Customer Reviews

Sister Mine: A Novel

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I stumbled upon "Sister Mine" at my campus bookstore, and like another reviewer, the first sentence sucked me in. Before I knew it, I was back in my dorm room unable to stop turning the pages. Shae-Lynne's gripping narrative provided a welcome respite from my Chaucer reading and the research paper I should have been writing.

This novel contains so much--pathos, laugh-out-loud humor, well-drawn compelling characters. My Chaucer professor has remarked that the difference between literature and popular fiction is that literature has cracks in it that are open for the reader to interpret. "Sister Mine" qualifies as literature according to his definition. For example, I have spent some time pondering what took place in the conversation between Clay and Shannon at the end of the book. Clay tells his mother "I realize after talking to Aunt Shannon that there are things about you I don't understand completely...." I have tried to tease out just what Shannon told him. How much of her and Shae-Lynne's childhood did she disclose? Did she confide her suspicions about Clay's own birth? But this ambiguous line, so open to interpretation, is only one of the many gems within Sister Mine.

Shae-Lynn Penrose is a lot of things. She's a single mom, a retired cop and the only taxi driver in the small town of Jolly Mount, Pennsylvania. She's also a tough-talking, hard-as-nails chick with a killer wardrobe, a keen sense of justice, a tendency to pick a fight and a backstory a mile long.

Part of that long and sometimes painful history is Shae-Lynn's little sister, Shannon, who disappeared without a trace from their small coal mining town many years before. Shae-Lynn has always suspected that their father, a bitterly unhappy coal miner with a recreational habit of beating up his little girls, finally let his abuse go too far and killed Shannon. That theory has to be revised, though, when long-lost Shannon shows up on Shae-Lynn's doorstep --- nine months pregnant, with no boyfriend or husband in sight.

Shannon isn't entirely alone, though; in her wake comes a rich Connecticut housewife, a suave New York lawyer and a Russian mobster --- all looking for Shannon. What has Shannon been up to? What does she want --- or need --- from Shae-Lynn? Does her arrival mean more trouble for Shae-Lynn? Or will it finally force her to confront some other demons in her past?

Although the candy-colored cover art and pun-filled title, sharp-tongued protagonist and mystery plot might make you think that SISTER MINE is aimed at, say, fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, Tawni O'Dell's novel is far more sophisticated than it appears at first glance. Sure, there are plenty of funny situations --- O'Dell has a knack for writing fast-paced, vivid action scenes and other dramatic or comic interactions --- but Shae-Lynn's observations lend insight, and even wisdom, to the book's portrayals of place and of its many finely-drawn secondary characters.

Foremost among these are the "Jolly Mount Five," a group of five miners who survived a highly-publicized mine explosion several years earlier. These men (and their wives and friends), deeply scarred emotionally and physically, help form a deeper, richer and sadder portrait of the way of life in a coal mining town. They have dealt with the trauma, the fleeting fame and the too-small monetary rewards in various ways, from starting (and mismanaging) a "celebrity restaurant" to drinking away the memory of an amputated limb. Shae-Lynn's taxi-driving job --- not to mention her burgeoning relationship with one of the men --- enables her to reflect on how these five men (now considering suing the mine for damages) represent the town --- and the industry --- in general.

Like her character, Tawni O'Dell left Pennsylvania for a while, only to return to the land of her youth. Her affection for, and at times outrage on behalf of, the landscape and people of this overlooked, underappreciated region shines through everything she writes. Her debut novel, BACK ROADS, was an Oprah's Book Club pick. With its exploration of family, self and place, SISTER MINE deserves much the same audience.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Okay, I admit it. I'm getting lazy. Authors have to work harder and harder every year to get me to get past page five. *Sister Mine* had me from the first sentence with a gripping voice and before the first buzz could wear off I was in the thrall of a intelligent yet tilt-a-whirl story with edgy, funny characters. For the first time in a long time I was walking around with a hardcover novel tucked under my arm, as attached as a yuppie to her bluetooth.
It's plot, character and voice that keep me (and,if I may presume, most readers) engaged, but the real test comes two weeks later when (if) those characters, etc. are still with me. Shae-Lynn Penrose, her sad, dysfunctional family of origin, and the son she somehow launched as a success are not only still hangin' in the backroads of my mind, I'd love to know what they'll be up to next. What keeps them around, though, is the too-often neglected element of any good novel: the setting. Enough with the hip New York scene already. (Just kidding -- I love New York.) Shae-Lynn and her friends are rooted to their eyebrows in the coal-rich soil of Pennsylvania, and it's O'Dell's portrayal -- new to these urban eyes -- of a coal-mining town that rounds out the novel and makes it more than a rattling good yarn, but a piece of American life.

As a native of western Pennsylvania, I have a particular appreciation for Tawni O'Dell's novels. I'd know her characters anywhere: The godlike high school/college football jock whose subsequent life reeks of anticlimax; the stolid denizens of the myriad of mining towns, the young people who left as part of the state's unfortunate "brain drain," as well as those who stayed home to contend with limited, depressing job markets.

