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The Almost Archer Sisters
Georgia "Peachy" Archer always thought she was happy with her choices in life: quitting college, marrying young, raising two boys in the same small town where she grew up. But just as Peachy's life is beginning to settle into a careful routine, her sister's life begins to dangerously unravel.
Beth Archer chose a different life: fancy apartment in Manhattan, fancy friends, m...more
Beth Archer chose a different life: fancy apartment in Manhattan, fancy friends, m...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
October 7th 2008
by Simon & Schuster
(first published October 6th 2008)
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This book is not worth reading unless you enjoy reading about snide comments about America from a character - Lou.
AVERT YOU EYES IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE WHAT I AM WRITING
Here is something that has gotten under my skin...
Lou is a draft dodger from the Vietnam war and made his escape to Canada with his family. His comment about Americans being in Afgahistan threw me for a PATRIOTIC loop.
My comment to this fictional character...Lou you lost your rights to critize a country you did not serve inste...more
AVERT YOU EYES IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE WHAT I AM WRITING
Here is something that has gotten under my skin...
Lou is a draft dodger from the Vietnam war and made his escape to Canada with his family. His comment about Americans being in Afgahistan threw me for a PATRIOTIC loop.
My comment to this fictional character...Lou you lost your rights to critize a country you did not serve inste...more
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Straddling glamorous Manhattan and a Canadian ex-pat’s farm, The Almost Archer Sisters tells the story of two women who share a deceased mother and little else. Peachy, a young married mother and college dropout, has lived her entire life on a farm where nothing is grown, but land is sold off slowly. Her sister, Beth, left Canada for college in New York, hops across the globe leading the fabulous life, and comes home once a month for her stepfather to cut her hair. While growing up, the girls’ f...more
I found the narrator's voice to be somewhat unique in that the character had a bit of a "trailer-trash" quality to it. She was pretty coarse and simple, but very honest. This is a book about the strength of family love, and its imperviousness to even the most unforgivable betrayals. It raises questions about how two children could experience the same tragedies, but be impacted so differently. And how much do one's bad experiences excuse us in the way we treat others? When Peachy walks in on her...more
I picked this up because I like the typesetting on the cover. (Seriously. And it looked like a light, fun read.) I found it surprisingly heartfelt, with many finely honed sentences, the kind that tell a whole story within themselves. I'd quote something here, but I already took this back to the library.
A pair of half sisters grow up in Canada (just north of Michigan). They have a lifelong rivalry and are fiercely protective of one another, even when most people in their situation would probably...more
A pair of half sisters grow up in Canada (just north of Michigan). They have a lifelong rivalry and are fiercely protective of one another, even when most people in their situation would probably...more
Clever and painfully honest--that's how I'd describe Gabriele's narrator Peachy, and also the book itself. I thought this would be kind of chick lit-ish read, which is what i was looking for, but it was much darker and wittier than I realized. Frankly, it took me a few chapters to get into it, because Gabriele's style is unusual--she jumps around in the timeline, adds details that don't make sense until a little later, and then pops you in the face with a wild plot point like this one: "But that...more
Thoroughly enjoyed this one, and totally pleasantly surprised. I picked it up b/c the cover screamed "light chick lit quick read for the long weekend"--and the blurb (something about "in the style of Jennifer Weiner" ) backed up that first impression. But this book was a lot more.
Interesting story of two sisters (reminded me a bit of "Jacob Have I Loved"--remember that great one?!?), growing up, growing together, growing apart, but primarily a tale of the narrator and her life: wonderful, aweso...more
Interesting story of two sisters (reminded me a bit of "Jacob Have I Loved"--remember that great one?!?), growing up, growing together, growing apart, but primarily a tale of the narrator and her life: wonderful, aweso...more
The average rating on this book seemed far lower than I would have expected. Most people who gave it poor ratings 1) didn't like the characters and/or 2) thought the foul language and/or major plot point was too distasteful.
I saw past all that, and I enjoyed this book. It's easy to see how the younger sister took the complacent life while the older sister ran off to live a life in pursuit of material wealth and a husband of status. The natural offshoot is that the sisters' dynamic is unhealthy,...more
I saw past all that, and I enjoyed this book. It's easy to see how the younger sister took the complacent life while the older sister ran off to live a life in pursuit of material wealth and a husband of status. The natural offshoot is that the sisters' dynamic is unhealthy,...more
Mar 23, 2009
Kim
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
nobody
Shelves:
fiction,
books-i-m-sorry-i-read
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This was definitely not what I expected. It was depressing, annoying and not really all that good. Luckily it was a quick read.
The book is centered around the relationship of two half-sisters. They share an interesting story. Peachy marries and has children young and stays at their home, a farm, in Canada. Beth, her sister, moves to NYC as fast as she can, and apparently turns into a huge bitch. They have two very different lives, but they intersect at some strange points.
I guess my favorite par...more
The book is centered around the relationship of two half-sisters. They share an interesting story. Peachy marries and has children young and stays at their home, a farm, in Canada. Beth, her sister, moves to NYC as fast as she can, and apparently turns into a huge bitch. They have two very different lives, but they intersect at some strange points.
I guess my favorite par...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This story started off very slow and the main character, Peach, came across as an unhappy person jealous of others who tries to appear truly happy with her life. She was annoying and spent most of her narration complaining about everyone and everything which I found hard to read. She seemed very reactive in her life/choices rather than proactive. I also struggled through the portions of dialogue between Peach's husband and her sister, Beth. They were each other's first love and first sexual part...more
I picked this book up at the library after reading the first sentence, "Until she left the farm for good, I never thought much about what made me different from my sister."
