Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Hogarth for gifting me a digital ARC of this fairy-tale like story by Julia Phillips. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4.5 stars!
Elena and Sam are two sisters living on San Juan Island off the coast of Washington. They are just barely surviving financially, with Sam working concessions on the ferry and Elena waitressing, to help keep their family going. Their mother has lung cancer from chemicals inhaled after years of doing other people’s nails. Sam dreams of the day when they can eventually sell their family home and escape the small town with her sister. But everything changes when a bear appears in the area.
I loved this wonderfully written, atmospheric story of these two sisters and their encounter with the bear. You feel for both sisters, trying to do the right thing for their mother, and still hold on to their dreams and some semblance of a life. They had a tough childhood experience with a boyfriend of their mom’s that scarred them but tightened their bond. But Elena is keeping secrets from Sam and their differing reactions to the bear only make things worse. It’s very atmospheric and tense and I was gripped to the very last page.
No comments:
Post a Comment