My Sister My Friend by Joann Ellen Sisco

Publication Date: May 17, 2012

This is the second book in the War Eagle River series. The War Eagle River starts from an underground stream at the top of Five Mile Hill, cascades off rock ledges, pauses in sparkling pools and joins with the rills and trickles on the way. The rushing stream plunges over a cliff and lands in a valley in clouds of sparkling spray. It courses across the valley, turning the grinding wheel at Applegate's Grist Mill before emptying into a much larger river headed toward the Mississippi. The small town of River Bend clusters around the rive where its hardworking folks interact as in every small town. Some bad, some good and some trying to be good. And the river rolls on. Author Joann Ellen Sisco perfectly captures the voice and soul of the southern Ozarks. People are people, no matter where they are, but the subtle culture and expression of language is unique to a place and time and no one masters this better for this distinctive section of America than Sisco.

My take on this book:

Lorena Morgan had always been close with her sister InaMae, they shared the family farm, and even married best friends. Lorena married Carl, and InaMae married Marcel McCann. While Lorena had been blessed with five healthy boisterous boys, for InaMae children never came. Carl and Lorena had always hoped for a daughter, they decide though that after five boys a girl was a slim to none chance and decided that if they had another child that they would gift it to InaMae and Carl. When Lorena finds herself pregnant once again, she makes up her mind that this child will belong to InaMae, but as the pregnancy progresses she finds herself having doubts as to how, and if, she can give up her baby. A true test of love for a sister, will Lorena and Carl be able to give InaMae the baby when it's born?

While the meat of this story was the choice that Lorena and Carl made to give the ultimate gift of a child to Lorena's sister, I found the antics of the five Morgan boys really kept this story moving along. They were always getting into something that provided a few laughs. Ms. Sisco's unique way with words where these children were concerned made their antics come to life, I found myself laughing until I cried on more than one occasion. The descriptive scenes were really better than watching a movie, because the author's selective way with words had my imagination in overdrive! The historical feel of "My Sister My Friend" along with the small town setting of the story was another thing that endeared this story to me, I found myself envisioning a simpler time, where boys romped and played outside, and the love of a dog meant everything.Ms. Sisco allows the reader to not only feel, but understand the feelings that Lorena felt as she made such a hard decision.I thought the quilting group added another layer to the story, the group was filled with wonderful ladies, and Granny Nelson was one of my favorites!  Anyone who enjoys a clean, wholesome story, that takes place during a simpler time, that allows glimpses of what sisterly love really means will certainly enjoy this story. Be prepared to laugh out loud at the shenanigans of the Morgan boys, but also have your heart touched by the story of a one sister's sacrifice for another! I hope this is a series that the author intends to continue because I would love to see what happens to this cast of characters.

reviewed for Readersfavorite.com