Title: The Sweeney Sisters

Author: Lian Dolan

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: April 28, 2020

My Rating: 3/5

An accomplished storyteller returns with her biggest, boldest, most entertaining novel yet—a hilarious, heartfelt story about books, love, sisterhood, and the surprises we discover in our DNA that combines the wit of Jonathan Tropper with the heart of Susan Wiggs.

Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.

But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.

When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.

Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?

By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family.

The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan follows the story of three sisters Liza, Maggie and Tricia who were grieving over their beloved father and renowned writer William Sweeney’s demise. Through their family friend, a lawyer named Cap, the three sisters learned about their half-sister and the missing memoir their father had promised the publisher.

This was my first Lian Dolan’s book and I find her writing quite impressive. Liza is the older sister, married woman and mother of two. Above all, a thoughtful person who care about everyone and everything in the family. Maggie, the carefree middle sister is an attention seeker, often referred to as Mad Maggie, which I think most appropriate for her. Tricia is the youngest in the family and my favourite among the three sisters. She is a lawyer and a brilliant strategist.

The three Sweeney sisters (Liza, Maggie, Tricia) were three different distinct personalities with a difference of opinions, they have their own troubles and arguments but they stood together as a family and had each other’s back when necessary. I loved the bond the Sweeney sisters shared and I’m sure you could relate with them in one way or the other.

I also liked the small-town life portrayed in this book. I have never been to Connecticut, but I once lived in a small town before moving to a city. So I exactly know how it likes to be in a town where everyone knows everyone. William Sweeney’s missing memoir added a little mystery to the plot but the things he confessed in his memoir made me despise his character. That’s why I generally don’t prefer memoirs/autobiography.

Anyway, overall, The Sweeney Sisters is a beautiful tale about sisterhood, family bonding, love, loss, grief and belonging. I would recommend this book if you are looking for a good family drama or a light read.

*A Special thanks to The FFBC team and the publisher for including me in the blog tour and for the eARC. All opinions are my own.*

Lian Dolan is a writer and broadcaster, whose name is pronounced like “Liam” but with an “n.” She is the creator and host of “Satellite Sisters”, the award-winning and top-rated radio talk show she produces with her four real sisters: Julie, Liz, Sheila, and Monica. She also created the popular podcast about modern motherhood, “The Chaos Chronicles”, developed by Nick at Nite for TV. Lian is the author of two Los Angeles Times best-selling novels, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife, and a regular columnist for Pasadena Magazine. A graduate of Pomona College in Claremont, she now lives in Pasadena, California with her husband and two sons >

Brittany Pressley has won several Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration in 2018. She has recorded over one hundred titles and has received several nominations for American Library Association’s annual list of Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. She is also an accomplished singer-songwriter and voice actress. Her voice can be heard on national and international TV and radio commercials as well as several animated series and video games. She is a graduate of Columbia University.