Renowned painter Lilli Niles is at home in her North London flat when she receives an unexpected call from her elder sister, Bea, who’s at the family homestead in Whitehead, Massachusetts. Bea’s husband has just died, and she’d like Lilli to fly home to attend the funeral. There are reasons Lilli moved all the way to England to escape her older sister, reasons that have kept them estranged for decades. But something in Bea’s voice makes Lilli think it’s time to return to the stately house in New England she loved as a child, to the memory of the beloved younger sister they both lost. With Bea more fragile than Lilli remembered, maybe she can finally forgive Bea for a long-ago betrayal that has simmered between them for nearly forty years.

It’s been nearly 40 years since Lilli and Bea have been in the same room, but when the sudden death of Bea’s husband brings them together again will it be enough to help them mend the past? Both harboring memories of years gone by, but time and age changes perceptions. Bea, having remained in their childhood home has remained the fixture of their family though people and places have changed. Lilli has moved on, managing art galleries and living out and about in the world with her own version of the past. What happens when they come together could mend a thousand heartaches and could potentially alter their views forever.

For a debut novel Katharine Britton’s novel is nothing short of beautiful. Her writing is incredible if for no other reason than it’s observation of human interactions. Her Sister’s Shadow is told primarily from the viewpoint of Lilli, the younger sister in a family of four girls who struggle between a balance of dependence upon each other and the emerging independence that comes with age. As the oldest sister Bea takes charge after their father’s death and their mother’s retreat from life the girls all struggle under her heavy hand. As a person who grew up with all sisters I found the most interesting portion of the story was the part told in their youth. I thoroughly enjoyed how Britton shared the love and struggle that comes from being so similar yet so very different.

What I struggled with while reading this story though was my connection to the older versions of Lilli and Bea. Due to the fact that the story begins after the sisters have already aged and much of their lives are beyond them I really had a difficult time getting into the book. It wasn’t until about forty pages in that I started to become really interested in the story of these sisters and the tragedy that befalls them. Thankfully as I continued I was able to connect and look forward to the continuation of the mystery surrounding their pasts.

As a debut novelist, Katharine Britton obviously has a very bright writing future ahead of her. Her Sister’s Shadow is a beautifully written story that tells the dynamics that exist between sisters who all share equally strong personalities and intentions. What unfolds as you continue throughout the story is an unexpected tragedy into not only the loss of a younger sister, but the loss of relationships that could have been. Britton is a marvelous storyteller and I’m positive that I’ll be looking for future writing by her as she continues to explore the various relationships that exist in our lives.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing a copy for review!

• Digg
• Stumble it!
• Reddit

• AW Giveaway: What Came First by Carol Snow
• AW Book News: The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen
• AW Book Review: Past Perfect by Leila Sales