carolesrandomlife

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

I really enjoyed this story of two sisters reconnecting with each other through letters. I found myself relating to this book a lot more than I expected. I remember the joy of getting a hand written letter even though it has been years if not decades since I received one. I am from a family of girls so the focus on the sisters really appealed to me. I was completely entertained by this story and once I really started reading it, I didn't want to put it down.

Cassie and Sid are sisters who are separated by a lot of miles. Sid is living in Singapore with her family while Cassie is in New York. At their family Christmas gathering, their grandfather reads them some letters that their grandmother sent to him when they were young. This sparks an idea between the pair and they decide to reconnect through letters. In the process, they both end up learning a lot about themselves.

The book is told from Cassie's point of view. Cassie is the mother of 3 year old twin boys. She was a working mother before losing her job but now she spends her time taking care of the household and her family. She isn't really at her best mentally. She is really struggling and looking for something more in life. I can completely relate to Cassie. I wouldn't do some of the things that she does in this story but I can understand what she would have been feeling. I know how easy it is to lose yourself in the needs of your kids and family and how important it is to take care of your own needs.

Sid is dealing with her own set of problems but we learn about them from the letters that she writes to Cassie. I loved reading the letters that they wrote to each other. It was such a nice way to tell a story and it really gave Sid a wonderful voice in the story. After reading all of their letters to each other, I kind of want to write a few myself. I liked watching both of these women grow and come together when things start to fall apart.

I thought the writing style was wonderful. Cassie had such a authentic voice and even when she did things that made me cringe, I still wanted to root for her. The letters helped tell the story at just the right moments and really worked to help control the pace of the story. I loved how the story was really about real problems that people I know have gone through.

I would recommend this book to women's fiction or chick lit fans. I actually haven't read anything in that genre for a long time but this book has me wondering why that is. I am very impressed by Lisa Beazley's debut novel and look forward to her future works.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Penguin Publishing Group - NAL via First to Read for the purpose of providing an honest review.