Sisterland

I love, love, love Curtis Sittenfeld. I have loved every book she has written and I love her newest book, Sisterland, too.  With every book of Sittenfeld's I become absorbed in her stories, and Sisterland is another wonderful treat to read.

I'm not much into psychics, which created a bit of skepticism on my part where Sisterland is concerned, but the story is more about the bond of twin sisters, Violet and Daisy (Kate), than their gift to "see" things.  Set in St. Louis, Kate is a stay at home mom, busy raising her two young children, Rose and Owen.  Her twin sister, Violet, is living a much less traditional lifestyle, dating women and making a living by using her gift of seeing the future.  

Sittenfeld is a master at moving the story between the present and the past; the story is so expertly interwoven with anecdotes from the sisters' childhoods, and younger selves, that I would be reading along only to realize that I had to remind myself to pay attention to the plot happening in the present.  

Because although this book is about the sisters' relationship, there is more to it than just that. Violet makes a prediction that there will be an earthquake in St. Louis, creating a media uproar, and finding herself the focus of attention. Kate, as her identical twin, unhappily receives some of the attention as well, although she has long concealed her gift of seeing the future. Her predictable suburban existence becomes more complicated with Violet's prediction, but much of what Kate is confronted with is of her own making.

I can't do justice to this book, and despite having written, erased, and rewritten my review, can't touch how much I enjoyed this book.  My best advice is to get your hands on a copy of Sisterland, or any other of Sittenfeld's work.