What We Thought: The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

Readers remarked about how the author’s beautifully written passages in The Story Sisters elicited strong emotions from them. Even though the subject matter was dark and tragic at times the interior lives of the characters shone through the clouds masking reality. Alice Hoffman inspired readers to say that it can be possible to survive misfortune, but not always and usually at great personal cost.

Some had a definite dislike of Annie Story, the sister’s mother because they believed that she could have paid more attention to her girls. Annie was in her own world of denial about her “perfect children” and didn’t notice their atypical behavior until much too late to save them from themselves. Others gave her break and said that children keep secrets and take care of each other. After much discussion readers admitted that no one was to blame for circumstances beyond their control. Ultimately blame was for the person who hurt Elv, starting her on her destructive path.

Everyone liked Natalia, Annie’s mother. She nurtured all three granddaughters in extravagant and loving ways. She celebrated their unique qualities and gave them room to explore. Natalia gave them the gift of vacations in Paris and introductions to her eccentric friends. We all wished for a grandmother like her. Annie had the gift of friendship with Pete, the detective she hired to find her eldest Elv. He became a beloved companion in her later years and surrogate parent to the girls. He was able to come to terms with sorrow in his own life through his relationships with each of them.

Readers said that the fairy tale introductions of chapters and the fantasies of the girls contrasted with the stark reality of their lives. Their escape got in the way of dealing with their trauma. By the end of the book the Story sisters came to terms with each other and were able to work out a semblance of redeemed lives.

“The nature of love had totally escaped her until now. She had thought that if you lost it, you could never get it back, like a stone thrown down a well. But it was like the water at the bottom of the well, there when you can’t even see it, shifting in the dark.”

 -- Alice Hoffman, The Story Sisters