Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood by Laura McHale Holland

Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood Reviews

• 
  Nancy Pogue

  Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood deserves high praise as an anthology of rich, unique voices singing their affirmation of the wealth of connections possible between sisters and their kin. This collection of memoirs, stories, and poems includes contributors, both male and female, from all around the world. Not all of the eighty-six selections are pretty or happy, but every single one touches your heart with emotion and authenticity. Whether you sample them one by one, savor each of the seven sets chosen by the editor, or read straight through the whole book as I did, you will turn the last page with a sigh, wishing you could meet each of these writers in person and share with them your own experience of having, being, or wishing for a sister.
• 
  Hannah

  This is a dear book, and a lovely read for sisters (and for close girl friends!) I don't have sisters born, but I am the mother of some and it was interesting to investigate all the different ways the relationship can manifest. Beyond that I started recognizing the power of my friendships as another kind of sisterhood.
• 
  Story Circle Book Reviews

  If you're looking for a book about sisters that's all gushy and sweet, you probably won't like Sisters Born, Sisters Found: A Diversity of Voices on Sisterhood. While some stories in this anthology of prose and poetry will make you shed happy tears with their perfect endings, other stories with Cinderella/stepsister twists will pluck your heartstrings in an off-tune howl.
  
  Edited by Laura McHale Holland, the book offers a global view of sisterhood in its many forms and through many voices. It is dedicated "To all women throughout the world whose birth families gave them siblings, to those who became sisters through other kinds of bonds, and all the sisters and brothers who love them."
  
  Each story or poem in the book comes with its own voice and its own complexities of joy or heartbreak. The concept of sisterhood explored by the many writers ranges from fleeting moments of knowing someone as your sister soulmate to lifetimes of sharing experiences. Wherever a contributing author lives on the globe, her story is part of the whole. Particularly poignant is the tale about an Arab and an Israeli sisterhood with its background hints of Romeo and Juliet.
  
  The stories are not simply happy or sad; most come with a mixture of true-to-life complexities. In Diana M. Madeo's story, "The Sister Pickers," for instance, two sisters are in harmony one moment and then fighting over who gets to buy an antique purse at a thrift shop. When an observer clears her throat in apparent disapproval, one sister responds, "Don't mind us... We have no life." "Quite the opposite," the observer says. "I had a friendship like yours once. It was sad when she moved away. What you two have is quite the life."
  
  If you enjoy exploring the theme of sisterhood, you'll have a wonderful time reading Sisters Born, Sisters Found. Perhaps, as I did, you'll also feel that you've found a long-lost sister in a particular author through her words in this delightful anthology.
  
  by Pat Bean
  for Story Circle Book Reviews
  reviewing books by, for, and about women
• 
  Elaine Webster

  I submitted to this anthology with some trepidation. What did I know of sisterhood? That common bound that binds two children? Then I remembered, Asha. I rummaged through old photos, and unearthed the one I held in my heart. I had bonded at eight years old with a child as lonely and sad as me, only to discover joy and caring. We were sisters for one long summer, before her family returned to their native land, Turkey, but I never forgot her. She is poetry. As I read through the other pieces, I found I wasn't alone; that the stereotypical phrase, sisterhood, has unlimited connotations. Each author has a different take on what sisterhood is, was and/or could be. This is a book of old, current and new promises--a unique and diverse read, that you'll enjoy for its insight.
• 
  Paige

  I am a contributing author in this anthology, but only one of many fine writers and story-tellers who convey pride, respect, strength and candor as they share experiences and perspectives of sisterhood through poetry, memoir and short stories. Stories represent all age brackets and many walks of life and depict pain and challenges but also humor and achievement. Each entry is unique and eloquently expressed. I am proud to be a part of this book.
• 
  Catharine Bramkamp

  Love this collection. I don't have sisters born, but I've found some wonderful sisters along the way. I dedicated my (included) poem to my Chi Omega big sister.
  This is the perfect gift to your own sister, or to all the sorority sisters in your world.
  
  Check out Laura's interview with Newbie Writers Podcast date: 1/10/15 - on iTunes (free).
• 
  Ana Manwaring

  This anthology takes a hard look at sisterhood from every angle. The stories and poems demonstrate the depths of sisterly love (and hate) for our sisters and the women we call sister. Each story and poem is as different as the collection of authors, and each author tells a personal story packed with truth and emotion. I'm honored to have been included among these talented writers.
• 
  Barbara Toboni

  This book is heartwarming and would make a great gift for a sister. What I was surprised by was that there are so many ways to look at sisterhood.
• 
  Pamela Taeuffer

  As one of the contributors, I was humbled by all the lovely versions of Sisterhood. Laura McHale Holland had an inspiration that was magical!