Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue

by Christine Higdon

Nominated for the Forest of Reading 2025 Evergreen Award. The narrator of the audiobook, Emma Love, won the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS) Award for Outstanding Audiobook Narration – Fiction in December 2024.

Four working-class Vancouver sisters, still reeling from the impact of World War I and the pandemic that stole their only brother, are scraping by but attempting to make the most of the exciting 1920s. Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue is a story of love and longing ― but like all love stories, it’s complicated …

Morag is pregnant; she loves her husband. Georgina can’t bear hers and dreams of getting an education. Harriet-Jean, still at home with her opium-addicted mother, is in love with a woman. Isla’s pregnant too ― and in love with her sister’s husband. Only one other soul knows about Isla’s pregnancy, and it isn’t the father. When Isla resorts to a back-alley abortion and nearly dies, Llewellyn becomes hellbent on revenge, but against whom and to what end? What will it change for Isla and her sisters? For women? And where can revenge lead for a man like Llew, a police detective tangled up in running rum to Prohibition America?

Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue is immersed in the complex political and social realities of the 1920s and, not-so ironically, of the 2020s: love, sex, desire, police corruption, abortion, addiction, and women wanting more. Both elegant and witty, with a compelling cast of characters, this novel is a tender account of love that cannot be acknowledged, of loss and regret, risk and defiance, abiding friendship, and the powerful bonds of chosen family.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Canada, Fiction, Audiobook, Queer, LGBT, Canadian Literature

392 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2023

About the author

Christine’s latest novel, Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue has been nominated for the 2025 Forest of Reading Evergreen Award!

The novel is immersed in the complex political and social realities of the 1920s and, not so ironically, of the 2020s: love, sex, desire, police corruption, abortion, addiction, and women wanting more. Much more.
​
Elegant and witty, with a compelling cast of characters, this novel is a tender account of love that cannot be acknowledged, of loss and regret, risk and defiance, abiding friendship, and the powerful bonds of chosen family.

The Very Marrow of Our Bones won the 2018 Foreword INDIES Editor’s Choice Prize–Fiction. Christine has been published in journals and has won a National Magazine Award and been long-listed and shortlisted for several literary prizes. Daughter of a Newfoundlander and a British Columbian, she was born in rural BC, and now makes her home in Mimico, Ontario, where, when she is not working, editing, reading, or writing, she hooks rugs and worries about the bees.
Reviews | Praise | Interviews
For Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue
• Quill & Quire
https://quillandquire.com/review/gin-...
For The Very Marrow of Our Bones
• Foreword INDIES Editor's Choice Prize - Fiction 2018
https://www.forewordreviews.com/award...
• Toronto Star review
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment...
• Kirkus review
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
• Richard Lemm review: Lulu the Fiddler from Fraser Arm, B.C
https://richardlemm.wordpress.com/201...
• Writer's Trust Best Books to Brighten Winter Nights​
https://www.writerstrust.com/recommen...
• Open Book interview
http://open-book.ca/News/Debut-Noveli...
• 49th Shelf: 2018 Books of the Year: Fiction
https://49thshelf.com/Blog/2018/29/20...
• Literary Hoarders: 2018 Year End in Review
http://www.literaryhoarders.com/penny...
• Literary Hoarders: Top 10 CanLit in 2018
http://www.literaryhoarders.com/penny...
• A Novel Spot Bookshop @NovelSpotBooks: Chris's Top 5 Reads of 2018
https://twitter.com/NovelSpotBooks/st...
• A Novel Spot Bookshop @NovelSpotBooks: Susan's Top 5 Reads of 2018
https://twitter.com/NovelSpotBooks/st...
• Canadian Living The Best Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List
https://www.canadianliving.com/life-a...
• Books That Take You on a Journey 49th Shelf
https://49thshelf.com/Blog/2018/05/07...

