Read by Cassandra Campbell

In the tradition of Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping and Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge comes a dazzling debut novel about the family bonds that remain even when they seem irretrievably torn apart. Growing up in hardscrabble Kentucky in the 1920s, with their mother dead and their stepfather an ever-present threat, Bertie Fischer and her older sister, Mabel, have no one but each other-with perhaps a sweetheart for Bertie waiting in the wings. But on the day that Bertie receives her eighth-grade diploma, good intentions go terribly wrong, setting off a chain of misunderstandings that will send the sisters on separate paths and reverberate through their daughters' and granddaughters' lives. What happens when nothing turns out as you planned? From the Depression through World War II and Vietnam, and smaller events both tragic and joyful, Bertie and Mabel forge unexpected identities and raise daughters-and sisters-of their own, learning that love and betrayal are even more complicated than they seem. Gorgeously written, with extraordinary insight and emotional truth, Nancy Jensen's debut novel illuminates the far-reaching power of family and family secrets. Title Info. Dedication. Verse's (W.B. Yates, James Joyce) Chapter 1. Commencement Chapter 2. Departure Chapter 3. The Letter Chapter 4. Like Shirley Chapter 5. The Pose Chapter 6. Independence Day Chapter 7. Expecting Chapter 8. The River Chapter 9. The Burger Che Chapter 10. Ice Chapter 11. Letting Go Chapter 12. Breaking Chapter 13. Upheava Chapter 14. Prisoner Chapter 15. Hanging Rock Road Chapter Rock Road Chapter 17. The New Man Chapter 18. A Mighty Fortress Chapter 19. Words Chapter 20. Accounting Chapter 21. Armorer Chapter 22. Archaeology Chapter 23. Family Court Chapter 24. Gathering Chapter 25. Departure II "You'll be drawn into the arms of The Sisters as if these women were your own family. You'll want to hold them, warn them, betray their secrets. But this is a novel, one that is fresh and vibrant and complex. You cannot live the sisters' lives, but only share in their joy and heartbreak and ultimate triumph. A remarkably powerful book." "A beautiful and touching novel about the events and choices that shape not only our lives but the lives of generations to come. Nancy Jensen takes us on an epic yet intimate journey through eighty years, ultimately revealing the flawed but lovely landscape that makes up a family. Her characters will stay with us long after the book's final pages." "In alternating chapters, Jensen chronicles the difficult, often traumatic lives of four generations of women who descend from the Fischer sisters…While the legacy of Mabel's courageous sacrifice and Bertie's barely suppressed anger is 'a map of sadness and loss,' it's brightened by their resilience and the promise seen in the youngest members of the family." "Cassandra Campbell's narration is warm, rich, and a pleasure to listen to. She creates distinctive voices for all the characters, and her tone conveys deep empathy and compassion. Campbell is even able to make the stepfather-who is evil and wholly unsympathetic-believable and authentic, his voice tough and hard yet laden with the frustrations and disappointments of his own life. Additionally, Campbell lends voices to the book's numerous children and grandchildren that reflect their separate personalities and dreams." "I have seldom read a debut novel that has moved me more deeply than The Sisters. This story of Mabel and Bertie covers eighty years and three generations of women who fight the battlefields of their past, tangled links and secrets, not able to unlock what they have kept 'caged,' and not being able to reveal what they have shared during their divisions and reunions. The author's unique talent to tell a story about 'her women' will take you on a journey with these poignant characters and open you

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