The God of Animals: A Novel by Aryn Kyle

The Winston family is falling apart. The mother handed over baby Alice to her older sister and retreated to her bedroom where she has stayed for twelve years and Alice’s father is a harsh and distant man, choosing to fill his life with his livelihood, training horses and giving riding lesssons.. Alice is set adrift when her sister runs away to marry a rodeo rider and she seeks to fill the void by trying to gain the attention of her father, classmates and a teacher, with unexpected results. This is a lyrical coming-of-age novel with beautifully descriptive landscapes, alienated individuals and lives filled with tragedy.

PS....This was one of those stories that at some point gripped me and by the end I couldn't put it down. I found myself sobbing uncontrollably at the crisis point in the story so pick this up with the warning, "this book may break your heart".

Oystercatchers: A Novel by Susan Fletcher

Moira sits by the hospital bed of her sixteen year old comatose sister and tells her all of the things that her sister's arrival changed in her life. When Amy was born, it abruptly changed the trajectory of eleven year old Moira's existence and took her down a completely different path in life. This was another of my favorite quiet novels about sisters who never quite connect until it is too late. Beautifully written, my only wish is that I had been able to read this all in one sitting instead of spreading it out over several days. Still, it was a book worth savoring.

Ancestor Stones by Aminatta Forna

This would be an excellent book to use for a women's book discussion group. Set in Sierra Leone, it follows the lives of four sisters, born of different wives (co-wives) of a coffee plantation owner. Each of the women takes a very different path as they navigate the increasingly turbulent social and political landscape of their native county. Ironically, in the end they all end up back in their small village, living in the family compound as they tell their European born niece the stories of their lives.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

This is a wonderful gothic tale that reminds me of Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, Jane Eyre, etc... The main character is a reclusive woman who works in a bookstore owned by her father. Together they spend afternoons sitting in the bookshop reading (sounds lovely doesn't it). She prefers the classics, proper stories with proper endings. She also writes short biographies about obscure people. One of these biographies catches the attention of a famous modern author who is notorious for her changing stories about her life. She asks her to come and write the "real" story about her life. What follows is a story with twists and turns , insanity, twins, murder, betrayal and secrets.

Good stuff!

Anomaly by Anne Fleming

a·nom·a·ly (-nm-l) n. pl. a·nom·a·lies

1. Deviation or departure from the normal or common order, form, or rule.
2. One that is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify: “Both men are anomalies: they have... likable personalities but each has made his reputation as a heavy” (David Pauly).

anomaly. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved October 25, 2006, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anomaly

Each in her own way an anomaly, the Riggs sisters grow up with the intense love/hate bond that sisters often have (and hopefully grow out of). In addition, the older sister, Glynnis has a disabled leg and Carol is an albino making school at time a torturous experience. Each must suffer the casual cruelties of their classmates and learn how to survive the emotional damage that is done. As they get older the two girls take distinctly different paths to discover their true place in the world.

Set in the 1970's in Canada, this first novel is smooth, polished and just a little quirky. I highly enjoyed it.