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is set in 1920’s in Vancouver, Canada and yet so much of what is depicted feels all too familiar. There’s no heavy handed preaching here, but it was stunning to think of the parallels today . While this is a work of historical fiction, there are relevant issues such as sexual identity, unaccepted homosexual relationships, adulterous relationships, women trying to find their place in the world that doesn’t keep them beaten down. Rum running and revenge and clueless , cruel men.

The rights of women, especially reproductive rights with a focus on illegal and dangerous and many times deadly back room abortions is front and center . It is not just a story about this, but a story of a family, of four sisters, who they are as individuals with their strengths and their flaws and it’s about their relationships with each other, their grieving mother and their husbands or lovers. So much here, so introspective in multiple points of view. Characters to care about as well as a dog named Rue who is pretty astute . The Very Marrow of Our Bones was so good I couldn’t believe it was a first novel. I was not disappointed in Higdon’s second.


I received a copy of this book from ECW Press through NetGalley .

[Lindsay L · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

1920’s. Four sisters lost their only brother to the pandemic after surviving WWI. One sister happily married. Another sister married due to societal expectation. The two other unmarried sisters are in love with people they cannot have.

Lots to think about in this book! Women’s rights. Wartime efforts. Back alley abortion. Post war sense of purpose. Death of a sibling/son. Forbidden loves’ cost. Loyalty. The author tackles many heavy topics exploring them in a thought provoking manner.

This was an eye opening book at a look at the lives of young adults trying to survive and find a sense of self/purpose in a post-war world that took so much. I felt for the four sisters, each carrying their own burdens and longing to move forward. The author created an endearing and memorable family that I enjoyed spending time with. I loved the strong sisterly bond I felt while reading this.

One of my favourite aspects of the novel was the chapters from Rue, the family dog. It was a clever and entertaining addition to the plot.

I did find the pace was slow, especially in the second half. While I never lost interest in the story, I did find myself wishing it would speed up.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook was the first ARC I received after joining NetGalley so that is very exciting! Here’s my review:

I will admit I am not the target audience for this book. Historical fiction is not a genre I usually gravitate towards—but I was drawn in by the title. And I really enjoyed this book! If you ARE a historical fiction reader, and especially if you happen to be from Vancouver, I think you will love this.

The first few chapters were slow for me, as I had trouble keeping track of all the characters (I think this would not have been an issue if I had been reading the paper book instead of an audiobook) and multiple plot lines. The book starts in the middle of many stories, throwing the reader right into the sisters’ lives and providing backstory peppered in throughout, rather than moving chronologically and giving the context first. I liked this approach once I had a handle on who everyone was.

The characters are almost all nuanced and balanced, with even the most frustrating characters having redeeming moments, and no character being all good. The author chose to write most of the book in third person with the exception of two first person characters—one of the sisters, and a dog. I really liked the chapters told from the dog’s point of view, it added a whimsical quality to an otherwise intensely realistic story. Although it took a bit of time to get into it, it was ultimately the real, honest, and messy relationships between the characters that kept me reading.

The writing style manages to incorporate a large vocabulary without ever sounding overdone or pretentious. At times it is very beautiful.

The book is centred around on multiple issues: feminism, reproductive rights, LGBTQ experiences, etc, and all are woven inextricably into the story, without ever feeling shoehorned in (I hate when books feel preachy, even if I agree with what they are preaching). The only area where I felt like more could have been said was to do with the character of Flore. She is the wealthiest of the main characters, and is also the one most involved in labour organizing, attending meetings about workers’ rights etc. At one point another character (Harriet) calls out her privilege, expressing frustration that Flore doesn’t seem to realize how serious it would be if Harriet was fired from her job. It would have been interesting to see more exploration of this…
The conflict between women wanting/needing access to abortion/birth control and others (mainly men) not understanding how dire this is, was well written. I also would have liked to see more of how that conflict played out politically (a few times there was mention of characters attending talks etc about these issues but we were never brought there as a reader).

If you like audiobook readers who sound very emotionally invested in the story (dynamic/not flat) you will like the audiobook.

