and researching moths. Vivien was more of the free spirit, mingling easily with others and never afraid to let her voice be heard.
The story, told through Ginny’s narrative as she directly addresses the reader, takes dark turns as she recalls growing up in a house full of turmoil. Each sister has different recollections of the past and separate views of how they, in their own way, tried to keep their family together and protect each other.
The book is very heavy on symbolism and metaphor, sometimes too much so. Readers also might tire of the involved descriptions of Ginny’s moth studies, though praise must be given to the author for the amount of research she must have done on the subject.
Despite all the moth material, the book is engaging and the ending surprising.
“The Sister” certainly illustrates the destructive power of secrets and the benefits of allowing the past to stay buried.
