The Good Sister By: Drusilla Campbell
This is the story of three generations of women and the choices that haunt their past, present and will forever change their future. Ellen was not fit to be a mother and it showed in how she raised her daughter, Roxanne. A few days before Roxanne started the first grade, Ellen dropped her off at her grandmother’s house, only to return when Roxanne was nine years old. When Roxanne came home it was her responsibility to care for her brand new baby sister. Roxanne became Simone’s world as her protector and her helper, since she was the one in charge of her life. Flash forward several years, Simone is a mother of several daughters and she suffers from extreme depression. Simone’s eldest daughter, Merell, knows her mother is not well. Merell knows her youngest sister’s life is in trouble, but promises her grandmother, Ellen, that she will never tell anyone. As life progresses in the present, memories of the past haunt everyone and when Simone finds out she is having another girl, things take a turn for worse. Will these women survive the past and present to have a future? Or will hormones, depression and past decisions, cost this family too much?
Campbell writes a poignant, heart breaking tale of a family. She gives insight into each of the women’s minds, while perfectly balancing the present with memories of the past. Readers will be swept up in the emotions that this book offers, while some may argue the outcome. This is a powerful and moving tale about the effects of depression on the entire family and the consequences from each person’s actions. Campbell also gives readers an insight into the inspiration behind this story in a note describing her own mother’s battle with postpartum depression.
Similar author suggestions:
Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah, Jacquelyn Mitchard
Note: This review was written for My Sister’s Books.