Title: The Sunshine Sisters
Author: Jane Green
Published: June 27th 2017
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Pages: 416
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Women’s Fiction
RRP: $29.99
Rating: 5 stars
Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters.
As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother’s overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother’s fame, while her marriage crumbled around her.
But now the Sunshine Girls are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are all going through crises of their own, their mother s illness draws them together to confront old jealousies and secret fears and they discover that blood might be thicker than water after all.
Mrs R’s review:
From Jane Green’s very first novel, Straight Talking, way back in 1997 I have been a big fan. Eighteen novels later and I’m still eagerly anticipating each new release. With it’s gorgeous cover and positive title, I knew The Sunshine Sisters would be no exception. I was drawn in from page one, set in 1987, and then subsequently 1991, 1997, 2007 and 2016. Told in the third person, actress Ronni and her three girls, Nell, Meredith and Lizzy allow Jane to delicately deal with euthanasia, terminal illness, forgiveness and family in America. Not quite the light read I was expecting from the front cover, it’s an honest portrayal of the good and the bad that happens within every family, even though some are better at hiding the darkness then others.
I enjoyed spending time with all the Sunshine family members equally. Ronni, the girl’s mothers, was a narcissistic woman whose sole focus in life was her career as an actress. She goes against every stereotype of motherhood there is. I appreciated this perspective because there are mothers out there who do not put their children first so it was refreshing change. There were many times I was disappointed in the choices that Ronni made but she always stayed true to herself. It’s clear though that Ronni helped shape her girls into the adults they became.
The Sunshine sisters became my sisters for a short period of time. With a brother but no sister, I always wondered what it would be like to have one. Or more. Nell is the eldest girl in the family and the one that I could relate to the most as I’m also the oldest. Like many siblings who are the oldest, Nell has made the best of her life and the mistakes that she made along the way by being responsible. Nell has always dealt with her mother’s moodiness by running away and as a result she lives a quiet, solitary life. Meredith is the middle daughter and the one I felt most sorry for. While Nell escaped Ronni’s temper, Meredith bore the brunt of it. She has grown up with self esteem and image issues that have the potential to cause her life long damage. The youngest daughter is Lizzy. Lizzy was able to get away with everything as the baby and because she is exactly like Ronni physically. There were many times I thought that Lizzy was just as awful as her mother in the things she said and did.
Just like real life, these sisters, like any family members, find themselves estranged. I was curious as to why and how Ronni would bring them back together. While it became evident to me as a reader it took a while for the three to catch on. When they do, it’s the start of a journey that will change everyone’s life. Everyone gets the ending they deserve. For better or worse.
The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green was published on June 27th 2017 by Pan Macmillan Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Sunshine Sisters, Jane Green, visit here.
