The three Sweeney sisters grew up happy in their small seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. Liza, Maggie, and Tricia are still reeling from the after-effects of their mother's death from cancer over fifteen years ago. The sisters have drifted apart and have their own lives. When news of their beloved father, Bill Sweeney, an international famous literary genius and the renowned professor had died, the sisters return to their childhood home.
They are unsure of what their lives will look like without their father. They decide to throw an Irish wake to honor him. As guests pay their respects to Bill, one guest decides to crash the party because she is a Sweeney sister too.
Based in Washington, DC journalist Serena Tucker decided to test her DNA on a whim. She learns that she is a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor - Maggie Sweeney. It turns out that Serena's WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney. Serena's entire identity is thrown into a loop and she tries to come to terms with her mother's secrets.
Will the Sweeney sisters be able to accept their new sister? What will this secret hold for Bill's legacy? Are there any other secrets Bill has kept from his family?
I thought the novel was an interesting read. I felt like there was enough to keep readers interested in reading more but, not enough to fall out of their seat gasping for air. I did feel that there were some slow gaps. I felt like this novel was more like a cozy romantic read rather than Jerry Springer-level family dysfunction read.
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Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (April 28, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062909045
ISBN-13: 978-0062909046
Praise for THE SWEENEY SISTERS
"This is a big-hearted belly-laugh of a book, told with wit and poignancy. Family secrets, laughter and tears, shocking reveals, and an uplifting ending make this a story to savor--and share." —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author of The Oysterville Sewing Circle
"Dolan uses her experience in podcasting with her own sisters to craft believable women characters who worry about real problems and use wry humor to push through dark moments . . . . A warmhearted portrait of love embracing true hearts." —Kirkus
An accomplished storyteller returns with her biggest, boldest, most entertaining novel yet—a hilarious, heartfelt story about books, love, sisterhood, and the surprises we discover in our DNA that combines the wit of Jonathan Tropper with the heart of Susan Wiggs.
Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.
But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.
When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.
Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?
By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family.
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Photo Content from Lian Dolan
Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She’s the author of two Los Angeles Times best-selling novels, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife published by Prospect Park Books. Her next novel, The Sweeney Sisters, will be published in 2020 by William Morrow. She’s a regular humor columnist for Pasadena Magazine and has previously written monthly columns for O, The Oprah Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. She’s also written for TV, radio and websites.
Lian is the producer and host of Satellite Sisters, the award-winning talk show she created with her four real sisters. On Satellite Sisters, she’s interviewed everyone from Nora Ephron to Madeleine Albright to Big Bird. Satellite Sisters began life as a syndicated radio show and is now a top-rated podcast for women. The recent book by the Satellite Sisters, You’re the Best: A Celebration of Friendship, is popular with book clubs.
A popular speaker who combines humor and heart, Lian has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Today Show and many local TV stations. She’s been a featured speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books, the Santa Barbara Celebrity Authors Lunch, the Literary Guild of Orange County Festival of Women Authors and dozens of other events at libraries, book stores, schools and women’s organizations across the country. In 2020, she’ll be on the faculty of the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop.
Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband, two sons and a big German shepherd.
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