Lastly I will say, because of all the different plot lines interwoven, I think this would make a really good mini-series or show…I could imagine it while listening. I would watch!

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC! I feel like a real book reviewer 🤓😎

[Mary Lins · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue”, by Christine Higdon, takes us to 1922 Vancouver, and the McKenzie sisters. They have lost loved ones to the Great War, and to the subsequent influenza pandemic. More heartbreak is headed their way.

Georgina, Isla, Morag, and Harriet have complicated lives and explosive secrets. As the novel begins, Isla is near death after suffering a botched abortion.

Higdon does a masterful job situating the reader to the time, place, and tone of this compelling story. This family saga explores issues that are familiar to us one hundred years later; choice, love, desire, sexual orientation, addiction, violence, corruption, regret, and basic human rights.

[Caylene Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely needs a re-read! Fave narrative was rue 🤍

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my honest and unbiased review of the novel, Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue by Christine Higdon, an advance reading copy of which was provided to me by ECW Press.

I really liked this book. It portrays all the messiness of familial and romantic love, elegantly and poignantly. The joys, the bit of dysfunction, and the heartaches. I enjoyed the rotating perspectives of the various characters ... and even that of the dog, who contributed her own bit of doggy perspective and a smidge of humour.

It brought home for me the sad and infuriating reality that those polarizing social issues of one hundred years ago, some of which we thought might have been behind us towards the end of the 20th century, are raging front and centre again (still) today in the 21st ... and may well still be 100 years from now.

Christine Higdon has adeptly woven the travails of a family saga; the angst of a love triangle together with a commentary on the social issues of the day that kept me rapt ... right from get go.

[Allana rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg where to start. I would read this book a million times over. It was written so poetically with the most beautiful metaphors strewn throughout. It made me feel all the feels and I was balling by the end. I re read the last few chapters because they were just that beautiful. It’s taken a few years to find a book this good and I’m sure no other book will top it anytime soon. Specially love reading a book taking place where I grew up and knowing all the places they’re talking about. Please read this book!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book opens with sisters drunkenly having a good time, so I thought I was getting a different book.
I'm glad I didn't.
A back street abortion gone wrong changes the life of each of the sisters, most of which don't seem truly happy.
As we followed them on their paths, I got more invested in their story, and all the other characters who sprang up from it.
Except the dog. Could have done without him.
A bit misty eyed by the last page.
I fear I'm turning into an emotional wreck.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot believe this book ends with the first selfie.

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

via my blog:https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
𝙄𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩- 𝙪𝙥, 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩. 𝙒𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥.

The title is perfect and fits the storyline. This novel is a soup, there are many struggles and controversial topics relevant today. It takes place in Vancouver during the 1920's but if ever the saying "history repeats itself" has a book as evidence, this is it. Take a pandemic, drug addiction, financial instability, infertility, the aftermath of war, sexuality, family drama, betrayal, affairs and it could be a novel straight out of modern times. The dynamics between siblings in most families is complex, and it follows much the same here. The family members are Rodric, who died after returning from the war, Baby John who only Roddy spent time with and passed before he had a chance to grow up, and the girls Georgina (responsible), Isla (militant), Morag (charming and clairvoyant), and Harriet-Jean (the youngest and all that entails). Then there is the matriarch, Ahmie, who is a shadow of her former self, gutted and disconnected since the death of her husband and the abyss left behind when her Roddy, the surviving male, died. Not even her laudanum tincture can ease her grief. She has mostly given up her role. Everyone has their secret shames as well as deep, abiding love for each other, even as they act in ways that cause one another suffering. The dog, Rue, has her day too and lends piercing clarity to the situation and every character, taking over the narrative on and off. The chapters are told in Trimesters, a clever idea, the story as pregnant as two sisters. There are reasons one is free to be happy and look forward to bringing a baby into the world, after all, she is married. The love of her man rightly belongs to her. The world judges, that's nothing new under the sun, in this story many choices a woman has is damning either way. Some decisions can leave a woman next to dead, particularly when men prey on their desperation. In the 1920's, the fun a gal could get up to, particularly during prohibition, was scandalous and it didn't take much to become a fallen woman. Smoking, drinking, 'unnatural attraction', unmarried women falling pregnant, it's a vulgarness the good people cannot abide. Moral hypocrisy was rampant, men were held to wildly different standards, a woman left carrying the shame but not all men are rotten. Love wears many faces in this family tangle, and is often the forbidden sort, not welcome during intolerant times.

