From the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s End comes a ”poignant, beautifully rendered story of two sisters who find the courage to reclaim their bond after years of misunderstandings and heartbreak” (Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author) during the Great Depression. 1934. Ruth has been single-handedly raising four young daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for … daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for eight long years, ever since her husband, John, was infected by the infamous “sleeping sickness” devastating families across the country. If only she could trade places with her older sister, June: blonde and beautiful, married to a wealthy doctor, living in a mansion in St. Paul. And June has a coveted job, too, as one of “the Bettys,” the perky recipe developers who populate the famous Betty Crocker test kitchen. But these gilded trappings hide sorrows: she has borne no children. And the man she loves more than anything belongs to Ruth.
When the two sisters reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making. And their mother, Dorothy, who’s brought the two of them together, has her own dark secrets, which might blow up the fragile peace she hopes to restore between her daughters.
An emotional journey of redemption, inner strength, and the ties that bind families together, for better or worse, The Sisters of Summit Avenue is a moving and heartfelt tribute to mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere.
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A captivating depression-era tale of two sisters locked into a lifelong rivalry that will equal parts surprise and delight you. This is the sibling story I never knew I needed.
In The Sisters of Summit Avenue, Lynn Cullen brings to life the real women behind Betty Crocker, the fictional domestic goddess who gave advice and hope to countless housewives who were just scraping by during the Great Depression. Cullen’s female characters shine in their complexity and true-life emotions. An enchanting and engaging read.
A gripping story of two complex sisters, bound by anger, resentment, and love… keeps the pages turning.
Well, I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Mrs. Poe but it is a highly engaging and well-written novel. The story is quite unique and it will keep you reading. For sure, put it on your wish list.
A five star emotion ride! A few tears, lots of laugh and a family with all it’s quirks to love! I will never look at a Betty Crocker item ever again without thinking about June and Ruth! Such a rich must read story!
The Sisters of Summit Avenue was a beautiful novel about family. I enjoyed how the relationships were portrayed and how the story unraveled to reveal what happened in the past. The story is about two sisters and their husbands. And it is about their childhood and their mother. The oldest sister June is married to a doctor and lives a comfortable life. The younger sister Ruth is married with children but her husband is ill. But there are so many other layers to the story. Both of these women have things they are struggling with now and from the past. And their mother has her own secrets from the past. The sisters have had a complicated relationship ever since they were children.
The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen
Not a whole lot of excitement in this book but it is an interesting tale about 2 sisters and their past and Dorothy their mother and her story. I found this interesting and it did hold my attention all the way to the end. Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for this book.
The sisters of summit ave
NetGalley:
From Lynn Cullen, the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s End, comes a powerful novel set in the Midwest during the Great Depression, about two sisters bound together by love, duty, and pain.
Ruth has been single-handedly raising four young daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for eight long years, ever since her husband, John, fell into a comatose state, infected by the infamous “sleeping sickness” devastating families across the country. If only she could trade places with her older sister, June, who is the envy of everyone she meets: blonde and beautiful, married to a wealthy doctor, living in a mansion in St. Paul. And June has a coveted job, too, as one of “the Bettys,” the perky recipe developers who populate General Mills’ famous Betty Crocker test kitchens. But these gilded trappings hide sorrows: she has borne no children. And the man she used to love more than anything belongs to Ruth.
When the two sisters reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making. And their mother, Dorothy, who’s brought the two of them together, has her own dark secrets, which might blow up the fragile peace she hopes to restore between her daughters.
An emotional journey of redemption, inner strength, and the ties that bind families together, for better or worse, The Sisters of Summit Avenue is a heartfelt love letter to mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere.
My Review:
I enjoyed this book enough to give it four stars but I was not thrilled with the style of writing. The story jumps from past to present and between the sisters and Dorothy. Normally that does not bother me but in this book, I thought it took the punch of the story away. I would get really invested in the current storyline and then, bam, it would switch.
I knew going in, this was a work of fiction but I really thought I’d get to the end and be told it was loosely based on a true story. Alas, that did not occur. I have found myself reading what I can on the creation of Betty Crocker.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Gallery, Pocket Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
I love it when a book makes you jump on the internet to research aspects of the story. While the story line itself is fiction, there were many wonderful historical facts that piqued my interest. I had never heard of “sleeping sickness” and immediately searched for more information. What an amazing worldwide epidemic and it makes it even sadder that no cure was ever discovered.
