The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters

While the character relationships within this family were very interesting and easily relateable to my life, I found the constant switching of view points and years in each chapter hard to follow. Once I felt like I was getting to know one charachter, another would jump in and describe them differently. There were several weird incidences in this book and odd habbits of the sisters. The end of this book lacks a true finish and left me feeling annoyed since I had figured out what their gift was early on in the book, which was NO gift at all! Just the transcripts throughout the book. It was a quick read and an intersting story but I am not sure I would reccomend it to others.

I thought the premise of this book was intriguing- 4 sisters who have been given gifts by their live-in housekeeper, Fermina, who died. I expected more magical realism than what materialized in the book. The interplay between the report on Ferminas history and the contemporary story was interesting and the final solution to her relation to the family was good, but I had a hard time relating to any of the girls as they grew up. This one just missed the mark for me.

This book was fun reading. The Authors vivid insight into life of that time period was accurate and full of tender recollections - and some rather harsh. It rambled on a little too long with too many characters - but very entertaining and lots of laugh out loud observations and situations.

The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters begins in Los Angeles in 1966. We meet the four sisters - Loretta, Rita, Sophia, Bette and their brother Cary - all named by their late mother after movie stars. The girls are still mourning their mother. Their beloved housekeeper, Fermina, becomes ill as well. She has always promised that when she passes on she will give the girls each a gift. When she dies, the girls try to discover what each gift is. They arent tangible items, but maybe the gifts are abilities...... Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of the sisters. Interspersed are tantalizing excerpts from Ferminas life, beginning in the 1930s, taken down by a data collector from Work Projects Administration. This novel traces the lives of the girls through joy and heartache. Through it all runs the memory of their mother. Each girl remembers her differently. And Fermina - who was she really - her life with them is a bit of a mystery. The women in this story are the dominant, strong characters. I was caught up in the lives of the Gabaldon sisters. Their bickering, angst, joy and passion for life was intoxicating. Although they make some bad decisions in life, their acceptance of what life brings, their devotion to their children and their love for each other is compelling. The story rings true and real, with no sugar coating. As we follow the sisters lives, we also follow Ferminas in further reports from the WPA until the two tales meet and we discover who Fermina was and what the gifts truly were. This newly released novel is a story that will appeal to sisters and friends. It would be an excellent suggestion for a book club. Ferminas life is drawn from Lopezs own family history.

The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez follows the lives of four sisters named for classic movie beauties: Loretta Young, Rita Hayworth, Bette Davis, Sophia Lauren, and their brother Cary Grant Gabaldon, and their mysterious connection to their Indian maid Fermina, whose hidden letters and notes contain shocking revelations about the Gabaldon sisters. Motherless, the girls increasingly resent their father and rely on each other to get through Catholic school and beyond. Fermina, it was rumored, hung out with friends who dabbled in magic. The girls believe that Fermina left each one a magical gift unique to her, including telling believeable lies, healing animals, making others laugh, and the power to curse people to die. Along the way, they struggle through abusive relationships, childbirth, and heartbreak. Each chapter is narrated by a different sister, and interspersed between these are WPA archives of interviews with Fermina that gradually reveal the girls lineage piece by piece. The magic is largely psychological, but Lopez captures the cultural nuances of two decades that seem to pass in the blink of an eye, from the mid-1960s to the 1980s, and paints a lush, loving portrait of a chaotic family bound by secrets and tradition. Hispanic culture permeates the pages with hints of chile and hot buttered corn tortillas dripping with butter and a drizzle of lime, with the smoky incense of churches, and in the Spanglish spoken by family and relatives. Each of the girls must make her own way into the world, each fighting a personal demon: alcoholism, drug abuse, absent husbands, sexual orientation. They find strength in their shared memories and secrets, and return two decades later to fulfill a long-delayed journey to discover the real gift that Fermina left for them. Lopezs style is familiar and engaging; each sister has a unique voice and worldview, from the cynical and emotionally scarred Bette (who swears constantly and drops acid on her wedding day) to Rita, whose quick temper curses people to horrible fates (she ends up silent for most of her school years in order to avoid cursing people inadvertently). The four narrators are effective, although the flashbacks provided in the supposed WPA interviews felt disjointed. The writing style wouldnt have been permitted in actual reports; the supposed narratives are written in a highly ornamented style that the uneducated subject being interviewed wouldnt have been capable of expressing. But other than a few small missteps, this is a rewarding novel that reminded me of Joanne Harriss

