The Alphabet Sisters

by Monica McInerney

Book Overview

As girls growing up in Clare Valley, Australia, Anna, Bett, and Carrie Quinlan were childhood singing stars known as The Alphabet Sisters. The unbridled enthusiasm of their flamboyant grandmother Lola... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 034547953X
• ISBN13: 9780345479532
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.2" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Very Good Book

I just finished reading this book. It was a wonderful read, and I am sorry that it ended. You really become part of this wonderful family, and wish that the book would just go on and on! I recommend this to all, particularly those who have one or more sisters.

Wow!

This book was soooo good. Anyone who has a sister has to read this book. I cried at the end.

a fun, heartwarming book that's enjoyable and well written

Mcinerney's book The Alphabet Sisters is sort of like the movie "Kiss the Bride" with hints of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." The book is about the reunion of 3 feuding sisters (one of which stole her own sister's fiance). All their grandmother Lola (a energetic, spunky, quick witted 80 yr old woman) wants is for the sisters to love each other once again and to accept each other. Brilliantly organized, the book offers individual points of view from each sister (as well as Lola's) so as to allow the reader to reflect and better understand each character. Each character is uniquely written and the reader will have a interesting time getting to know all of them as well as their life stories.

A novel perfect for summer reading that is light and fun, but far above the "chick-lit" bar

Finding a light beach read this summer should be as easy as A-B-C. Look no further than THE ALPHABET SISTERS, a frothy family saga from Australian novelist Monica McInerney. McInerney has spun a tale centering on three sisters --- Anna, Bett and Carrie Quinlan (get it? A, B, C) --- who spent a good deal of their girlhoods touring across Australia as "The Alphabet Sisters," a kind of low-rent version of the Osmonds minus the Mormonism and enormous teeth. Cooked up by their flamboyant grandmother, Lola, as a scheme to give the girls something to do, "The Alphabet Sisters" not only broke up, but the sisters entangled themselves in such a fervent feud that none of them are even on speaking terms. Contrary to the old song, there was a mister who came between these sisters. Enter Bett's fiancé, Matthew, who finds himself hopelessly in love with sister Carrie, triggering the feud, which had, in all honesty, been brewing for years. Something about unflattering costumes and Yoko Ono (okay, I made up that part about Yoko Ono. I just think it might be wise to work her in somewhere when the story has to do with the breakup of a band.) The jilted Bett flees to London, Anna becomes a none-too-famous actress in Sydney, and Carrie settles down in their hometown. Awkwardness ensues. The girls agree to put aside their differences and return to their hometown to help plan the celebration of Lola's 80th birthday. More than just a little meddling and more than slightly pickled, Lola envisions the party as a way to reunite her family. The girls agree to put aside their petty differences. Well, they're really not so petty, are they? Stealing and marrying your sister's fiancé has got to be right up there when you think of unpetty differences. Regardless, the girls, now grown women, come back and somehow pull it together for the party. All of a sudden, Lola announces that she also wants them to help produce her "life's work," a musical about (I'm not making this up) General Douglas MacArthur and his "I shall return" speech. I guess musicals about megalomaniacs are very popular in South Australia these days. Once the girls get going on casting, directing, and starring in the musical, the story starts to chug along. Until then, however, it's a bit clunky and mired in Bett's ruminations about the feud. Poor Bett, the self-described chunky sister, seems unnaturally thin-skinned with a sense of egoism usually reserved for seventh-grade girls. The adult Bett says, "I'm scared of loads of things...I'm scared of seeing my body in mirrors in changing rooms in clothes shops, and snooty shop assistants making fun of me. I'm scared of stupid things too. Like eating oysters. Reverse parking. Airplanes. Mobile phones." Bett, honey? Mobile phones? But I do get a kick out of the Australian dialogue. Carrie and Anna each also have their trials, and McInerney wisely steers clear of letting either slip into caricature. It is their characterization that allows THE ALPHABET SISTERS t

A joy to read

I was fortunate enough to be able to read this delightful book in one sitting this boxing day and I loved it, not since the March Sisters have I enjoyed and cried with a book such as this I love these girls especially Bett who to me is the modern day Jo the Savvy journalist of the bunch we also have the modern Day version of Amy in Carrie and Anna carries both the personalities of Meg and Beth, I have been a visitor to both Clare and Terowie so I love the little snippets of History that Monica shares with us about general Mc Arthur's famous quote. I honestly could not put down this book as the Quinlan Sisters became part of my life for one enjoyable afternoon please read ans enjoy as much as I did.