Author: Lian Dolan
Series: Standalone
Age: Adult
Genres: Contemporary
Publication Date: April 28, 2019
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Paperback
Purchase: Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle | Audible | B&N | Book Depository
Synopsis:
An accomplished storyteller returns with her biggest, boldest, most entertaining novel yet—a hilarious, heartfelt story about books, love, sisterhood, and the surprises we discover in our DNA that combines the wit of Jonathan Tropper with the heart of Susan Wiggs.
Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.
But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.
When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.
Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?
By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family.
My Rating:
My Thoughts:
This was a gripping read for me. This is more of a 3.75 star rating. I found myself laughing and crying as I read this book. This book had so much joy and pain to it. The Sweeney sisters have lost their mother previously and now have to prepare for their father's death, but in doing so they find out they have another sister they never knew of.
Serena learns the truth about her mother. Maggie, Eliza and Tricia learn the truth truth about their father. The four must learn to deal with the blow to their family. I enjoyed seeing each of them go through an internal struggle and learn to love on one another. Each sister had a different personality which helped me in reading because I never got them confused.
This is a book that will rip you to pieces and glue you back whole. Such a good read and one I will re-read again.
About the Author:
Lian is the producer and host of Satellite Sisters, the award-winning talk show she created with her four real sisters. On Satellite Sisters, she’s interviewed everyone from Nora Ephron to Madeleine Albright to Big Bird. Satellite Sisters began life as a syndicated radio show and is now a top-rated podcast for women. The recent book by the Satellite Sisters, You’re the Best: A Celebration of Friendship, is popular with book clubs.
A popular speaker who combines humor and heart, Lian has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Today Show and many local TV stations. She’s been a featured speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books, the Santa Barbara Celebrity Authors Lunch, the Literary Guild of Orange County Festival of Women Authors and dozens of other events at libraries, book stores, schools and women’s organizations across the country. In 2020, she’ll be on the faculty of the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop.
Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband, two sons and a big German shepherd.
Giveaway
- Giveaway is open to International.
- Must be 13+ to Enter
- 5 Winners will receive a Copy of THE SWEENEY SISTERS by Lian Dolan.
Thank you to JeanBookNerd for having me on board this blog tour!