The relationship between the two sisters and the family was a bit over the top; could all of these things really happen in one family? Then at once my answer was Yip-sure could, kind of sounds like home in a totally different way of course.
Beth left the farm; Peachy stayed, got married young and had two kids. Beth had loads o...more
The relationship between the two sisters and the family was a bit over the top; could all of these things really happen in one family? Then at once my answer was Yip-sure could, kind of sounds like home in a totally different way of course.
Beth left the farm; Peachy stayed, got married young and had two kids. Beth had loads o...more
ooook... This book is pretty heavy.. These sisters have a rather funky relationship. One sister has husband/kids who are demanding a lot of her. She seems lost even before she discovers her sister and her 'Beau' inflagrante. Although I couldn't put the book down and enjoyed reading it there's a loto f conflict in this book. One sister is a doormat untill something activates her to move forward. I have a hard time dealing with women like her. As the reader you just want to shake her and tell her...more
I picked up this book thinking it was a total chic-lit read, which it was, but a little more. This is a good read for moms who became a mom at a young age or before they were actually ready and for sisters. Having such a great relationship with my sisters, I found it hard to relate to the drama going on between the sisters, but it was interesting how two sisters brought up in the same situation turned out completely opposite and how their lives affected one another in the later years. I did like...more
I almost feel like giving this book 5 stars...I read it because I thought it would be a fun read, and it was. But it was more than that. It's a funny, emotional, compassionate look at sibling rivalry between sisters. Which sounds like a book that's already been written, but this one is different, told from the sister who stayed at home on the farm's point of view. It's a fast read, tight writing, good story, makes you feel good and you learn something along the way.
My mom picked this up for my sister and I to read based on the fact that it was about two sisters, not knowing what it was about. My sister read it first, then gave it to me with the warning that it had NOTHING to do with us or our relationship or her relationship/friendship with my significant other (if you've read this book, you know what I am referring to).
This was a quick read, but one that I would neither recommend to others, nor read again.
This was a quick read, but one that I would neither recommend to others, nor read again.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is about 2 grown sisters – Beth who ambitious and selfish and slightly wild and evil and Georgia Peach (Peachy) who is quiet and unselfish and good. The book focuses on the relationship between the sisters – from the time their mother commits suicide when they were very young and how you can love someone but still be very hurtful to them. I thought the characters were very real and raw and honest.
I still don't know what I really think about this book. A 2 1/2 is a more realistic rating, but I really connected with the main character in a lot of ways. Her experiences and feelings were much more exaggerated than mine, but some of her thoughts about marriage and motherhood were right on the money. I didn't enjoy the swearing and the older sister was just too wacko for me to forgive, but overall an interesting read.
This book is a quick read with witty, irreverent, in-your-face narrative that hits family dysfunction stirred from genetic disposition, maternal abandonment and sibling enablement right on point. Georgia 'Peachy' and Beth are half sisters that although share the same childhood experiences go about discovering their adulthood identities in polar opposition of one another's very shadow.
I was very indifferent about this book. I read it fairly quickly, which obviously is usually an indicator that I really enjoy and am wrapped up in a book, but after I finished the book I felt that it was just "alright". The ending also had me torn by feeling both happy that I did find out what happened to the characters in the future, but also disappointed that the author seemed to wrap it up so quickly, especially in comparison to the slower pace in which the book moved.
Apr 30, 2009
Melissa
added it
Very interesting story about sisters and women and the life choices we make/don't make. Rather light-hearted at times but dealing with harsh realities...the author told a story that you almost believed was her personal one. Although I have never been married, I felt that her portrayal of married life and life with kids was realistic and warming at the same time.
I just couldn't get into this book. I didn't like the characters and it jumped all over the place. It took you to the past, present, and future, but I was never quite sure where exactly it was at any given point. I tried to continue reading it in the hopes it would get better, but then decided I had enough torture and gave up. If anyone gets thru it, please let me know how it ends. :)
Too much profanity/vulgarity for my tastes. However, I related to the main character in her struggles with self worth and confidence in the direction she took her life. There were a few laugh out loud moments and it was a quick read though I was dissatisfied with the wrap up at the end that seemed to cover a decade in about a page and a half.
This story seemed typical in some ways and unexpected in others. It kept my interest, but I didn't really like the main characters or could really see their motivations, etc. Peachy seemed one way when she was thinking/narrating, but would respond verbally in way that seemed inconsistent. Her sister was even more difficult to understand. Overall, this was ok, but it was just lacking in some ways.
What is with books about dueling sisters? I'm so unfamiliar with the level of betrayal involved in the Archer sisters' relationship which may account for why I couldn't stop reading. It wasn't overly "chick lit"-ish but it didn't take itself too seriously either. There were some very funny moments. This was a good vacation read.
Bleah. Vomit. I couldn't stand any of the characters in this book. One sister is a conniving bitch; the other is a whining loser. My personal rule is to read 100 pages before deciding if I don't like a book. I read through page 100. I couldn't stomach another word.
This book was much to crude for me to finish. Bad language, disturbing relationships, and to much detail about certain things. I had barely gotten into it when I realized where it was headed and had to return it to the library. Too bad, because it sounded interesting.
I got about 50 pages into this book before I decided I couldn't handle all the sleeping around anymore. I appreciate honesty and earthiness in books, but this was a little too over the top for me. It wasn't terrible, though - I liked Peach and Lou as characters.
I was never bored by the book and finished it quickly, but found the story pretty trashy and just depressing. I didn't really like any of the characters, so wasn't sure what to feel during most of it. Maybe a good vacation read.
Good book, definitely chick-lit. The story about these sisters kept me interested the whole time! I didn't give it 5 stars because the writer seems to dislike America (New York in particular) and displayed this as much as possible.
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