cover image The Almost Archer Sisters

The Almost Archer Sisters

Lisa Gabriele, . . Simon & Schuster, $14 (248pp) ISBN 978-0-7432-5586-8

There were never such devoted sisters, or ones so hilariously and heartbreakingly conflicted about loyalty and love as the ones in Gabriele’s brisk second novel (Tempting Faith DiNapoli ). Thoughtful, married-mom Georgie “Peachy” Archer and big-city-girl Beth, her older sister, grow up on a Canadian farm with their hairdressing, Vietnam draft–dodging dad, Lou, and share the pain of their mom’s suicide. But that’s where the similarities end—until the sisters swap lives for a weekend. Walking in Beth’s shoes around New York City, Peachy meets Beth’s discreet doorman, snarky friends and disapproving ex-boyfriend, and gets a crash course in understanding what her brash sister’s really about. Here is a charming, smart and honest story of two sisters who learn to embrace the lives they have. Gabriele’s writing is sharp and her heart is pure gold. This honest tale of passionate, mixed-up and forgiving families is hard to put down. (Oct.)