Review: A Gift for My Sister by Ann Pearlman

Author: Ann Pearlman

Title: A Gift for My Sister

Publication: May 1, 2012

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Contemporary

Rating: 3 out 5

Source: Author

Synopsis

Ann Pearlman's The Christmas Cookie Club enthralled readers everywhere with a heartwarming and touching story about the power of female friendship. Now, in A Gift for My Sister, she once again explores the depth of the human heart, and this time it’s through the eyes of two sisters. Tara and Sky share a mother, but aside from that they seem to differ in almost every way. When a series of tragedies strikes, they must somehow come together in the face of heartbreak, dashed hopes, and demons of the past. The journey they embark on forces each woman to take a walk in the other’s shoes and examine what sisterhood really means to them. It’s a long road to understanding, and everyone who knows them hopes these two sisters can find a way back to each other.

Thoughts: I liked this story, I don't have any sisters but I can understand the sibling rivalry. Tara and Sky both assume that their mother gives more attention to the other. Tara, the wild child has always forged her own way and no matter what happens to her she is able to make "lemonade" out her situation. Sky is more of a planner, she is detailed about her life should be. She just doesn't understand why life is as cruel and unfair to her as she does everything right. She lost her father at young age and it was always just her and her mother. Things change when her mother decides to re-marry and then she gives birth to, Tara. Thus, the resentment begins. 

I liked the journey that the sisters take to get to each other. It was sad to read how Sky felt about Tara. At one point Tara tells her she loves her but she doesn't say it back. I felt so bad for Tara because wants that love from her sister and she just give the stink eye. Okay, so it's not all sour, they each discover something about themselves. Tara, has a fear of commitment, she feels because her father left her mom, that the same will happen with her relationship with her boyfriend Aaron. She feels that either he will leave her or she will leave him. Sky, suffers so much loss in life that it is no wonder she is so angry. She just needs to learn that life is more than the good but it's how you handle the bad that makes it worthwhile. Both girls must learn a valuable life lesson...things are not always what they seem but once you see how the other side lives, now that is clarity, which leads to love and understanding. The author has done an good job of creating the emotion in this story and this is what I really liked about this book. Overall, a great story about family, sisterhood, loss and most especially, love.

Side Note: At the end of the book, there are recipes of some of things the characters cooked and I really liked this.