Publishers Weekly
10/23/2023
In this textured family drama from Pearson (Walking in Tall Weeds), three adult sisters are drawn back into one another’s orbit after their mother’s death. Frankie, Annabelle, and Charlotte could hardly be more different: pragmatic Frankie has four kids and often served as a stand-in mom for her siblings, but is slowly cracking under the weight of familial obligations; gentle and reticent Annabelle struggles with self-esteem issues; and “workaholic” psychologist Charlotte is single, successful, and expert at keeping others at a distance. When their domineering mother Mayhelen dies, the three reunite to make funeral arrangements and determine the fate of their childhood home. In doing so, they come face-to-face with memories of the woman whose “hold on them was as firm as it was painful.” Charlotte, who’d been their mother’s favorite, must reconcile her memories with the painful stories her sisters have shared, while Annabelle, who’s pregnant with her first child, begins to view Mayhelen in a more sympathetic light. As the sisters ricochet between grief and bitterness, they grapple with the meaning of forgiveness and the limits of family duty in a narrative that’s empathic, energetic, and nuanced. The result is a heartfelt tribute to the bonds of sisterhood. (Feb.)
Booklist
A trio of sisters is at the junction of hurt and healing in the latest novel from inspirational author Pearson. . . . many readers will relate to the sisters and their situation.
Hope Magazine
Robin W. Pearson delicately weaves in all the sights, sounds, and emotions of growing up in the South. This is not the ordinary surface level mother-daughter or sister story, this novel dives deep into the complex dynamic of the origin story of the Winters sisters. . . what a read!
Library Journal
01/01/2024
Sisters Frances Mae, Annabelle, and Charlotte bear lasting internal scars from their upbringing. Frances Mae wants nothing more than to create a cozy home full of love and laughter, even as her bitterness toward her mother threatens to override her efforts; Annabelle is cautiously entering marriage and motherhood while struggling to trust the gifts she has been given; and Charlotte is an ambitious psychologist who thrives on helping others but has yet to unpack her own childhood issues. The sisters are busy with their own families and careers, but one phone call brings the past crashing into their lives and draws them back home to North Carolina, where they must reconcile the dubious legacy of their mother Mayhelen Winters and reckon with what really happened to the fourth Winters sibling. While this novel is slower in pace than others by Pearson (Walking in Tall Weeds), readers will enjoy cameos from her other books and the chance to get to know this family, flaws and all. VERDICT Pearson has crafted a realistic family drama that takes a hard look at the baggage many women carry.
