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  <title><![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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  <read_at>Sun Aug 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Sun Aug 02 16:16:06 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[There really needs to be a 6th star for Alice Hoffman.  When I see that there is a new novel out, I get butterflies in my stomach in antipation of the joy that is about to be held in my hands.  Before I turn the cover, I am like a child again on Xmas morning - just before the household wakes, and it...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65910230">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Brooke]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Fri Jul 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jul 14 07:02:35 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 14 07:03:58 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Another incredible book from one of my favorite authors!  Alice Hoffman has the amazing ability to combine fantasy with reality, to the edge where you are not sure which world you are in anymore.  Here it is particularly effective in the telling of the story because it is part of the story.  Three s...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63421401">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63421401]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Lynn]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <date_added>Mon Jun 22 11:10:37 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jun 22 11:40:24 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Alice Hoffman doesn't just write about magical reality, she performs it. I had no idea, really, what to expect when I picked this up (other than lovely prose and captivating characters, of course) since no one else I know has read it yet.  What happened was like being grabbed by the throat and yanke...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60651415">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>60550957</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Diane]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
  </description>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Sat Jun 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jun 21 15:33:26 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jun 21 15:34:27 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Alice Hoffman is an author known for her novels filled with magical touches. Her latest, The Story Sisters, continues that, when a magical world created by three sisters collides with the reality of the world in which we all exist.<br/><br/>Elizabeth, called Elv, Meg and Claire Story live with the...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60550957">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60550957]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Kathy]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Fri Jun 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jun 19 09:45:27 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jun 19 10:04:39 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I really loved this book. I am not one for graphic and detailed books on violent crimes toward women and children. The harsh reality makes me ill so I try not to read it. BUT, this book was amazing! There is drug use and premarital sex within the story but its not graphic at all. I thought Alice Hof...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60300270">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60300270]]></url>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Jun 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[Just a note: I really want to give this two and a half stars, but Goodreads won't let me do that.<br/><br/>This novel tells the story of three sisters, Claire, Meg and Elv. Led by Elv, the oldest, they invent their own language, and stories of a magical underground world that only they can enter. ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59896148">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, The Third Angel, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (USA Today), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (Miami Herald). Her new novel, The Story Sisters, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, C...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58733389">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[My experience reading this book was somewhat surreal. In the beginning, it was a bit like a train wreck or a car accident - ghastly and grim, yet I couldn't look away. It was nothing like I expected, not at all what I wanted, and yet I found myself incapable of just returning it, unread, to the libr...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65863370">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Jun 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Mon Jun 22 02:26:48 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I have officially just stayed up all night long to finish the remaining 3/4 of The Story Sisters, something I have done infrequently in my life. I have to get up and go to work in another two hours, but I won't be able to sleep, so what do I care?<br/><br/>Like another favorite female author of mi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/60201724">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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  <date_added>Thu Nov 19 20:24:48 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Nov 20 17:10:28 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a really engrossing read about the way one decision can ruin a life or haunt someone forever. Elv, Claire and Meg are three beautiful and talented sisters who are incredibly close. They've developed their own secret language and often drift into a fairy tale land of Elv's invention. As they ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78389755">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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  <read_at>Mon Jul 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[This was the first book by Alice Hoffman I have read. I immediately enjoyed her writing style and the way in which she interwove the words and symbols from the Story sisters' secret world into the narrative. However, I didn't initially feel any empathy for any of the characters. There were a lot of ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61637171">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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  <date_updated>Wed Sep 30 12:48:26 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Alice Hoffman deserves her starred review in Booklist, but I'm just not really sure what to think of her latest adult novel. Her writing is beautiful, but I like to become attached to my characters and Hoffman has a deliberate way of separating the reader from her characters.[return][return]Elv, Cla...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73026694">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73026694]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73026694]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>972</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2009</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Aug 16 10:00:32 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 16 10:12:53 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[So, I started this book less than a week ago, and I couldn't put it down.  It follows the lives of the Story family; the three sisters, their mother, grandma and the various people that impact their lives.  Elv, the oldest sister, is the most prominent character, and defnitely the most fascinating. ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67609026">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67609026]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Vasilika]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>972</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2009</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <read_at>Fri Aug 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 08 15:18:51 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 16 23:22:33 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I could not relate to the main character Elv the way I usually do in Hoffman's books. This girl was constantly being described as so beautiful, so much like a broken fairy with her long wild hair and delicate figure, she was the most beautiful sister, the most talented artist, the one who made up th...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66675663">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66675663]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Tami]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>972</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2009</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
