Great Literary Sisters

An exploration and insightful analysis of sisters in literature and their depiction in three centuries of the novel.

Great Literary Sistersdraws from works of fiction spanning the 19th to 21st centuries with heart, insight, warmth and an admirable generosity. It is an important and immensely enjoyable piece ofwork. - Heidi Maier, InDaily Queensland I found this beautifully produced book quite irresistible...An excellent reading list adds to the enjoyment of this affectionate and enlightening book. - Joceline Bury, Jane Austen Regency World Sisterly relationships feature prominently in some of our best-loved classic literature. From Jane and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice to Hasina and Nazneen in Brick Lane, they have provided inspiration for novelists over the centuries. Sisters can be best friends, mother figures, rivals, heroes, sounding boards or partners in crime, depending on literary genre, era, or the demands of plot. They can bring into focus the changing roles of women in society, especially in literature that predates the twentieth century, such as Middlemarch, The Woman in White and The Old Wives’ Tale. Their bonds with younger or older siblings, like those of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy in Little Women, are often complex and nuanced, and occasionally devastating. Covering childhood, adventure, affairs of the heart and mental health, this book explores the role of sisters in twenty individual entries, each one providing a synopsis and analysis of the work in question. Including writers as diverse as Charles Dickens, E.M. Forster, J.D. Salinger, Toni Morrison and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, it makes the perfect read for book-loving sisters whatever their connection.