A review by annanas
The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

challenging emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I have complicated feelings about this book. I was happy to start it since I know it's a very popular book for older women (mainly boomers) to read, especially here in Sweden where I live. My own mother loves this series and I first learned about it from her. I also have been able to bond with patrons visiting the library where I work, and they aboslutly love talking about this series. So I definitely understand the appeal of the book. I think the main appeal is that it takes place in foreign countries which I myself enjoyed. I also did enjoy the romance between Izabel and Laurant (and I almost wish that part was the entire book, since I didn't really care that much about the actual main character Maia).

But what I did not enjoy as much, was all the gender specific norms, sexual assaults' and the ableist parts. The way adoption is discussed also made me uncomfortable. I'm sorry, but am I the only one who thinks that it's a little weird for a single man to adopt seven little girls from different countries? And then, he doesn't tell them what country they are from, or anything at all about their background until they are all adults and he has passed away? I personally don't trust that man (lol) So from the start I had an icky feeling that I tried to ignore.

Like I said, I did somewhat enjoy this but it was just too long and not interesting enough, so I skipped the last 50 pages. I wanted to DNF it several times, but when I had already invested HOURS reading over 400-500 pages, it wasn't that easy to give up. I tried switching to the audiobook and listen to the end at 2X speed, but it still felt too long and slow. But 580 pages is still more than most books I read so I'm going to count this book as read.

What eventually made me want to give up on the book was this quote:

"I've read articles about a syndrome called Asperger's. Have you heard of it?"... "Apparently the sufferer almost always has a high level of intelligence, and they also seem to show little sensitivity or empathy towards others. And that is the best way I can describe your mother."

Yeah.. as an autistic person that really hurt. It's always interesting how autistic people are perceived as having no empathy or care about others while we are described in the most uncaring negative way. It really rubbed me the wrong way how neurodivergent people in general was being spoken about in this book, since there also was talk about dyslexia not being the end of the world since some people who have it are very intelligent. And I just don't like how disabled people's existence is justified like that. It also rubbed me the wrong way that one of the many woman in this book, which also happens to be autistic (if we are to believe the words of the grandmother), who gave up children for adoption doesn't get their story told. Maia isn't even interested in trying to find her mother and she doesn't even question her grandmothers story. I feel like I have been lied to, since I thought that the point of the book was for Maia to learn about where she comes from. I'm disappointed since I was actually the most curious about Maia's biological mother and what happened that lead to Maia being adopted, but instead I just learn about her great grandmother and many other side characters and storylines that I just didn't care about. But I guess an autistic woman with substance abuse, just isn't important. I liked the story about Izabel just fine, but I think that could've been a separate (shorter) book.


In the end I don't think this book was for me, or maybe not for my generation, which is OK. But for me personally it didn't really work as a lighthearted escapist read which was what I was hoping for.


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