The
Never Never Sisters. L. Alison Heller. New American Library. June 2014. 352
pp. ISBN#: 9780451416247.
Dave Reinhardt has been told to stay
home from work until a storm in his company blows over. His wife, Paige, a
marriage counselor, is totally unaware of the trouble brewing in her own
marriage; instead she worries about Dave’s lack of communication and unstable
emotional condition. Paige wonders if
this is another Bernie Madoff scandal in Dave’s company about to become public,
with accompanying arrests and public denouncement a la media, which love a
scandal that will guarantee comments galore.
Even if all is well, the implied crimes in the financial world just
about guarantees the end of a bright, successful career. But Dave is silent, shutting his door and
shutting Paige out of whatever darkness may or may not exist in his career and
thus perhaps their marriage.
Meanwhile, Paige’s sister, Sloane,
has just reappeared after a twenty year absence. Once a troubled addict and trouble-maker,
Sloane has changed substantially, arriving with a fiancé and other friend but
still dripping sarcasm or total boredom when with her mother, Vanessa. As the novel progresses, Paige comes across
her mother’s journals, written on the express direction of their therapist and
which prove to be amazing revelations that belie the confident, assertive woman
Paige knows.
Paige is also presently working with
a couple who state they want to stay together and work on their marriage but
whose body language, cancellations, and lack of response to direct or indirect
questions indicates otherwise. She
finally realizes something about how troubled marriages can begin to work to
renew their relationship but her advice in her own life isn’t proving to be as
easily attainable!
Just how far will Paige go to
finally discover what is really going on in Dave’s work world? Do her acts indicate a lack of trust that
could completely demolish the fragile state of their connection right now? Why
is Sloane visiting and can Paige reestablish what was once a normal sisterly
relationship? They have more in common
than either initially realizes.
The
Never Never Sisters is a
captivating read with enough complexity, wit and secret surprises to keep the
reader flipping the pages to discover more.
L. Alison Heller shows a remarkable perception about people that is the
highlight of this novel, moving the reader through issues that every reader
recognizes to some extent! Very nicely
crafted story, L. Alison Heller!
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