Rating: 3.75 stars The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters is about four sisters who were taken care of by a mysterious elderly woman named Fermina. Upon Ferminas death, the girls all seek to discover the special gifts Fermina claimed to have left for them. Each chapter skips ahead a couple of years and the story takes readers from childhood to adulthood. The story is told by each of the sisters in alternating chapters with varying points of view, from first person to second person to third person. This book was nothing like I expected. Most of the chapters reveal devastating and sometimes difficult hardships that the sisters faced, with little pause for comic relief. I was expecting a tale of magic and intrigue, but the primary plot left no room for mystery because the secret the sisters were searching for throughout the novel was revealed earlier on to the reader. Having said that, I really did enjoy Lorraine Lopezs writing itself. Her unique use of different perspectives was refreshing and kept my attention. Lopezs strength definitely lies in her vivid descriptions because each character and setting managed to come alive for me, which perhaps was what made some parts of the book so incredibly heartbreaking. The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters is a worthwhile read, despite its lack of suspense and melancholy themes. Lorraine Lopez is a talented writer and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. [...]

I did not like this book. Although the premise was interesting and got me to read the entire book, I found the ending to be pitifully weak. I found Ms. Lopez to simple have a weak premise for a story and forced the concept throughout the story. Anything interesting was grazed over. If the ending had been better, I might have understood some of the choices the author went with, but it was vague and overly simplistic. I felt Ms. Lopezs attempt to make these sisters gifted.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer on 09/17/2008 Loretta, Bette, Rita, and Sophie Gabaldón lost their mother when they were very young. The ancient housekeeper who helped raised them promised each girl theyd receive a gift after her passing. Over the following two decades, the girls grow into women, each of them uniquely gifted. One heals, one tells splendid lies, one curses, and one makes others laugh. Time can only tell whether or not the gifts are blessings. The bonds of sisterhood are explored and tested as the sisters Gabaldón search for meaning in a sea of questions about their family. Each chapter is told in a different sisters point of view, and each voice is beautifully rendered through first, second, and third-person narrative, and past and present tense--a different style for each of the sisters. On the surface, the story may seem complex, maybe over-ambitious. But Lorraine López skillfully weaves the story of five women into a complete saga. Her use of scenery, emotion, and flat-out characterization is entrancing. I smelled the kitchen aromas and cringed at bad karaoke. I saw the sisters as young children, then mothers. I enjoyed the characters and was sorry to parts ways with them. Each sister was wonderfully flawed, yet deliciously vibrant. It would be a joy to meet them again. 4.5 Books The reviewer may have received a free copy of this novel from the publisher, author, or other representative in this books interest. This has no impact on the quality or consideration of the review. Wantz Upon a Time has not and will not accept money in exchange for reviews.

This book had enough plots and subplots to keep me entertained throughout. However, the magic part of the book was very minor. It was more general family chic lit with just a hint of the magic subplot.

The mother of four sisters dies, leaving them to be raised by an unobservant father and a beloved housekeeper, who has her own mysterious past. Unfortunately for the girls, the housekeeper dies shortly after. The girls are pretty much left to their own devices. They feel a void and begin to search to find out who their mother and their housekeeper were. The sisters lives are examined over more than twenty years as they reach maturity, go their separate ways, and reunite. Each chapter is taken by a different sister who reports the happenings from her vantage point. Using first-person, second-person, and third-person points of view, the tale unfolds in a smooth, easy-to-read fashion. Each girl has her own voice, and the reader has no difficulty following what could be a difficult read. The characters are believable--each one is well written so that personality flaws are evident. They squabble, but the bond of family is tight. Warning: A good bit of profanity is used throughout the book.