Review - The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen

The book was a gift from Mary and it was such a thoughtful one!

Milly and Twiss two elderly sisters live together in a barn of a house which is falling down around their ears. They have a reputation for treating injured birds . One day a young mother brings around an injured bird and an inadvertent remark sets off a chain of events which take the sisters and the story right back to 1947 when they were teenagers, and so the story starts.

It was for me a sad read - Milly always knew she wanted to get married and have a family. Twiss was not so. Then their father meets with an accident, loses his job and his common sense and the whole family disintegrates. How Milly puts family before self is heart breaking. With the arrival of Bett their cousin their world is turned upside down and all dreams of a future are gone.

The ramifications of a small town, everyone knowing everyone else's business, the sense of family loyalty and sibling love and how it eventually leads to the two old spinsters living out their days alone is tough. Right through I was rooting for Milly to do something for herself and eventually for Twiss who would have followed in her sister's footsteps but then it was not the story I had set it out to be.

Though not a happily ever after story in the strictest sense of the word, the sisters were content and happy in their little world. Milly obviously felt the sacrifice was well worth it though I was angry throughout that parents could be so blind and selfish!!!

A beautiful, nostalgic read.