She wrote nine highly acclaimed novels between 1932 and 1953, two of which were made into successful films. They Were Sisters examines the complicated and broken relationships between three sisters: the eldest with no children but a happy marriage; the second consumed by vanity and ease; and the third slowly disintegrating under the constant barrage of verbal abuse from her husband. A slow burning, page turner if you know what I mean! Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Infact I think this is what made it so riveting for me. Born in 1893, DOROTHY WHIPPLE (nee Stirrup) had an intensely happy childhood in Blackburn as part of the large family of a local architect.

I heard Dorothy Whipple discussed on BBC4's Woman's Hour during the summer and decided to check her out, since I was not having much luck with my recent book choices.

Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2015. Absolutely delightful! I can't believe I'd never heard of Dorothy Whipple before. I will definitely read more Dorothy Whipple as I love her writing style. Have to say, too, what a pleasure it is to hold a Persephone book in one's hands...things of beauty, all of them. It concerns the slow destruction of a once happy woman; Charlotte married to a man who turned out to be a vile bully. Warning: There’s one long incident involving cruelty to animals. Lucy is the 'mother' of the group, always looking out for the other two and being av I read this massive chunk of a book … Her close friend George Owen having been killed in the first week of the war, for three years she worked as secretary to Henry Whipple, an educational administrator who was a widower twenty-four years her senior and whom she married in 1917. to everyone. Plus the Persephone imprint is a beautiful book, An exceptionally good read. This was a truly absorbing read, one of those books where you can't wait to find out what happened but then again when you do you'll be nearer the end. Reminds me of The Fountain Overflows( West) which I also loved . Start by marking “They Were Sisters” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Another simultaneously enchanting and thought-provoking Hanukkah-gift book from our daughter (especially glittery because it's from London/Persephone). It is the last husband, Geoffrey, who is the most horrifying character in "They Were Sisters". First published in 1943 - it is only slightly dated - the siter's of the title employ maids,make trunk calls, send telegrams travel first class etc. It's definitely on my re-re. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, + No Import Fees Deposit & $10.06 Shipping to Belgium. She seems to be yet another wonderful female writer from the 30s/40s to add to the list. Refresh and try again. Gissing's book ends in death and tears, yet somehow Whipple manages to end on a happy note - some of her young heroes get saved from the wreckage of adult mistakes. Next time, I will re-read this in conjunction with this years terrific. The author shows how (and only a generation or two ago in England) the powerlessness of wives vis-a-vis their husbands, and the prevailing social-respectability ideology of family stabilty at any price, destroyed women's lives and those of their children. Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2019. In telling the story of these three sisters, Dorothy Whipple has taken me on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, again.

'They were sisters' follows the lives of three sisters - Lucy, Charlotte and Vera.

Written with understated grace and a nod in the direction of the reader - as much is not said as is written, this writer knew that readers would get it - I certainly do and highly recommend. It doesn't exactly have the ring of 'Dostoevsk. Born in 1893, DOROTHY WHIPPLE (nee Stirrup) had an intensely happy childhood in Blackburn as part of the large family of a local architect.

Whipple is a marvellous author; I would highly recommend her (and this book!) This is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching story. I'm not sure why this author isn't better known, but many thanks to Persephone Books for making her works available to modern readers. They Were Sisters is noted for its frank, unsparing depiction of marital abuse at a time when the subject was rarely discussed openly. But I find 'They Were Sisters' remarkable in craft of characterization, clear writing style, and being able to keep me up long past bedtime because I could not put it down. This is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching story. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. The author shows how (and only a generation or two ago in England) the powerlessness of wives vis-a-vis their husbands, and the prevailing social-respectability ideology of family stabilty at any price, destroyed women's lives and those of their children. Whipple is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Gissing's book ends in death and tears, yet somehow Whipple manages to end on a happy note - some of her young heroes get saved from the wreckage of adult mistakes. This is truly one of those tangled web stories, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

by Persephone Books. Please try again. So pleased to have stumbled across this book. I adored this book about three middle-class Midlands sisters, their marriages, and their children. Children are like that. But if you want to try any of them, start here. In both books, women torture themselves, men bully and toy with them, and worst of all, children suffer the consequences of their parents' sins.

Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) is a service Amazon offers sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's warehouses, and Amazon directly does the picking, packing, shipping and customer service on these items. and over 8 million other books are available for, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. I would call this a "woman's" novel except that that sounds pejorative. Both were abandoned by their families and had no one to turn to but each other. Not a great novel, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 January 2016.

The effect this has on their three children is terrible, as over the course of their childhoods they become more and more cowed by their father. Try again. As in Whipple’s other novels, “the country” is depicted as the natural habitat of England’s finest (yet ever modest) values. I look forward to reading all of her books!

I’m a new fan of Dorothy Whipple. Even so, when a widely-read friend recommended I try her out, I was sceptical. The details may be 1920s and 1930s - and some of them have dated - but her novels are so emotionally compelling and well-constructed that they are truly timeless. Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2014. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. I would very rarely rate a book this high--and I'm wondering at myself. Returning in her last years to Blackburn, Dorothy Whipple died there in 1966. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. My worst future day, [Lucy failed their mothers (I mean, she was in her 20s, give her a break), and she failed at reproducing, she succeeded in offering a stable home with love and becoming a guardian over them, the two girls have a chance, Wow this is a hugely readable almost unputdownable novel. The main theme of They Were Sisters (1943) is that three sisters' choice of husband dictates whether they have homes, and whether, in their homes, they will be allowed to flourish, be tamed or repressed. I can't imagine a day when the tense changes to she was my sister.