"They Were Sisters," by Dorothy Whipple

I seem to be on a bit of a Dorothy Whipple binge. Sometimes when I discover a new (to me) writer whose work I really like, I find and read more and more of that author’s work. I imagine some of you do the same. I recently (on 1/24/12 and 1/30/12) wrote about two of Whipple’s books, and now I have read a third: “They Were Sisters” (Persephone, 2005; originally published by John Murray, 1943). I think I like this novel best of the Whipple books I have read so far. It describes the interlocking lives of three sisters who have taken different paths and married very different men. Lucy is the oldest sister, the one who in childhood always watched and worried over the two younger sisters, and still does. She is in a good, happy marriage with a quirky but kind and compatible man. Charlotte, however, marries a man, Geoffrey, who turns out to be a nasty, horrible, sadistic husband who ruins the lives of his wife and his children. Vera, the most beautiful one, marries a man who adores her, Brian, but whom she doesn’t really love. She enjoys the comfortable lifestyle Brian provides her, has a number of flirtations and even affairs, and finally her marriage crumbles. Her children are somewhat neglected, although they are better off than their cousins, Charlotte and Geoffrey’s children. Lucy is the one who tries to keep the family together and to help her sisters, but nothing she can do really changes things. She does manage, however, to help some of her sisters’ children. Despite the despair and sadness of parts of the story, there is the redeeming power of the love among the sisters, and especially of Lucy’s constant caring and efforts to help her sisters and their children. And it turns out that at least some of the children will survive and even be happy, despite their miserable childhoods. This novel is deeply compelling; I couldn’t stop reading it. The writing is impressive. I am quite sure I will be reading more of Whipple’s fiction very soon.