Like Tawni O'Dell herself, the novel's protagonist Shae-Lynn Penrose is one of those who left the her small town (the fictitious and ironically named Jolly Mount)for the big city. Shae-Lynn escaped a dreadful childhood, an abusive father, and the apparent death of her younger sister to pursue an education and a career -- all as a single mother. Now she's back in Jolly Mount, over age 40, and driving a taxi. Her life is relatively good; she sees her son daily, although not always in the circumstances one would imagine. Her job allows her to know everything about everyone, and to administer her unique sense of justice as needed. One of those cab rides, an airport pickup of a shadowy New York lawyer, turns Shae-Lynn's life inside out. In just a few days, Shae-Lynn's tidy existence will be in chaos with the arrival of a very pregnant young woman, a housewife willing to pay any price for an under-the-table adoption, and a Russian gangster. Shae-Lynn will also confront, for the first time in years, the repulsive father of her son.

A key element of this wonderful novel is a portrayal of those in the coal mining industry. O'Dell creates a fictional version of the group of Pennsylvania miners who several years ago survived a harrowing mining accident. O'Dell tells what happens to these men, "The Jolly Mount Five," as well as their families, in the not-so happily ever after.

Sister Mine is gritty, tragic and deadly funny. It's written with love, and will stay with the reader for a long time.

Having read BACK ROADS and COAL RUN, I was anxiously awaiting the release of SISTER MINE. Tawni O'Dell's books are treasures and ones that you MUST READ. They do not disappoint!

What was a VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE for me was Ms. O'Dell's sparkling sense of humor and how funny this book is. If you read her first two books, they were WONDERFULLY dark. This book is FUNNY; however, it does have it dark spots, which is good! The plot moves and grooves, and I could not turn the pages quickly enough.

Meet Shae-Lynn Penrose who lives in Jolly Mount, Pennsylvania, a very small mining town. A few years earlier there was a near mining disaster there and five of her friends were trapped four days before being rescued. The book deals with all of these characters who have had to come to grips with their being trapped, their survival, and the long and rough road this experience takes them on. Shae-Lynn is involved with each of them in different ways, as this is a small town where everyone knows everyone.

Shae-Lynn has many demons of her own -- her totally mean, nasty, physically abusive dad, her missing and presumed dead sister, her son, and the town folk who, in one way or another, Shae-Lynn is involved with. Shae-Lynn is an ex-cop who has come home to Jolly Mount and now owns her own cab company -- which consists of Shae-Lynn and her car. The neighbors, friends, and town people you will be introduced to are all so different and all such good characters and the author makes them feel so very, very real. This is a great book!!!!

Not wanting to give away too much of the story, Shae-Lynn's life gets turned upside down as her past and present collide at full speed. People come back into her life, secrets, both good and horrible are revealed, and the book is off and running.

I cannot emphasize enough what a great read this is. You need to get this book, get cozy, and go for it. Shae-Lynn is FUN and her life is totally NOT boring. The plot runs smooth, all the cast and characters are totally believable. The dialogue will make you laugh and the author's knowledge of the mining industry makes this one great book.

Also, make certain that you read BACK ROADS and COAL RUN. You will not be disappointed in any of these three books. Now, we just have to be patient and wait for yet another literary gift from Tawni O'Dell.

Thank you!

Pam

Despite having one of her earlier works been selected for Oprah's Book Club, it doesn't seem that this author is receiving the attention she deserves. Superb, witty, and insightful dialogue crackles throughout. Having read all of her four novels (to date), I happily anticipate her future works.

I stumbled across this book in my library, it was left in the chairs my friends and I sat in. I picked it up and started reading. Boy, was I sure glad I did! I couldn't stop reading and took it home and stayed up until 3am reading it. Very good book, you become attached to the characters very quickly. Very compelling book, deals with alot of life lessons, and is very deep. I would love to see a sequel, as I do not want to leave Shae-Lynn's world just yet.

This is one of the best books I have read. I wish Tawni O'Dell had written more. I've read her other two books and feel the same about them. I was sorry the book ended and missed the characters for a day or so. Well written, the book makes you feel as if you are actually there with the characters. As I said, one of the best books I have read~!!

Tawni O'Dell is back with this romp through her old stomping grounds of Western Pennsylvania. Sister Mine has some heavy issues but it's done in a lighter way than here previous books. Her heroine, Shae-Lynn Penrose, is an ex-cop who now drives a cab in a place where you'd never expect to find a cab. She bounces between the locals (people she grew up with) dealing with their problems and her own along the way.

Well, her sister shows up, pregnant and involved in a baby-for-sale scam. Following her sister is her sister's Russian boyfriend who doesn't take no for an answer very easily. To all this add that the town's tycoon may have fathered Shae-Lynn's son. Shae-Lynn tough talks her way through what she can't escape, and outwits herself sometimes. This is a character you have to love.

The story rolls along faster than Shae-Lynn can whip through the back roads. As mentioned before, it tackles some heavy issues but has plenty of laughs, which is why O'Dell is as popular as she is and will never let you down from beginning to end. Can't wait to read her next book.

Excellent, well written, tough but emotional story of how Shae-Lynn uncovers secrets from her long lost sister, herself and those around her. Based in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania, the material and emotional hardships of the coal mining community play a big part in this story. Shae-Lynn is a tough but maybe not so strong woman trying to come to terms with the choices she made as a young girl/woman having to deal with an abusive father, witnessing her mother's death and bringing up her younger sister. The cast of characters in the book from Shae-Lynn herself to EJ, Pamela, Clay and esp. Fanci & Kenny will stay with you for a long time. Recommended.