Sisters, Brothers, & Stories

A fiction collection

There's something uniquely complicated about sibling relationships that makes them irresistible to writers. Maybe it's the way siblings can know each other better than anyone else while simultaneously hurting each other the most, or perhaps it's how these bonds forged in childhood shape us in ways we're still discovering decades later. The books in today's collection explore stories defined by siblings: Siblings who…

• Sisters Under Seige, Leah Gebber - heart-wrenching, evocative, and thought-provoking
  …sisters who claw at each other’s chances for hope during the terror of the War of Independence

• The Thirteenth Gate, Ester Zirkind - unique, modern, and introspective
  …sisters who each cope with their complicated past on their own, but must come together to reckon with long-ago choices amidst 21st-century crisis

• The Last Slave, Yehudis Kormornik - emotional, honest, and enlightening
  …sisters who lean on each other when all else is destroyed (Galus Mitzrayim)

• Sisters and Strangers, Suri Epstein - light, relatable, and refreshing
  …sisters who navigate relationships with humor and wit and find their way in their communities

• Little Sister, Ruti Tanenwald - atmospheric, gentle, and familiar
  …brother and little sister who survive a hostile world together, while desperate to get away from each other

• Yardsticks, Esty Heller - fun, nuanced, and compelling
  …sisters who struggle to live up to high standards while maintaining their values

• Flashback, Riva Pomerantz - thrilling, dramatic, and fast-paced
  …sisters on opposite ends of the work-life seesaw who watch helplessly as the other flails

• Daddy’s Girl, Dina Neuman - dramatic, engrossing, and vibrant
  …sisters who devolve into bitter rivalry when they need each other most

• Pride and Preference, Barbara Bensoussan - carefree, gossipy, and funny
  …sisters who date, gossip, and make tough shidduch choices

• A Tale of Two Sisters, Adeena Lieber - easy and suspenseful
  …sisters who were separated and abandoned at birth, and their journey to finding and accepting their true identities

• Heart of Ice, M. Kenan - layered, unpredictable, intriguing
  …brothers who are drawn together, despite having no memory of their childhoods

• Forever Forward, Rhona Lewis - colorful, surprising, and touching
  …sisters who hide on opposite ends of the world, but come to the rescue when tragedy strikes

• Diamond in the Rough, Esther Rappaport - captivating and mysterious
  …brothers who care for each other when alone in the world, plus a dose of thriller/mystery

From the Inbox

Some of the comments and insights shared after “Let’s Discuss Deep Blue”, a roundtable discussion about Deep Blue by Meir Uri Gottesman. (Share your book thoughts by emailing frumbooksnewsletter@gmail.com, or replying to any email.)

On our confusion over the pronunciation of Uri’s nickname, “Eerie”:

In chassidish yiddish, which R’ Gottesman speaks (and many older men, even not Chassidish have that accent) Uri is pronounced "eerie", as in the synonym for creepy, rhymes with "cheery". But to a non-chassidish speaker, and for sure a non-yiddish speaker, that would sound very odd. - SM

On the analysis of the story and its ending:

I think you missed the lesson big time. The real treasure that Uri (who is obviously Mr. Gottesman's alter ego hence the name) is the beautiful mishpacha he raised. By forcing Uri to devote himself to learning and not be side-tracked by money, Zaida helps Uri grow into his true potential. Ending up with the money is almost besides the point.
Deep Blue is my story. My husband is still sitting in kollel despite having dozens of grandchildren KAH. We had many years of deep chovos, struggling to make it through the month, running from gemach to gemach and relying on tzedaka. And when we were truly desperate, HaShem sent us help in amazing ways.
Then, to our surprise, when my in-laws passed away last year they left us a yerusha and for the first time ever, we have money in the bank. But through all the years I told my children that we are incredibly rich for our beautiful mishpacha, our amazing nachas, etc. - RP

On readers’ favorites of Meir Uri Gottesman’s books:

I'd have to say The Shul Boy is my favorite. Aside from being the first one I read, I grew to love Lipa. The plot was also SO interesting and really pulled me in. As a kid, I knew only to read this book by day, or I’d have nightmares ;). I also love how each of the characters in Lipas "dreams" ended up being people in his real life. (Morning Star also has this, and thats why it’s my second favorite!) The Chase is also one of my favorites. Really, all of them! - BW

Deep Blue is one of my all-time favorites. I also loved Morning Star and a specific story in The Meshulach (I forgot its title - the one with the car that ran on empty).
The men in my life think Chaimkel the Dreamer is really something special. - CH