The Good Sister

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

Expected publication:  April 13, 2021 – St. Martin’s Press

E-galley courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley

Description: 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. (publisher)

My take:   The Good Sister is told from the perspectives of twin sisters Fern and Rose. They were raised by their self-absorbed, single mother. It was a very unstable childhood that set the tone for their future.

As often happens in families, the siblings have different recollections of the same events and I was constantly wondering which was closer to the truth. I have to say I was on Team Fern – she was such a lovable, sympathetic character. And her boyfriend Wally (not his actual name but Fern thought he resembled Waldo when they first met – so the name stuck) was so unique and wonderful. Thank goodness he walked into her library the day they met!

I don’t want to spoil with more but I can say fans of novels about sibling conflict, manipulation and deceit will find that for sure in The Good Sister. It was a quick read only because I had to find out what happened next – didn’t want to put it down.

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