"Psychologically vivid . . . Sittenfeld's gifts for portraying the inner lives of her heroines [bring
Sisterland] closer, in terms of emotional chiaroscuro, to two classics about pairs of sisters,
The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett and
The Easter Parade by Richard Yates . . .
Sisterland is a testament to the author's growing depth and assurance as a writer."--
Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "
Novelists get called master storytellers all the time, but Sittenfeld really is one, a kind of no-nonsense, BabyBjörn-wearing Scheherazade. . . . What might be most strikingly excellent about
Sisterland is the way Sittenfeld depicts domesticity and motherhood."--
Maggie Shipstead, The Washington Post "[Sittenfeld's] gifts are in full effect with this novel, and she uses them to create a
genuinely engrossing sense of uncertainty and suspense."--
Sloane Crosley, NPR's All Things Considered "In [
Sisterland]
, the accomplished Sittenfeld . . . is as skillful as ever at developing
an intriguing premise and likable characters. . . . Sittenfeld's affectionate take on sibling rivalry is spot-on."--
People "The power of [Sittenfeld's] writing and the force of her vision challenge the notion that great fiction must be hard to read. She is
a master of dramatic irony, creating fully realized social worlds before laying waste to her heroines' understanding of them. . . . Her prose [is] a rich delight."--
The Boston Globe "
Wise and often wickedly entertaining . . . Readers who have siblings--especially women with sisters--will likely come away feeling as if the author really is psychic, able to learn the truth of their own dark secrets, and forgive them."--
USA Today "Full of quiet, surprisingly relatable moments, [
Sisterland is] a thoughtful look at the near-supernatural closeness between sisters. . . . As she did so well in her first novel,
Prep, Sittenfeld richly evokes the daily lives of young women who are trying to figure themselves out. . . .
Sisterland is a compelling portrait of what it's like to grow up alongside your best--and worst--self."--
Entertainment Weekly "Arresting . . . Captivating . . .
Sisterland is a long story of shake-ups: eerie precognitions, seismic shifts, lapses in fidelity. Like life itself, it graphs both the agonizing longueurs of domestic life and the horrific thrill of sudden disasters. . . . Character is [Sittenfeld's] great strength, and the moral complexity of ordinary life her main subject. . . .
Sisterland unfolds like a good prophecy--inevitable and shocking."--
San Francisco Chronicle