“Stunning. . . Oliveira writes with feeling.”—The New York Times Book Review“[An] engrossing story. . . that feels utterly timely.”—People, “The Best New Books”New York, 1879: An epic blizzard descends on Albany, devastating the city. When the snow finally settles, two newly orphaned girls are missing. Determined not to give up hope, Dr. Mary Sutter, a former Civil War surgeon, searches for the … hope, Dr. Mary Sutter, a former Civil War surgeon, searches for the two sisters. When what happened to them is finally revealed, Dr. Sutter must fight the most powerful of Albany’s citizens, risking personal and public danger as she seeks to protect the fragile, putting at risk loves and lives in her quest to right unimaginable wrongs.
As contemporary as it is historic, Winter Sisters is part gripping thriller, part family saga, and ultimately a story of trauma and resilience that explores the tremendous good and unspeakable evil of which humans are capable.
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i had read My Name is Mary Sutter some
years ago and I loved it. this is a dark
subject but well written, and I felt the
pain so deeply of loss of parents and abuse
of children. fortunately, the ending was
more upbeat. i still recommend the book!
This writer captures the realities that have haunted women throughout the ages, and the necessity of strong and courageous men and women to continue to do more than use rhetoric to protect women and to change the narrative of oppression. Slavery, sexual exploitation of women and children and human trafficking is just as real today as any time in history. The author makes me question how many of us just accept the narrative, and never question the press coverage which may distort facts for more viewers and subscribers. How many of us support hash tags and not for profits that do nothing and may even be a front for the very thing we oppose.
I loved My Name is Mary Sutter and this follow up did not disappoint.
I absolutely loved this book! I normally do not write reviews however this book I could not put down. The characters were very much alive and realistic, the story was woven to keep you in suspense. This is what real life is like and the author brought you all the details to keep you entertained. I will look forward to reading more from this author!
Well written story about child abuse.
I had no previous history with the Mary -so I came to his book fresh -no preconceived ideas It was a great read–I was fascinated with the depth of the author’s research and factual account of life in Albany in the 1800’s and the laws as they related to prostitution and pedophilia-And agree with her final phase re-the Me Too movement-and the men perpetuating this culture-TIMES UP!!!!! –
I really enjoyed this book. It was easier to read than Mary Sutter because the graphic medical scenes were not as frequent and it allowed me to rest and relax between difficult scenes. I loved the characters and will look forward to other books about their lives. If I am honest the only thing that I did not like is when a character cursed the name of God. Themes of children abuse and traumatic experiences were well presented. These are indeed difficult themes and more so when the laws did nor protect children and women. We still dealing with themes of unfairness and corruption at the present time. I I recommend it.
It was a different story and sad, but it ended with the bad guys getting what was coming to them
Historical novel.
This book was a difficult read, partly because the story was tragic and heartbreaking, but also because the literary flow seemed stilted in many spots. Even so, it wasn’t a bad book but I don’t think I would go out of my way to recommend it to anyone.
This book was difficult to read but so wonderfully written that I forged on through the difficult parts of the tale. A tragic and sorrowful “who dunnit?“ that had me unable to put it down and when I did have to, I ruminated about it. Thank you to the author for shedding light on a sordid time in history for women with its unfortunate parallels to modern day struggles for girls and women.
An intriguing story of human strength and love.
This historical novel is a tad sordid but probably reflects reality. It reveals the dastardly things some men do – men with no moral compass & lots of money. This combination causes ruin for many, in an ever widening circle. Balance this with the faith & resolve of good people who save the Winter Sisters.
Good historical read
This novel was nothing like what I expected. It was truly an eye-opener into the world of women’s lives at the time. The descriptions were chilling at times.
My only reason for giving it four instead of five stars was the disjointed flow of storyline. Jumping between so many characters at times was frustrating as I felt like sometimes the I was reading a TV series script as the story arc would drop at moments when I most wanted to know what would happen next.
Hard to put down.
One of the best books I have ever read. It certainly kept me guessing who took these young girls.
Good story line with a twisted ending. Kept my interest
Interesting to learn about the historical facts and the law regarding plight of young girls.
What an expose of the rights of women in the 1800’s. The age of consent back then for females was 10 years old. Yes, 10 years old. This is a story about a terrible snow storm, during which the parents lost their lives and failed to pick up their two daughters, aged 10 and 7, from school. Spotted by a sexual abuser while trying to dig themselves out of a snowdrift they were transported to a house where they were kept while the rest of the city tried to find them. Corruption abounds in this story and the true dilemma of women during this time is blatantly shared and not sugar-coated at all. I loved the story and the revealing of the laws of the time. Not for the faint-hearted, but a really good read and an enlightening story.