In the summer of 1967, something happened to change the
Mortland sisters and those who loved -- and hated -- them.
Little Maisie wanders their home, talking to the ghosts who
walk its halls and grappling to add order to her world with
her sharp intellect. Too young yet for love, she watches as
her two older sisters play with its fire, finding their
feelings confusing and the side effects of their dalliances
uncomfortable.
Finn, the middle sister, is the quiet one who stands apart
from her volatile family. She's danced around a love affair
with Dan, but Maisie sees her with their family friend,
Lucas. Julia, the eldest, uses her excruciating beauty as a
weapon, her sharp tongue as a dart.
THE SISTERS MORTLAND is one of the most intriguing books
I've read in years. A little confusing in its beginning,
you're so quickly pulled into the world of Maisie, Finn and
Julia, as well as the three men who circle in and out of
their lives, that you'll be lucky to get a good night's
sleep before turning the final page. As a writer, I found
myself re-reading phrases and paragraphs, marveling at the
effortless descriptions that Ms. Beauman used to build the
Mortland world. If for no other reason, that's incentive
enough to visit this book. But then add in brooding
characters and a plot that leaves you guessing and
you've got a sure-fire winner. I loved this book in all its
moody darkness and highly recommend it.
Summer 1967: In the heart of rural Suffolk, 13-year-old
Maisie is at her decaying family home, a former medieval
abbey. As an artist paints a portrait of Maisie and her
older sisters, arrogant, beautiful Julia and brilliant,
bookish Finn, Maisie embarks upon a portrait of her own: an
account of her troubled family and her village friend
Daniel. Before the summer is through, an accident will have
befallen the family-one which changes their lives
irrevocably for the worse.Winter 1991: As the now-famous
portrait of the Mortland sisters is being featured in a
huge exhibition, Daniel seeks to free himself of his
obsession with these women by unraveling the secrets of
that fateful summer. Readers will be transported,
fascinated, and have their hearts broken by this page-
turning novel of a most extraordinary family.
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