A Must Read

Bought this audiobook for just $6.95 instead of using a credit, and really was not expecting too much, but was pleasantly surprised with both the narration and story. Bahni Turpin did a super job of bringing all the characters to life, and I could easily distinguish one voice from the other. Despite the audiobook being 17 hours long, the time passed quickly, probably because I was so emotionally invested in it. That is, I truly cared about the main characters, and wanted to find out exactly how they handled their difficult situations. It was one of those stories that will clearly keep you on the edge of your seat. I have listened to many historical fiction novels, but never have I heard about Jews owning slaves in antebellum America. This surprised me a lot, especially since Jews were once themselves slaves back in Egypt. I also liked that the focus was on the relationship between Adelaide and Rachel, and the bond they had as sisters as well as owner and servant. Throughout the story, we got to see how very complicated their relationship is, mostly because when it actually came down to it, first and foremost, they were family. I am extremely glad that by the end of the book, The author shows the characters as having experienced an incredible amount of personal growth. These women made some rash decisions, and in the process, hurt one another deeply, though still managed to become far better people along the way.Try this audiobook! You will not be disappointed!

102 people found this helpful

Disappointing

Would you try another book from Sabra Waldfogel and/or Bahni Turpin?

I thought the narration was good, but the actual content was very disappointing. I would not buy another book from this author. I was expecting historical fiction, and instead I got a romance novel with graphic sex scenes and an unrealistic story line.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment.

Any additional comments?

I couldn't wait for this book to be over. I have never not finished a book I purchased, but this one came close. I found the characters irritating and inconsistent.

58 people found this helpful

Great narrator, story good but flawed

I enjoyed the listen because Bahni Turpin is an excellent narrator and I love her voice , and how she can portray any character from child to adult, male to female. The story was quite good in premise, but I didn't enjoy the intimately detailed sex scenes - in my opinion, they only detracted from an otherwise compelling story. And I found some of the characters inconsistent and frustrating. I returned this because I knew I would not give it a second listen.

53 people found this helpful

Moral Complexity and Compelling Characters

If you could sum up Sister of Mine in three words, what would they be?

complex, compelling, sympathetic

What other book might you compare Sister of Mine to and why?

It shares a concept with Marlen Suyapa Bodden's The Wedding Gift (which is also very good): two half-sisters, one a slave owner and the other her slave. But here, the slave owners are Jewish, a people with a history of enslavement themselves. This gave Ms. Waldfogel's story additional real-life gravitas.

Which scene was your favorite?

When a certain character came home from the war because I rejoiced for the reunited couple.

Who was the most memorable character of Sister of Mine and why?

Rachel. Legally she is a slave, but she remains her own woman, uncowed by the terrible system in which she lives.

Any additional comments?

Bahni Turpin was excellent as always!

30 people found this helpful

Wrong All the Way Wrong

An author must never romanticized slavery. I am a descendant of enslaved people and in the retelling of this horrific period in history I have always a pictured in my minds eye horror, brutality and the destruction of families. I believe the enslaver has trouble with the retelling of slavery because too many stories attempt to depict the slave master as a caring individual like this story. I didn’t finish this story because I couldn’t accept the premise. This story is fantastic as in fantasy. I wouldn’t even call it fiction. It was very disturbing to me.

24 people found this helpful

Amazing Story!

This was an amazing story. I usually listen to Christian historical fiction. This book contained very descriptive sex scenes, so I would not recommend for young readers.

20 people found this helpful

Fantastic narration

Great book!!! I loved the story and the narrator. I was not ready for this book to end.

17 people found this helpful

Very Good Story

I appreciate the story line here. Myself having 4 sisters and sometimes finding it hard to get along with them all the time, this teaches the true beauty of sisterhood. These 2 sister's survived and worked through horrible circumstances from outside and between themselves and still found love for each other. A beautiful story with lessons I plan to share and use in my own life.

15 people found this helpful

Great book!!

Loved this book. Narrator was the best I have heard in a long time! Wonderful story!

10 people found this helpful

Very good

Story is awesome. I certainly did not expect the storyline to be so intense. A must read.

9 people found this helpful