In 1967 Suffolk, an aspiring young artist dipped into his paints and created a marvelous work of art depicting three young sisters. Julia, Finn, and Maisie Mortland were as different from each other as possible for full-blooded siblings, and those differences are what shone in their portrait.

The completion of “The Sisters Mortland” also heralded a disaster that would haunt all those involved for decades. In the early 1990s, childhood friend Dan Nunn faces the past as he is drawn back to Suffolk. Forced to explore and reexamine the events of that summer, Dan must reconcile past hurts with his current life in order to step into the future—if he has one.

THE SISTERS MORTLAND is told from three key perspectives and bounces somewhat through time. The characters’ stories reveal aspects and layers to what, at the surface, seems a simple tale. Deeply moving and emotional, this is novel will linger in the reader’s mind as an all-too-human reality. It is a reflection of life’s complexities as seen through very different eyes.

Sally Beauman brings formidable insight into the human condition to her work, and it shows. Fans will not be disappointed, and newcomers will recognize Beauman’s writing for the unforgettable talent it is.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
12/20/2006

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