The Middle Sister: A Novel

Loved this book, sad, funny and heartwarming.

This was an excellent read. A book of young black women having to survive and care for their mother. What I did not like was the fact that their father never looked for them or tried to be a part of their lives.

No family is perfect, and every human being has flaws. The grace in life is in loving our imperfect friends and family members, and in finding our joy regardless of hardships. Bonnie Glover drives this point home in her debut novel, The Middle Sister, a sensitive and well-written story of a young girl growing up in urban America. Pamelas nearly idyllic life is rattled when her father leaves the family, and her mother begins a steady slide into mental illness. Pamela and her two sisters close ranks and take matters into their own hands, caring for their ailing mom and raising themselves. This is a great novel for young female readers, as Pamela struggles with her emotions over the changes taking place in her life.

This book grabbed at my heart. I was able to laugh and cry because I could relate to the events inside.

Middle Sister, by debut novelist Bonnie Glover, is a powerful tale about unconditional love and family. Set against the backdrop of Harlem, NY, during the 1970s, middle sister, Pamela embraces life with reckless abandonment and freedom, until her two-parent home is shattered. After her father moves out, her mother suffers a nervous breakdown and the family is forced to move from their quaint, modest, one family home to the roach infested, urine smelling surroundings of the projects. Always studious and the smartest of the sisters, the projects prove to also be challenging for someone as naïve as Pamela. To help her navigate her way through her new environment, Pamela conjures up David Caines character, Kwai Chang, from the television series Kung Fu. Okay, I must admit, it seemed odd that someone as old as Pamela would create an invisible friend from a television series. And, is it really this friend who helps to keep her on the straight and narrow or is it her conscious? Whatever the source, coping skills were definitely necessary to survive her new home as she comes of age amidst new situations and people. Glover has skillfully crafted a poignant and powerful storyline. Middle Sister is filled with messages about family, love, survival, acceptance and redemption as well as taboo subjects such as mental illness and sexual identity. Once the reader accepts Pamelas Kung Fu side-kick, climatic plot twists and turns quickly move the storyline forward. But, it was the primary characters, as well as secondary characters, who really brought the storyline to life. Though flawed and scarred with blemishes, they were often loveable and endearing even in their most confused, sometimes most difficult moments. As I watched Pamela come of age, she would flounder and make many mistakes, some of them before thinking, but I never felt that any situation was too arduous for her to conquer. Trials and triumphs, eccentric characters, not so tidy endings make the Middle Sister an eclectic yet heartwarming read. Bonnie Glover takes us on a literary journey through the eyes of the Middle Sister characters and she does not allow us to get off until she is satisfied that it has been a journey worth taking. Solid writing, engaging characters, timeless plot and theme, vivid imagery and shocking twists and turns make Middle Sister a recommended read for those who need a change of pace. Yasmin APOOO BookClub

Decided to order on line though not familiar with author. satisfied with online presentation it was a good description and it was a good guide.

A gentle easy written novel about love and loss, through the the eyes of a young girl. The book touched on mental health and , violence, abandonment and poverty.

The voice of The Middle Sister is so honest and pure, expressing beauty and poverty with the same level of detail and passion. Characters are so well-developed.

I really enjoyed this book,until I got to end. I liked how the characters developed throughout the story. How touching the story was, but I was very disappointed in the ending. I had to go back and reread the previous pages to make sure I hadn’t skipped some pages. Is there a continuation I’m not aware of?

Very touching story.