A Sister’s Tale

Description:

Mia is dumpy, earthy and responsible, while her sister Gabriella is flighty and spoilt – a prima donna. Middle aged, their lives in a mess, they find themselves alone together in a parched Israeli town. Is it the promised land or a last resort? As the sisters wait together in the sultry heat for something, anything, to happen, they watch each other and remember. They think back to their isolated Jewish childhood in London; the devastation of their father’s sudden death; their mother languishing hopelessly in bed. They conjure up Mia’s Irish Catholic romantic lover, father of her child; and Gabriella’s well-heeled and ‘suitable’ husband. Meanwhile, at the entrance to their flat, an unexpected visitor arrives in time for a fish supper. A Sisters’ Tale is a wicked yet poignant story about the complex and powerful bond between sisters.

“A witty, spirited, defiant novel which is still as homely as chicken soup.”
Evening Standard

“Confident handling of character and voice … perceptive and humane.”
Sunday Telegraph

“A triumph … touching, truthful in the telling, and makes you want to cry out ‘Look behind you!’ as you see fate creep up with the means to suffocate each sister’s nascent promise.”
British Book News