Sister in My House: A Novel

From the first pages of the novel, anyone with a difficult sister can relate to the ominous dread that engulfs Maria in anticipation of her younger sister’s visit to her villa in Spain. The spacious house does not now seem big enough to house both her sister and the emotional residues that overwhelm her. Even sharing her special walks and town haunts seems like an invasion into her personal space. What guilt and shadows from the past darken the sibling relationship?

The author strikes just the right note in detailing the inner life of the older sister. Maria’s life is perfect. She has withdrawn from the world and is living in an ordered and separate universe where she can write in peace and not be bothered by any demands upon her. Her invitation to her younger sister to visit was given in an impulsive moment at their mother’s funeral two years ago. Why should her sister choose to visit her now? This is a readable and well-written novel. Anyone with a sister will be engaged by this story of the distance that familial relationships can create.