Two Sisters of Fayetteville
Young Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)
Seventeen-year-old Joanna Upshaw and her sister, sixteen-year-old Hannah, are two of twelve siblings in an insular, conservative, and evangelical Christian family- same as the Duggars, whose reality show they watch on TV. Joanna in particular is exhausted by the demands of helping her mother with the housework and childcare attendant in such a large family. She is also beginning to realize that she doesn’t measure up to her parents’ vision of a perfect Christian woman- or to any of their strict rules.
Hannah is the sister that Joanna is closest to, the one that shares her fatigue and anxiety. Both of them have spent their whole lives learning that their highest calling is to marry and have as many children as possible. However, as Joanna watches Hannah and two of their brothers court with the intention of marrying, she questions whether she is capable of doing the same, especially as her parents shoo her marriage prospects away one at a time. Afraid of becoming the old maid that never amounts to anything, Joanna finally makes plans to get away from her parents forever.
Fans of Jennifer Mathieu’s Devoted and Julia Watts’ Quiver will like this book.
Plot/Idea: 7 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Prose: 9 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 7.75 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Anolic delivers an intriguing, character-driven story that focuses on a conservative Christian family and the often stifling expectations held for two sisters coming of age.
Prose: The prose is engaging and consistent. Anolic provides an intimate perspective on Hannah and Joanna's internal lives.
Originality: The author explores familiar themes of faith, individuality, and family conflict in a manner that is moving and organic. There are predictable elements, but the story will remain satisfying to young readers.
Character/Execution: Anolic capably explores Joanna's exhaustion, frustration, and desire to find herself beyond the confines of the church and the limiting life trajectory offered to her by tradition. Readers will cheer for the central characters as they learn to distinguish between relationships that are healthy and supportive, verses those based in fear and manipulation.
Date Submitted: April 08, 2023