This is my favorite of Boulley’s books and I have read them all. Sisters in the Wind has nods to the past and it broke my heart in the best way. Talk about an utter emotional masterpiece. Keep reading this book review of Sisters in the Wind for my full thoughts.
Summary
Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died five years ago, “home” has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a “ward of the state.” But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe.
Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his “friend-not-friend,” a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her.
They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has – had – a sister, and more siblings; a grandmother who’d look after her and a home where she would be loved.
But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance of normal she has had, and now the secrets she’s hiding will swallow her whole and take away the future she always dreamed of.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Sisters in the Wind is a book that took my breath away. It’s emotional, gut wrenching, and thrilling at all once. This latest from Boulley is multi-layered. There are direct references to The Firekeeper’s Daughter in the best way. It manages to discuss the foster system, the lack of protection and the Indian Children Welfare Act, and a story of family. The audiobook narration of this was phenomenal in the emotional nuance and the pace of reading. I don’t even know where to start in my review because it was so multi-dimensional and rich with meanings and layers.
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Sisters in the Wind begins by navigating Lucy and her relationship with her father. It examines the ways in which the people we love can disappoint us even in their love. All the things we don’t say, the mysteries we could solve, and the questions that are refused. It continues to portray various images of the foster system for Lucy, the people she comes into contact with, and the darkness present in corners. There’s a collage of (found) family and illusions. The pacing and the balance of past and present chapters – as Lucy begins to get to know these new characters – is fabulous. It unfolds into a thrilling and character focused story which celebrates development, survival, and love.
Find Sisters in the Wind on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro.fm.