The Good Sister

The book opens with Simone, a beautiful, over-privileged mom / housewife, on trial for the attempted murder of her children. The story of this horrible turn of events is told in alternating points of view by Simone, her oldest daughter Merrell, Simone's older sister Roxanne and their mother Ellen, with the majority told by Roxanne and Merrell. We follow Roxanne through a rocky childhood, in which she became Simone's protector, caretaker and only friend, forming a very strong yet codependent bond.Roxanne has spent her adult life trying to forge some level of independence for both herself and her sister, yet cannot seem to break away, even at the potential cost of her own marriage.WHAT WORKED:This is a timely subject, post partum depression/ psychosis is more common than most people think and effects people at all socio economic levels. Most people have a lot less sympathy for a wealthy women who can afford to have household help and Simone was such a controversial offender, in part, because of her wealth.The parts about Simone and Roxanne's childhood went a long way to explain how they ended up in the roles that the played in life.I loved that Drusilla Campbell painted Johnny (Simone's husband) to be a 3 dimensional character. He was quite unlikable in places, yet in other places, he was almost loveable. Their mother Ellen was also well written, at times she seemed totally irredeemable and yet, she also had her moments of good.I really loved little Merrell. She was smart, perceptive, funny and very in charge. She kept things running but deserved much better. She was quickly becoming an adult in a child's body. I just wanted to slow this down for her.The crying baby felt so real for me. My oldest was a crier and was not a sleeper at all. I could sympathize with the fact that nobody in the house ever got any peace. It really puts anyone on edge.Although it dealt with a very disturbing topic, the author handled the attempted murder scene quite well; without any unnecessary description or sensationalized details.WHAT DIDN'T WORK:This was a good book. There wasn't a lot that didn't work for me. I guess it frustrated me that no one forced Simone to get any mental help until it was almost too late. With all these people around her and all the money and education they had, you would have thought someone would have seen it coming.

I am a social work student and am very interested in mental illness and crime, so I was ready to be extremely critical of this book due to my educational background. However, I was pleasantly surprised and found myself completely caught up and lost in this story. It is an excellent depiction of post-partum psychosis and allows us to get a glimpse into the minds of people who may be different than us - and shows just how easy it is to be pushed over the edge sometimes when one is under pressure. This is one of those books that covers the emotional bases! I found myself feeling sad, feeling angry, feeling empathetic, happy, confused, and everything else. It is also a book where the characters are extremely well developed - it is so easy to feel like you actually know the characters (which is hard for an author to do, I imagine). After I read this book, it has stayed in the back of my mind frequently. If you are someone who is interested in criminology, depression, or anything in that area, I would say that this is a "must read!"

I'm not gonna lie- I was pretty enthralled with this book from beginning to end, and pretty much couldn't stop reading it. Why the three stars? After reading it, it sort of hit me- what was the point of the book? I'm not entirely sure? And I think that's what bothers me so much.First off, I really like the author. She paints an interesting picture and her story is easy to follow and become immersed in. I really enjoyed the throw-back aspect of the girl's childhood and the relationship with mom and grandma. However, I just didn't see how the rest of the book fit together. Yes, we know one of the main characters has a mental illness. Yes, we know she has "issues," but these were never adequately explained. I would have liked to hear more about her history and how this impacted her sister, husband, mother, etc. To me it seemed like a selfish and childish woman rather than a woman who is mentally ill or of borderline intelligence. Also, I didn't particularly like any of the other characters, either- so maybe that's why it has been hard to reflect on the underlying messages of the book.I don't know... I would read another one of her books but I'm not sure I would recommend this particular read to any of my friends. It's good, but not great. And the reader is sort of left with alot of unanswered questions and alot of gaps within the relationships and overall story line. I know I was left with a "what was the point of that book?" kind of mentality and even as I sit here and write this review, I still feel that way.

"The Good Sister" reveals the final destruction of a family. Roxanne, Simone, and Merell are the products of a dynasty of dysfunctional families. Their story is a twisting tale made up of bits and pieces of collective baggage accumulated over three generations. The lack of love and compassion passed down from one mother to the next is recognized by each mother too late to make amends for her sins.Roxanne is the good sister who is able to love her sister in place of their self-centered and detached mother, Ellen. Merell is the good sister who takes her mother's place as caregiver of her younger siblings and protector of her mother, Simone. Simone plays the ultimate victim who succumbs to post-partum depression and manic behavior.This well-composed, tell-all saga captivated my attention for an entire rainy Sunday. "The Good Sister" is definitely a good read!

Couldn't put this book down. Kept me captivated all the way through. Can't wait to read another of her books.