THE GEOMETRY OF SISTERS

Author: Luanne Rice ISBN: 9780553805130 4/2009 FICTION Publisher: BANTAM

Here in the halls of Newport Academy, a unique private school that has attracted generations of rebels, outcasts, and visionaries, a poignant and unforgettable lesson in the eternal truths of sisterhood is about to begin…. After years away, Maggie Shaw has returned to Newport to teach English at the academy. Behind her lies her life as the perfect midwestern wife and mother, a life that seemed on the surface to be all she had ever wished for. Ahead lie long-buried truths cracked open by the unfathomable loss of her husband and eldest daughter. Newport has never failed to infuse Maggie with a sense of mystery, romance—and hope. But for fourteen-year-old Beck, the move is a painful upheaval from everything she has ever loved—especially her sister, Carrie. Ever since her father and sister disappeared into the storm-tossed waters off Mackinac Island, Beck has retreated into the world of mathematics, where principles are permanent, unlike so many other things in life. Without Carrie, Beck has lost half of herself—the half that would have fit in at the elite private school she and her brother, Travis, will now attend. The half that made things right. Still, Beck clings to the hope that her sister will return. For her body remains undiscovered—and only Beck knows about Carrie’s last day, about her plans. Beck isn’t alone in her struggle to adjust. At sixteen, Travis is juggling a long-distance first love and an attraction to an expensive-looking girl with a wicked sparkle in her eye. And for Maggie, ghosts linger here—an unresolved breach with her own beloved sister and a long-ago secret that may now have the power to set her free…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE GEOMETRY OF SISTERS is a poignant, sometimes heartbreaking, tale of sisters and the secrets they keep for each other. It pulled this reader in right from the first paragraph, where we see a family leaving town for what should have been a fresh start but felt, instead, like they were leaving for a funeral. When the mother tapes a note to the door for the child that is not accompanying them on their journey, my curiosity is aroused and never abates.

Ms. Rice has given readers a study in relationships, on so many levels, with this book. Sisters, brothers, parents and the relationships forged during young love, as well as the ones kept for a lifetime, are all on display.

The child who doesn't come along when the family leaves, Carrie, is at the center of this story. What impressed me most was that others kept her secrets. Another family member endlessly searched for her, and the details of that search prove that Carrie doesn't want to be found. I never would have thought to buy postcards and have them mailed from various spots to throw someone off the trail while running away, but that's what Carrie did. That small, but telling, point showed just how much she wanted to get away, and how savvy she was. I was intrigued by this young woman, and followed her journey so closely I felt that I, too, was on the run.

All in all, THE GEOMETRY OF SISTERS is one of those books that sticks with the reader long after the last word has been read. It provides many points for contemplation, and shows that sometimes the things people run from hardest are those they will never be able to elude. Well done!

Kay James