The Weird Sisters

If you're wondering why I bought this book, look no further than the cover. No, seriously. Look at it. Feast your eyes at the scrumptious stack of wonderfully worn books. Is there any book lover out there who could resist it? So I definitely did what most people tell you not to do: once again, I totally judged a book by its cover.

Vida Winter is the nation's most beloved modern-day storyteller, known for her poisonous twists on old fairy tales. Margaret is surprised when she receives a letter from Ms. Winter asking the young biographer to write her life's story. As the renowned author has created origin stories in the past, Margaret is unsure of how much she can trust her. But it is the chance of a lifetime, so she accepts Ms. Winter's request - with the provision that the sharp-minded old writer give Margaret a few names and dates she can fact-check. Thus begins the curious, disturbing, dark tale of the wild Isabelle, the twin girls she would bare, and the tiny household staff of Angelfield. As Ms. Winter's story encounters odd turns and small crevices, Margaret is unsure of where the story will take either of them. It becomes clear that both women have unresolved personal issues that pertain to families and family ties. Shadowed by the past, by the could have been, they have become stuck in a way. In solving the tangled mystery of Vida Winter's origin, Margaret confronts her own ghost that she's been living with.


A mystery story with roots in gothic horror - a genre about which I know next to nothing - this book delivers pretty much on all counts. The two main characters take a strange emotional journey together, the end of which is one of the most satisfying that I've recently read. Margaret is a fine main character with a quiet strength that makes her a great match for the cynical and knowing Vida Winter; both bring out hidden aspects of the other's personality in unique ways (and at surprising times). They both earn your respect and sympathy even though neither woman is warm or inviting. Margaret has several epiphanies near the end - epiphanies of the heart as well as in regards to Ms. Winter's true identity - that emphasis her growth in a touching way. The themes of family ties, especially the lack thereof, resonate all throughout the story; where you come from does not dictate where you're headed, or what you stand to gain or lose. Illicit love is another theme - there is a governess whose unexpected story is gripping due in part to how it is told - but this isn't really remarked on. The best aspect of the story is the mystery of Vida Winter and her connection with the disturbed twins, and it's done so well as to make it appear effortless.


Overall, this novel has an old-fashioned appeal that grounds it in a reality that has an air of the supernatural. Often, though, I found the prose to be ponderous and something of a mouthful - it detracts a little from the book only because it got in the way of how quickly I wanted to devour the plot. Books that feature book lovers or storytellers always have a meta quality to them, and it's a feature Setterfield could have explored a little more - although the ending is quite satisfying on that score.


Definitely a rainy day read. Rating: 4 first editions out of 5.