Amazon.com: The Alphabet Sisters (9780670041428): Monica McInerney: Books

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Customer Reviews

22 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a fun, heartwarming book that's enjoyable and well written, June 29, 2005

By

Book Monger - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Alphabet Sisters: A Novel (Paperback)

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.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love brings us together and can tear us apart, June 22, 2005

By

N. Larrabee (Tarrytown, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Alphabet Sisters: A Novel (Paperback)

Anna, Bett, and Carrie Quinlan are sisters who have not spoken to one another in three years. Their emotions, doubts, and expressions are heart-felt and universal. Their individual stories are what held the most appeal in this saga of love and heartache. Lola, their grandmother demands that they come home to the Clare Valley in Australia to help celebrate her 80th birthday. Lola is a unique individual who has a somewhat over-the-top personality in every aspect. Her granddaughters love her because she doted on them when they were younger. A long time ago, Lola had organized her granddaughters into a singing group called the Alphabet Sisters. As the years passed, Anna married Glenn and had a daughter named Ellen. Bett became engaged to Matthew, an aspiring veterinarian. The family was torn apart when Matthew called off the engagement because he was in love with Carrie. They all went their separate albeit unhappy ways without one another. Once they are home for Lola's party, they are all overwhelmed by memories. Reluctantly faced with the prospect of producing their grandmother's musical, Anna, Bett, and Carrie little by little overcome their differences. The family is happily reunited for a brief time, until a minor health problem takes a turn for the worse with one of the sisters. The narrative borders on being banal at times, knowing who will end up with who before the characters do, and what events will take place. However, you will laugh and cry at times, and take pleasure in many moments in the lives of the Alphabet Sisters.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A joy to read, December 26, 2004

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tuppence (Adelaide , Australia) - See all my reviews

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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Didn't do it for me
I love chick lit but this book just didn't do it for me. I didn't like any of the sisters and struggled to relate to them. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Rach

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but well...
Not great, either. I suppose for this sort of Book Club driven book it's fine. Lots to discuss about families, how they drift apart over issues they shouldn't let come between... Read more

Published 22 months ago by Bluestalking Reader

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Average Chick Lit
Oh, this was a lovely book - and one that I enjoyed much more than the other one of hers that I read (_Family Baggage_). Read more

Published on January 15, 2009 by Yolanda S. Bean

2.0 out of 5 stars Not better than OK
Not deep enough to work through, and not "grabbing" enough to keep you reading. Then, finally, as the book is wrapping up, a "twist" that just doesn't bring anything to the book... Read more

Published on November 24, 2008 by Booksrock

4.0 out of 5 stars memorable family tale
Three sisters who haven't spoken for years are summoned back home by their grandmother, who forces them to unite by putting on a play she's written. Read more

Published on October 27, 2008 by readaholic

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining read about a family feud...
After a horrible fight over a man three years ago, sisters Anna, Bett and Carrie Quinlan have been invited home to their grandmother Lola's 80th birthday. Read more

Published on July 7, 2008 by Joanna Mechlinski

5.0 out of 5 stars Adored this book
What a delightful book this is. For me, the enjoyment of a book comes from (1) the characters and (2) the emotional impact. THE ALPHABET SISTERS delivered in spades. Read more

Published on December 1, 2007 by Patricia Kay

4.0 out of 5 stars Family feuds
Three sisters are reunited after a space of three years where there was no contact between them. The girls who used to work as a singing trio around the country towns as children,... Read more

Published on May 1, 2007 by Beverley Strong

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
I thought this book was really good. I couldn't put it down from the start. I am giving it 4 stars because I thought parts of it were a little predictible but the ending wasn't at... Read more

Published on February 16, 2007 by B. Marks

5.0 out of 5 stars A-Z of emotion
From someone who has siblings, has lived in small country towns and who has experienced the death of someone pivotal to my life, this book is 100% real. Read more

Published on August 4, 2006 by Know-what-i-like

› See all 22 customer reviews...

Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
Your sister is married to your ex-fiance? Jessica's voice rose to such a pitch Bett Quinlan half expected the lightbulbs to explode. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
truth stick, charity shop, motel bar, three granddaughters, function room

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Daniel Hilder, Clare Valley, Richard Lawrence, Valley View Motel, Lola Quinlan, Bett Quinlan, Valley Times, South Australia, Anna Quinlan, Jim Quinlan, Beautiful Morning, Clare Town Hall, Auntie Carrie, Could Have Danced All Night, Danger Hilder, Princess Scar, The Sound of Music, Alice Springs, Auntie Bett, Bumper Baa, General Douglas, Glenn Miller, Terowie Railway Station, World War

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