The novel opens with two women beside a grave of a couple, one tells the other, who is pregnant, she would have married her. The undeniable ache for it and yet the impossibility, who ever heard of two women marrying? Then the story crawls back in time with Isla getting into a strange man's car early on a Saturday morning, we don't know why, all we know is by nightfall the sisters are at a dance hall, and she is nowhere to be seen. They are all hungry to lighten their burdens, even if Georgiana's husband is surrounded by his cronies, at least she has her sisters and pregnant Morag's husband, policeman Llewellyn to enjoy the night with. Not that she really wants to be there, her love story didn't turn out the way she had dreamed when she was young, before the war stole her future. Since the death of their father and brother Roddy, she has always been the solid one who fixes things and makes all the important decisions but mostly by default. She finally spots Harriet, mooning over Isla's friend Flore Rozema. Her desire naked. The only trouble is, Isla said she and Flore were hiking together that morning, and Flore said she hadn't seen her all day. By the time they discover her whereabouts, they will truly understand the meaning of violation, and shame.

A criminal case could be built upon the incident, and those in power seem far more concerned about Isla's character than what has happened to her. Almost as if her suffering is just, deserved. All of their lives are open to personal attacks, insinuations. Pity, blame, which is worse? This novel exposes what it meant to be a woman in a time that was unforgiving, painting every situation with the same brush. Police aren't the necessarily the heroes here either, not all of them anyway. Revenge worms its way inside the story too, but how do you avenge such a thing? The public, as the author writes, loves nothing more than other people's miseries, and this family has more than their share. There are more bruises in this novel than what is visible on the skin of victims.

I think the characters were wonderfully written, struggling with conformity, their own inner moral compass that forces recklessness, men who live in a different world entirely and can walk away unscathed, and since the beginning of time, the world always needs people to wear a scarlet letter so they can feel better about their own rottenness. Not all marriages are blessed with happiness and not all singlehood is a death sentence. Not all big families survive. No one escapes pain, but love, love is the one thing that is certain, and often all that's left in the end. If ever life isn't fair, the sisters learn it all too well. I was engaged with the turn of every page, my one complaint was I feel there were gaps that needed filling, more story to be had. The subjects were a reminder of how hard women have fought to have agency over their own life. It's a heavy read, but don't expect a romantic ending. Yes, read it.

Publication Date: September 12, 2023

ECW Press

[Teddy Goetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written novel about complex, imperfect sisters, orbiting the focal point of an (illegal and almost fatal) abortion. I truly enjoyed it all the way through and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Net Galley for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Faye Blondin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read. So many heartbreaks, so many obstacles to overcome. But Christine Higdon sure knows how to move you through them with honesty and truth to the era. The heartbreak often softened by Rue’s short chapters. Who knew a chapter throughout by a dog would give such satisfying reading.

The timeliness of this book in relation to the US and the current political chaos over abortion is, I am sure, not a coincidence. Exactly 100 years later from the time setting of this story, women and the LGBTQ community are facing struggles so similar it is really frightening. 100 years later!

