The Sisterhood

Loved the jumping between times and the nuns in the convent. Great historical novel, fantastic holiday, reading when you have time to be drawn into a story.

This book can best be described as an epic historical mystery spanning from the 16th century to the present day. As the product description says, it tells the story of five girls who are taken in by the nuns in Spain and hidden from the Spanish Inquisition. They are then sent to the New World, entrusted with the Order's most treasured possessions to ensure their safety.I particularly enjoyed the parts of the story in Spain and South America. I was totally lost in the tale, which is rich in detail about the way of life in the convents. In Spain we see them carrying on with their work with the ever present fear of the Inquisition. In South America we see them landing in a strange country, settling down amongst the native Incas and forging a place for themselves and their faith alongside the Inca priests.I also enjoyed the individual stories of the girls - their backgrounds and how they came to arrive at the convent and what happened to them. Not all of them took Orders and some indeed went on to marry and have families of their own. There are a number of these background stories about the girls, which are all really good, fascinating reads but it could get a bit confusing at times trying to remember what had happened to each girl.I was not quite so taken with the part of the story set in the present day and Menina. I just didn't quite warm to her, mainly because she just seemed to be "too good to be true". She was supposedly extremely intelligent, but even though the connections between her and the nuns in the story were staring her in the face, she seemed to take an age to start putting two and two together. The plot in this section of the story also seemed to rely a bit too much on "strange coincidences" and the last couple of chapters which rounded off the story and drew all the plot threads together just felt a bit too rushed. When the Order's big secret is finally revealed it makes interesting reading, if a little far fetched. That having been said, it is still a book that is well worth reading.

This is sadly one of those books that had so much potential and yet never quite lived up to expectations. The synopsis in the product description does give a fantastic summary of the story without spoiling things and makes you think "oh, this seems different." To be fair, that is quite true - this is something very different to anything I have read previously. It has a religious angle, an historical side and characters who are quite bold and want to learn more about once you work out who is who.There were parts of the story that were quite interesting and made me think "I want to continue reading." These parts were mostly in the first half of the book. Then there were other parts where I found it confusing working out who is who and where they fitted into the mystery of Menina's medal. The writing structure goes between the present and the past. This is a style of narrating I normally enjoy but the second half of the book devotes so little time to the present that I ended up forgetting what was happening in Menina's life in the present at that point. That is not a good thing. Once it did revert back to the present, I felt as if it was simply tying up loose ends and it felt a bit rushed. My final thought as I turned my Kindle off after finishing was actually "so what was all that about then?"A promising story which had so much to offer. It is perhaps something that if I read it a second time, I might understand it better the second time around. But to be honest I only reread books if I enjoy them the first time round and whilst I liked some parts of the book, I can't promise that I will give this one a second shot. I love a good mystery and this one can certainly be classed as a mystery, albeit a bit more confusing than I would have like.

I gave this five stars because, personally, I found it a brilliantly conceived and hugely entertaining read. I struggle to understand the negative reviewers who condemn it as factually incorrect (which it may be) or too far-fetched. So what. Why do you read fiction; aren't you missing the point?For me it had elements of three of my all-time favourite reads; The Shadow of The Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon); The Handmaids Tale (Margaret Atwood) and A Moment of War (Laurie Lee), plus the light relief of a delightfully romantic ending - and sometimes even real-life works out like that! Well done Helen Bryan for writing such an intricate tale which spans the centuries so cleverly and transports anyone with a little imagination to faraway lands and a world of possibilities. I loved it.

i really enjoyed this book and found it an interesting historical tale, however, it ended abruptly, and rather in the manner of a trashy romantic novel. It was quite an insult to an intelligent reader....all ends neatly tied up.....I will say no more so as not to spoil it for others. BUT how did this woman get to lead an art museum and lecture to the world on her subject with no education after high school? Sorry, not credible. Can only think the publishers told the author to hurry up and meet a deadline! Wish the author would have another go.

I've probably read thousands of books in my now extensive lifetime, but when I got to the end of this one all I wanted to do was jump on a plane to Spain to visit this convent - but alas it's a work of fiction!What a wonderful book, imaginatively written, weaving a story which, those of us with Faith, could honestly ponder upon, and wonder if . . . . . .?War Brides was the book which introduced me to this author, so now I'm going to be searching for more. The author has a God given gift for writing books which keep you enthralled, with lots of historical research to make the story very plausible indeed.I have to admit that, unusually for me, the last chapter brought happy tears, very touching.

Coinvolgente, adoro leggere in lingua straniera. La trama è molto accativante. Ti fa viaggiare oltre che nei paesi in cui si ambienta, anche nel tempo.

I choose this one randomly but as ms.Walker said "it just getting started."If u like history, adventure, classic this is for you.

This was a captivating story of the establishment of a Spanish convent and it's role in the lives of those who sought asylum within its walls.I picked up this book as a result of Amazon's recommendation and the fact that the premise intrigued me. As a Catholic, church history fascinates me - I was hooked from the very beginning.Author Helen Bryan weaves a beautiful and soulful story of strong women among the corruption of the Inquisition, the Spanish taking back the Spain, the Conquistador in South America and the treatment of women from the Catholic fathers. This story brings in so many different aspects. The author intertwined the historical period with a modern story of a young woman struggling to reconcile her adopted life with her true roots. The mingling of the two stories was done well.This story starts with Menina Walker, who is rescued and taken to an orphanage run by Catholic nuns and then adopted by a Georgian childless couple. Then, we go to Spain to an old convent, where it all begins...What if Jesus had a sister? What if that sister founded an order of nuns in Europe to continue Christ's work on the European continent? How would such a sisterhood look? Those are just some of the questions that this book tried to answer...Helen Bryan has a tremendous imagination to be able to write such a book. There was so much information and characters to keep up with that it is a book that should be read when you can concentrate and read it in one sitting. It is not a book that can be put down half way through and picked up later easily, as there is so much information to be remembered. At times, it was weighed down by some side stories. But nonetheless it was utterly original and fascinating.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Catholic history or feminism.

El libro (de momento solo en ingles) es buenisimo en mi opinion. Mezcla historia y ficcion y seria interesante para cualquier persona que entiende algo de España y de la Inquisicion. El trama va fluidamente de tiempos modernos a los momentos pasados.

Loved this book! When I first read the description of this book I felt like I was taking a chance purchasing it. I had thought that the odds of this book being entertaining,intelligently written, informative, and without the usual traps of women living for the moment of "true love" was too lofty a goal to expect. The women I this story have strength, character, practical intelligence, humour, and the will to live lives their way despite the odds. This book doesn't disappoint!