by Laura Zigman
Reviewed by Linda:
Laura Zigman has written a novel, loosely based on her own life, of two sisters reconnecting as adults and coming to terms with their turbulent childhood. Back then, there was a third sister who was severely disabled and died at age ten. Of necessity, their parents' lives revolved around her care and confronting the painful decision to institutionalize her. Joyce and Lydia have different memories and knowledge of those years, including the magical time spent with their sister at Camp Fantastic in the Berkshires, and are coming to understand how they were shaped by these events. Written with compassion, the story is moving and haunting.