"You goin' need strength. You goin' need courage. Some questions got hard answers. Bring no comfort. Only pain. But Almighty say truth make you free. You seek truth. That good. But you goin' pay a price for y' freedom."
- Valerie Fraser Luesse, Letters from My Sister
The stunning cover of Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse stopped me in my tracks, and the story it contains is equally compelling. It was inspired by the author's maternal grandmother and the important relationships in her life.
In 1911 Alabama, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock have a close bond in their family of many brothers. As Emmy prepares to marry her true love, Callie's unsure how her future will unfold. A guest to the Bullock farm and the nefarious actions of another launch a series of events that result in separation, grief, and unanswered questions, and one sister questions the acts of the other. Will she have the strength to seek answers?
This novel has it all - history, mystery, family drama, romance, faith, and a strong sense of Southern atmosphere. This complex plot unspools slowly, and readers experience a broad range of emotions on the journey. I was fully immersed in its time and place although I expected letters to be a larger component of the plot. Ms. Luesse continues to be one of my go-to authors for Southern historical fiction.
In a podcast interview, I learned that the (white) author took great care in creating a key Black character, using a sensitivity reader to ensure the writing was respectful. I appreciated this as racism and the impacts of slavery are part of the story.
Thank you to Revell and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel.
- Valerie Fraser Luesse, Letters from My Sister
The stunning cover of Letters from My Sister by Valerie Fraser Luesse stopped me in my tracks, and the story it contains is equally compelling. It was inspired by the author's maternal grandmother and the important relationships in her life.
In 1911 Alabama, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock have a close bond in their family of many brothers. As Emmy prepares to marry her true love, Callie's unsure how her future will unfold. A guest to the Bullock farm and the nefarious actions of another launch a series of events that result in separation, grief, and unanswered questions, and one sister questions the acts of the other. Will she have the strength to seek answers?
This novel has it all - history, mystery, family drama, romance, faith, and a strong sense of Southern atmosphere. This complex plot unspools slowly, and readers experience a broad range of emotions on the journey. I was fully immersed in its time and place although I expected letters to be a larger component of the plot. Ms. Luesse continues to be one of my go-to authors for Southern historical fiction.
In a podcast interview, I learned that the (white) author took great care in creating a key Black character, using a sensitivity reader to ensure the writing was respectful. I appreciated this as racism and the impacts of slavery are part of the story.
Thank you to Revell and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel.
Emmy and Callie Bullock are living as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer at the turn of the 20th century. The arrival of Lily McGee turns everything upside down. Callie meets Solomon who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self. After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something of an image of Emmy standing on a riverbank cradling Lily's missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth come to light through their letters including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie's life. This is a complex and suspenseful tale dripping with intrigue, romance and Southern charm. It is a coming of age story. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading another book by Valerie Fraser Luesse. I have read her book about New Orleans which was a very good story too. If you like books about history then you would love this book.