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  <read_at>Mon Jun 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jun 07 17:37:31 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jun 18 15:10:07 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This story was typical Alice Hoffman.  Love, loss and darkness with gloom all in one book.  That type of book is okay with me sometimes, but with this book I am totally confused as to the ending.  I am assuming that since Claire asked her niece and sister to attend her wedding in Paris, that they ma...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58789677">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58789677]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58789677]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>64849647</id>
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    <id>1181579</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Mary]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2009</published>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <read_at>Sun Jul 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jul 24 18:42:02 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jul 24 18:52:23 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I picked up this book because in a moment of brain-lock I got Alice Hoffman confused with Barbara Kingsolver (I know, I know!). So when I started to read it I was dismayed to find a large ammount of airy-faerie blather which from past experience I knew to be Ms. Hoffman's forte, and which I don't li...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64849647">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64849647]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>972</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2009</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jul 11 11:19:05 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jul 24 09:39:23 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This story is about Annie Story and her 3 daughters. This story spans about 20 years of their lives.<br/><br/>The 3 sisters are the closest any 3 can be. They all share the attic even though there are enough bedrooms on the 1st floor for each to have their own. They even have their own make-believ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63052268">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63052268]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>972</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2009</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jul 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 16 13:13:32 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 30 19:21:32 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book started out so promising, and I was utterly charmed by Hoffman's writing from the very first page. Sadly, this enchantment did not last very long. The main story revolves around the three Story sisters: Elv, Megan and Claire. Elv is the oldest, and the creator of a magical imaginary world ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63755403">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63755403]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63755403]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>972</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
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  <published>2009</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu May 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Sat May 23 11:41:13 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[This was a compulsively readable coming-of-age tale mixed with fantasy elements. There were times as I was reading where I pretty much knew where the narrative was headed but I didn't mind because I wanted to find out how Hoffman would get us there. The language is accessible and the characters beli...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56780545">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>65553699</id>
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  <id type="integer">5802140</id>
  <isbn>0307393860</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780307393869</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">342</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Story Sisters]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.77</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>972</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[From the <em>New York Times</em> Bestselling <br/>Author of <em>The Third Angel</em><br/><br/>Alice Hoffman’s previous novel, <em>The Third Angel</em>, was hailed as &quot;an unforgettable portrait of the depth of true love&quot; (<em>USA Today</em>), &quot;stunning&quot; (Jodi Picoult), and &quot;spellbinding&quot; (<em>Miami Herald</em>). Her new novel, <em>The Story Sisters</em>, charts the lives of three sisters–Elv, Claire, and Meg. Each has a fate she must meet alone: one on a country road, one in the streets of Paris, and one in the corridors of her own imagination. Inhabiting their world are a charismatic man who cannot tell the truth, a neighbor who is not who he appears to be, a clumsy boy in Paris who falls in love and stays there, a detective who finds his heart’s desire, and a demon who will not let go.<br/><br/>What does a mother do when one of her children goes astray? How does she save one daughter without sacrificing the others? How deep can love go, and how far can it take you? These are the questions this luminous novel asks. <br/><br/>At once a coming-of-age tale, a family saga, and a love story of erotic longing, <em>The Story Sisters</em> sifts through the miraculous and the mundane as the girls become women and their choices haunt them, change them and, finally, redeem them. It confirms Alice Hoffman’s reputation as &quot;a writer whose keen ear for the measure struck by the beat of the human heart is unparalleled&quot; (<em>The Chicago Tribune</em>).<em><br/></em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2009</published>
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  <date_added>Thu Jul 30 11:26:36 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 30 11:26:36 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[&quot;Critics were generally pleased with Hoffman's latest novel, and fans will be happy that it follows the pattern of her much-loved earlier work with its vibrant characters and magical-realist elements. Though a few reviewers questioned some of her character choices and their actions, such as Elv...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65553699">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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