Sisterland

A Novel

By: Curtis Sittenfeld

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST NOVELS OF THE YEAR BY
Slate • Daily Candy • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • The Guardian (U.K.)

“Novelists get called master storytellers all the time, but Sittenfeld really is one. . . . What might be most strikingly excellent about Sisterland is the way Sittenfeld depicts domesticity and motherhood.”—Maggie Shipstead, The Washington Post

“Psychologically vivid . . . Sisterland is a testament to [Curtis Sittenfeld’s] growing depth and assurance as a writer.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“[Sittenfeld’s] gifts are in full effect with this novel, and she uses them to create a genuinely engrossing sense of uncertainty and suspense.”—Sloane Crosley, NPR’s All Things Considered

Curtis Sittenfeld, author of American Wife and Prep, returns with a mesmerizing novel of family and identity, loyalty and deception, and the delicate line between truth and belief.

From an early age, Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, knew that they were unlike everyone else. Kate and Vi were born with peculiar “senses”—innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other people’s secrets. Though Vi embraced her visions, Kate did her best to hide them.

Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. Vi has pursued an eccentric career as a psychic medium, while Kate, a devoted wife and mother, has settled down in the suburbs to raise her two young children. But when a minor earthquake hits in the middle of the night, the normal life Kate has always wished for begins to shift. After Vi goes on television to share a premonition that another, more devastating earthquake will soon hit the St. Louis area, Kate is mortified. Equally troubling, however, is her fear that Vi may be right. As the date of the predicted earthquake quickly approaches, Kate is forced to reconcile her fraught relationship with her sister and to face truths about herself she’s long tried to deny.

Funny, haunting, and thought-provoking, Sisterland is a beautifully written novel of the obligation we have toward others, and the responsibility we take for ourselves. With her deep empathy, keen wisdom, and unerring talent for finding the extraordinary moments in our everyday lives, Curtis Sittenfeld is one of the most exceptional voices in literary fiction today.

Praise for Sisterland

“What’s most captivating about Sisterland is the intimate, intense portrayal of identical twin sisters. . . . [The novel] unfolds like a good prophecy—inevitable and shocking.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“The accomplished Sittenfeld . . . is as skillful as ever at developing an intriguing premise and likable characters. . . . Sittenfeld’s affectionate take on sibling rivalry is spot-on.”—People

“The power of [Sittenfeld’s] writing and the force of her vision challenge the notion that great fiction must be hard to read. She is a master of dramatic irony, creating fully realized social worlds before laying waste to her heroines’ understanding of them. . . . Her prose [is] a rich delight.”—The Boston Globe

“Wise and often wickedly entertaining . . . Readers who have siblings—especially women with sisters—will likely come away feeling as if the author really is psychic.”—USA Today

©2013 Curtis Sittenfeld (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Psychologically vivid . . . Sittenfeld’s gifts for portraying the inner lives of her heroines [bring Sisterland] closer, in terms of emotional chiaroscuro, to two classics about pairs of sisters, The Old Wives’ Tale by Arnold Bennett and The Easter Parade by Richard Yates . . . Sisterland is a testament to the author’s growing depth and assurance as a writer.” (Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times)

“Novelists get called master storytellers all the time, but Sittenfeld really is one, a kind of no-nonsense, BabyBjörn-wearing Scheherazade. . . . What might be most strikingly excellent about Sisterland is the way Sittenfeld depicts domesticity and motherhood.” (Maggie Shipstead, The Washington Post)

“[Sittenfeld’s] gifts are in full effect with this novel, and she uses them to create a genuinely engrossing sense of uncertainty and suspense.” (Sloane Crosley, NPR’s All Things Considered)

Boring and mundane

Would you try another book from Curtis Sittenfeld and/or Rebecca Lowman?

Probably not.

What was most disappointing about Curtis Sittenfeld’s story?

What story? Twin sisters lead divergent lives. Daisy/Kate's life seems humdrum. It revolves around her children (she's always nursing the baby or running errands) and Violet holds herself out as a run of the mill psychic. Predictable and boring dialog. The characters have no depth.

What about Rebecca Lowman’s performance did you like?

She gave a credible performance.

Did Sisterland inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to look for a different book.

Reading this book was like visiting dear friends

Would you listen to Sisterland again? Why?

This book was an easy read. There were no real peaks or valleys. No thrills. Very little suspense. It was still good though.

Would you recommend Sisterland to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book to some of my female friends. Most men would be bored to tears with it. It's a 'chick" book for sure...

Which scene was your favorite?

Favorite scene was when Kate had to tell Jeremy of her betrayal.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Holy Mackeral@

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This was a wildly uncomfortable but compelling read

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sisterland?

When Daisy had to admit to her husband that the baby she was carrying wasn't his

Interesting thread in this story

If you could sum up Sisterland in three words, what would they be?

Thought provoking story

If you’ve listened to books by Curtis Sittenfeld before, how does this one compare?

NA

Which character – as performed by Rebecca Lowman – was your favorite?

Daisy/Kate

Who was the most memorable character of Sisterland and why?

Vi because she was so multi-faceted. I grew to like her most by the end of the month, and this was from not respecting her much at the beginning of the book.

Any additional comments?

Performance on audible was very good. Loved the various voices in addition to the tenor of the narrator's voice.

Wonderful Book

I was so drawn into the story. The narration is wonderful and the story keeps you interested the entire book.

The impact of those with psychic ability on their daily lives.

It became a bit too soap opera-ish in the last few chapters. There was too much deceit around the innocent child that was born and hidden from it's biological father that bothered me.

started out good ....but then ...eh

well the performance was spot on as always ....
the story started out good, and I really liked the characters, not Daisy /Kate so much, but it seemed she was always getting a 'pass ' for her behavior before and after she was married. I also didn't really like how it ended :/ There could have been ...more?

funny and fabulous summer read. the hype is true!

yes, the hype is true. this is one of the best "summer reads" i've listened to...or i've ever encountered, for that matter. after reading multiple (upon multiple) reviews of this book online and in, like, every magazine, i decided to take a dive into a book that is SO not my usual foray. i was utterly impressed and so glad i did.

there are so many mixed reviews of the narrator in this story, Kate/Daisy. i've read so many people who think she's just an awful person. funny, because i really really liked her. i liked her, i liked violet, i liked hank and jeremy. i liked them all. in their different and somewhat horrible ways, i found something in each of them that i really really liked. and even despite that, even if i didnt like these characters...i would have still loved this story. the novel was so well written, so well conceived, so well realized...it's a fantastic book to read.

Kate was such a real narrator. she was funny and honest and real. i love characters in stories that you can see stepping off the page and actually being alive, and this is how she is. i thought violet was hysterical. i laughed out loud quite a few times at her reactions to things...her one liners...her commentary.

look. this is a really great interesting summer read. the characters are extremely well written, and the story is very very captivating. i loved it.

Better than I thought it would be

Would you consider the audio edition of Sisterland to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

The twist - didn't see that coming!!

What does Rebecca Lowman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her emotional attachment to the characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but not until the middle of the book - I was glued to my headphones!

depressing and not cohesive story

What did you like best about Sisterland? What did you like least?

Sister interactions interesting, thought it was going somewhere, good writing bad plot?most annoying was the whiney, whine then more indecision of main characters and boring mundane narrative most of book very sorry becuase i like this author,

What was most disappointing about Curtis Sittenfeld’s story?

Depressing goig no where, no solid point

Which character – as performed by Rebecca Lowman – was your favorite?

Vi

Was Sisterland worth the listening time?

No