I loved her first book, the Very Marrow of our Bones and now I love this one. Such an amazing author and wordsmith. Thanks Christine.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Dealing with heavy issues in the 1920s, the characters are well developed and the end is even a shock! Mainly focused on women’s challenges at the time, it also covered family dynamics, the prohibition and has a pov of a dog! It’s Canadian too.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four sisters one can’t love who she wants the other loves who she shouldn’t and a third has a botched abortion due to loving without protection the oldest sister takes all this on board and feels like she must keep them all in line and it makes for an intriguing historical fiction book living in Vancouver right after World War I just having lost their brother with their mom looking like she’s not far behind puts a lot of worry on the sisters but when one of them has a botched surgery it brings them all together but a betrayal may just take it all apart. This was such a good literary fiction book I love books set in the early 1900s in late 1800s in this book totally satisfied I thought the narrator did a awesome job and I will definitely be looking forward to more books by this author. I want to thank the publisher and Net Galley for my free arc copy

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the early 1920's and we meet four sisters living in Vancouver -- Georgina, Morag, Isla, and Harriet-Jean. The sisters love each other and are close but each sister has her own deep and dark secrets that she keeps from the others. Their lives are entangled, as well as those of their lovers, husbands, their mother, and their little dog, Rue.

This is historical fiction at its very best. Our story travels through WW1, the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic, back street abortions, drug addictions, police corruptions, and forbidden loves.

Narrated by different characters, and even the dog, Rue, this is one of the best books I've ever read. The writing and prose are beyond beautiful; I had to reread some sentences just to take in all the beauty of the words. The author is able to reveal the deep love the characters had for each other, their hopes, dreams, desires. There is plenty of heart-break and heart-ache and I am not ashamed to say I cried my way through many parts of this book.

This is once again, Christine Higdon at her best. If you haven't read THE VERY MARROW OF OUR BONES, you most definitely should. Both books are wonderful, wise, witty, and fantastic.

A GOOD BOOK MAKES YOU WANT TO LIVE IN THE STORY. A GREAT BOOK GIVES YOU NO CHOICE.

[Alora · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW 📚

This was my first time reading anything by Christine Higdon. And I'm absolutely in love with this author!

Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue is a story that takes place in the 1920s. Four sisters and their mother struggle to live life in the aftermath of WW1 and a pandemic.

Morag is pregnant and totally in love with her husband, Llewellyn. Isla has had an abortion and almost lost her life because of it. And she's in love with Llewellyn. Georgina has secured a nice life for herself, but she doesn't love her husband. Harriet is in love with a woman! Their mother, Is addicted to laudinum (an opiate).

In the midst we also have the perspective of Rue, a sweet dog that provides some heartwarming relief to the story.

The story that unfolds is painfully heartbreaking while being beautifully inspiring. The issues that were present aren't that far removed from today's struggles women and members of the LQBTQ+ community face.

Triggers in the book are: abortion, speaking of war and death, physical assault.

This was one of the best books I have read so far this year!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#ginturpentinepennyroyalrue
#historicalfiction
#book
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#read
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#reading

[Wesley Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to ECW Press for the Reading Copy of Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue in exchange for an honest review.

In Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue, we follow four sisters in Vancouver after WW1 and the pandemic. Morag is pregnant and is so in love with her husband, Llewellyn. Georgina is frustrated by hers and dreams of pursuing an education. Harriet-Jean is at home caring for her mother and is in love with a woman. Isla is pregnant, and Llewellyn is also the father, but she decides to have an abortion and nearly dies. And I can’t forget Rue, the lovable beagle who provides their opinion occasionally in the book.

I was originally interested in this book because I enjoy historical fiction, especially when it is focused on Canada. When I read the varied women’s experiences and situations, I knew it would be intriguing. From the very beginning, I could not put the book down. I read late into the night. Usually, this only happens for me with very fast-paced thrillers but this was such a gently told book but the characters were beautiful.

I rarely enjoy all the main characters in a book, but this novel is the exception. I felt for each of the sisters and genuinely enjoyed learning about them and seeing what decisions they would come to. Some situations were frustrating or challenging to read, but the characters felt real in these situations.

This book is about family, love, regret, loss, self-identity, and decisions. Many scenes left a weight on my chest as I appreciated all I have today. I highly recommend this read; it was beautiful.

