Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld

"The truth, ultimately, is what we choose to believe."

Violet and Daisy are twins who are more dissimilar than alike and have had ups and downs in their relationship since they were in middle school. Gifted with "senses" that give them foresight and premonitions about things to come, the sisters find themselves at odds with each other about having the ability. Vi embraces her psychic self but Daisy distances herself from it and changes her name to Kate to widen the gap even further. Kate marries and has two children but Vi tends to drift in and out of relationships and has not yet found herself or any stability in her life. When Vi, in business as a medium of sorts, begins to warn of an impending earthquake in St. Louis where they all live, events transpire that completely shake apart their lives and test the limits of Sisterland.

This was a quick, entertaining read about the fragility of relationships and about the notion of a "sense" for seeing the future as opposed to normal worry or anticipatory reactions to what might be in the road ahead. It begs the question, does one really want to know what is to come? Does it prepare one to handle a situation or outcome if it is known in advance? Things happen in life, some as the result of our own decisions and others not. This novel definitely probes the subject of ESP and how it can affect the lives of those with it and those it may be used by.

Although I didn't really grow to love any of the characters in the book, except perhaps for Kate's husband, Jeremy, I did empathize with them. Written from the point of view of Kate, it becomes clear that it is almost impossible to really KNOW another person.

I would say this book would be a good one for a book club and more enjoyed by women.

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