When We Were Sisters

I loved this big, fat book about two foster sisters, Cecilia a rock star (single) and Robin a lapsed photojournalist with a family. I love the depth of characters in this book, showing how each dealt with childhood abandonment in their own way. The walk through the past and the unveiling of experiences really brings home the importance of a stable family life in a childhood development. Cecilia and Robin struggled to cope in their own ways, showing how the same experience can be handled in multiple ways. Each experienced relationship issues in distinct ways, both tending to shield themselves from undue harm. I found the ending satisfying and would definitely recommend this book to those who like well-developed characters and stories.

Emilie Richards writes intelligent, thoughtful women's fiction. In When We Were Sisters she takes a break from her Goddess series to demonstrate the bond between two “sisters of the hip and heart” who went through the foster care system together. Through the process, she shows many sides of child welfare - the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly.

Robin Lenhart is a housewife, married to hotshot attorney Kris, and mother of two kids. Cecilia (no last name needed - it's like Madonna or Rhianna) is a world-famous country singer. They have nothing in common except a shared past as foster children. Cecilia was the rebellious older “sister” who took care of shy, rule-abiding Robin, so when Cecilia asks Robin participate in a documentary she is making about the child welfare system, Robin agrees, although (or because) her time away from home will create serious work/family conflicts for Kris.

Filming the documentary requires both Robin and Cecilia to travel to the sites of their previous foster homes, which takes a major emotional toll on both women, causing long-held secrets to come to light. Will the truth strengthen their bond, or destroy it?

This is definitely not a light-hearted book. Through the sisters' recollections of their childhood,and through visits to several model child welfare facilities, Richards shows well-intentioned foster parents and case workers, as well as some who are mercenary, lazy or even evil. Interestingly, there are no flashback scenes; at each pivotal location, the two women recount their stories, perhaps to demonstrate the impact that the past still has on their behavior and relationships. It's hard to think of any reader who wouldn't come away from the novel with a desire to know more or to become involved in improving the system.

Richards beautifully portrays the complicated dynamics between Robin and Cecilia, especially Cecilia's mistakes as she makes decisions for Robin that aren't necessarily the right ones. While I guessed at some of the secrets the women withheld from each other, the final reveal was disturbing and surprising. The relationships both women have with the men in their lives are much more predictable. Both have been serious abandonment and trust issues, which spill over into their love lives. Robin, who was literally mute for several years of her childhood, has to learn to speak up and let Kris know about her unhappiness in their marriage; and Cecilia has to learn to believe that she is worthy of love and capable of loving someone.

At almost 500 pages, this is not an easy or quick read, but it is definitely worthwhile. Emilie Richards simply doesn't write anything that is less than very good, and When We Were Sisters is very, very good.