And then the Betty Crocker “ladies” were a delight to read about. The Betty Crocker of my day is a different concept all together. So to read about the many women economists who served as the hands and feet of the Gold Medal Flour Company and how they tested and demonstrated the myriad of recipes to be shared with women was amazing.
And even with all of the wonderful historical aspects of the story, you have family dynamics that will have you gritting your teeth. You will discover a lot about the relationship between the two sisters who are the main characters. And then their mother’s story comes out as she sits and talks to her son-in-law who is suffering from the “sleeping sickness.”
So much information is shared and you will be turning the pages quickly to see what will happen next!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
A story of gripping emotional power. Riveting and suspenseful, the novel builds to a devastating conclusion that made me return to the beginning to start over, because I wasn’t ready to leave Cullen’s vivid fictional world.
In The Sisters of Summit Avenue, Lynn Cullen has given us a truly lovely gift; a fascinating, complex study of the ties that bind mothers, sisters and daughters. The Depression-era setting is vividly captured; the behind-the-scenes glimpses into the world of advertising, in the form of Betty Crocker, fascinating. But it’s the poignant, beautifully rendered story of two sisters who find the courage to reclaim their bond after years of misunderstandings and heartbreak that you will remember, and cherish.
How sibling envy can take control of their life’s. Both sisters in love with the same man are unhappy thinking the other one had the better deal.
The book was sometimes hard to follow because you are reading the point of view of each one of the main characters as they feel what is happening at the current time and the memory of past events. The mother has her own concerns. As you read the book you get to understand more and more each Individual person. What made me a bit angry was the mother trying to be a good mother as the children are growing up is following the experts in child rearing advice with some dramatic results. Something you still see these days when young mothers trying to read everything about been the perfect parent.
The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen
Story of women growing up in the 1930’s. Different choices of spouses and family situations.
Liked hearing about Betty Crocker, learned some things I did not know.
Book goes forward in time then back to when they were teens growing up.
Lots of family secrets come to light and some of them left me with my mouth wide open, like hit with a ton of bricks.
Didn’t really care for the story but did like the words the author used and the detailed descriptions.
Acknowledgements are listed at the end.
Received this review copy from Gallery, Pocket Books Gallery Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#NetGalley
The Sisters of Summit Avenue is a depression-era historical fiction and family drama. Author Lynn Cullen has clearly researched the era in which The Sisters of Summit Avenue is set. From the hungry and homeless, the struggling-to-survive working class, to farmers who just manage to hold onto their farms, readers get a very realistic view of American life in the 1930s. Additionally, Ms. Cullen has included the all too real, but little known, epidemic of Encephalitis Lethargica. While not the main focus on the book, the illness does contribute to the exploration of relationships between the various characters.
The story is told primarily in mid-1930s, however, the timeline toggles to 1901 to tell Dorothy’s story. It is through Dorothy’s story that readers get much needed background on how she impacts June and Ruth’s relationship. In the present, there is a rift between the sisters that stems from wanting what the other has. The sisters and their mother each want something they don’t have, and their yearnings put in jeopardy that which they do have as well as prevent them from appreciating what they’ve got. Have their secrets and desperate desires for something more or better lead to their current situations? Is their current situation their karma?
All three characters are compelling even though they are not equally likable. It would be easy to feel compassion toward Ruth and her feelings of inadequacy, but her acrimony and envy make it hard to feel anything positive for her. June is a bit more interesting and compelling, even though she is a bit of a doormat. Their sibling rivalry is as juicy as that of the sisters in Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres! The secrets, lies and deception make for scintillating reading, but it is the heartbreak, love and forgiveness that makes The Sisters of Summit Avenue a beautiful family drama.
This is a story of family. you maybe have problems with them but in the end they are still family. this book is set in the 20’s and 30’s when life was a lot different than it is now. The story could be slow in some spots but still kept me reading to find out how the sisters and mother would sort themselves out. It was written in different persons perspectives and switches back and forth all in all a good story.
This is the story of two sisters, June and Ruth who are two totally different personalities. The story is told in a then and now fashion from several different points of view and spans a number of years. There are a number of characters to try to keep track of so it gets a little confusing at times especially in the then and now format. I did really enjoy this book and it kept me captivated until the end although it did leave me with some unanswered questions. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this really interesting book.
This was a good book to go back in time with. Having a sister I can relate to a lot of stuff going on. I know my mom did her best when she was alive to make sure we had the foundation to have a good relationship. I feel their mom did also. There was many ups and downs with this story. There was a few small parts that slugged by. Nothing to bad. Just a bunch of information. I think the author all in all did a good job with this book and the love between families. I received this book from goodreads for a honest review.