The Almost Archer Sisters: A Novel

I really tried reading this book but could not get into it. ( )

http://tinyreadingroom.blogspot.com/2009/05/review-almost-archer-sisters.html ( )

Pretty good chick lit story of two sisters, actually half-sisters, reared on a farm Canada by their father after their mother commits suicide. One sister is wild and selfish and the other lives somewhat in her shadow, trying to do the right thing. It was a pretty predictable book but it had its moments. ( )

Halfway through I got really bored with the book and found myself skipping paragraphs just to finish it. ( )

At first I thought, oh oh, just chicklit. But the story is complex, thoughtful, and well written. Two sisters who have taken distinctly different paths (think [In Her Shoes]) and whose lives and past loves come into huge conflict. Well conceived, with an ending that gives photo-hints of the future that satisfy but do not absolutely define. Both sisters are loveable but frustrating, I want to hug them and slap them both.
Peachy's domestic life, especially with her epileptic son, her dilemmas of decisions about her relationships with her sister and husband, always overshadowed by the needs of her sons; Beth's wild ride as a designing diva in NY, set against the hippy Cdn farm, sexual tension....make for a very good read. ( )