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Christine Higdon has given us a fantastic set of characters to fall in love with. One in particular is the beloved Rue, the beagle - her wisdom and insight into her adopted family were just excellent to read. The story inside is as relevant today as it only continues as it did in its 1920s setting. The fight to love who you want to love and the ever exhausting fight for women to be respected and considered and to have safe access to abortion and healthcare all devoid of being treated as the lesser ones and criminals.

I originally thought this would be the last book I read in 2023 but it spilled over to being the first of 2024. I'm completely okay with that! I'm once again left wondering what I'm going to do without these sisters Higdon has created much like how I felt after reading The Very Marrow of Our Bones. I'm also left with the dilemma: "What do I want to read now?"

[Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh what fun to read a story that one can travel with.
Set in the 1920's..after war..and before war..life..love..death..life.
The story 'takes place' in one of my most favourite places..English Bay..close to the Sylvia Hotel.
All the history in that Bay area.
Walking all the streets and the beach..dreaming.
Funny..but not funny..the main thread of the story is still the story of today..the clashings between the matriarchial and patriarchial humanoids.
I must say..dogs are smart..smarter than most humans I know.

[Carolyn Whitzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book that grew on me. It’s about four working class sisters in Vancouver in the early 1920s, dealing with the impacts of an illegal abortion. The disparate characters slowly emerge: Georgina, the eldest, smart, unhappily married, bitter. Morag, earthy and not very bright. Isla, the socialist firebrand. Llew, married to Morag, in love with both his wife and Isla. Harriet, in love with Isla’s middle class friend Flore. And the supercilious old dog Rue. The book built a believable world, with of course many aspects that still resonate today: access to reproductive choice, police corruption, and drug addiction. I was sorry to leave the sisters.

[Alana West · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far my favourite book I've read this year.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story of a family of sisters in Vancouver after WWI. I loved the history of women trying to make their way in the world. I will read move of this author.

[Jane Gummeson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book by Christine Higdon but it was a little disjointed sometimes. Her first novel, The Very Marrow of our Bones, is one of my favourites, so was hoping to enjoy this one as much. I hope she continues to write and that her next book is more in line with the first.

[Jacalope · Rating 5 out of 5]

an omnipotent dog is an unexpected treat

[A. Lorna Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This one took me a bit to get into with all of the different characters perspectives (including a dog?) but I ended up really enjoying it! It hits on a lot of heavy topics that are still prevalent today and was a worthwhile read. The narrator did a good job as well.

[Erin Lavoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[M.San · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for another wonderful story! Lost lagoon, Annacis island, salty, soggy Stanly Park; places from my childhood. Thanks for jostling my memories.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot to like about this novel, some of it right from the beginning and some of it that had to grow on me, like the narrating dog. Of course the central topic is abortion, and the author does a great job of spinning up all of the webs and networks of thought and fact and history about abortion in the early 20th century. The characters, though, we not evenly developed, and some of their thoughts and actions seemed rather arbitrary because of this: Flore, the firebrand radical, never seems to do much that is actually radical, and she lives off her dad's money; Llew, the cop who also runs whiskey is also a bit of a flat character, and--spoiler alert--the only reason he runs whiskey is so that the author can kill him off easily near the end. Ahmie has more of a personality in the epilogue than the entire rest of the book, and killing off Morag in the epilogue just feels weird--what does her death serve, from a literary perspective, other than to tell readers that her child has been taken by her estranged in-laws...and what does that do, other than set up a sequel, maybe? It felt pointless. I'd love to send this back for one more round of edits.

[Sheila Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling story of four working class sisters in 1920s Vancouver. The characters completely drew me in and will return to the novel to be with them again. Such love!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely gorgeous book. It had a dramatic and inviting vibe like Little Women. I loved everything about this, and I wish there was more of the story. This book follows about a year in the lives of the Mackenzie sisters, living in Vancouver in the early 1920s. They're a tight-knit, intelligent and sarcastic bunch who loves to go out and have a few drinks. They're also bonded by family trauma, and saddled with society's expectations of women.
They're forced to reexamine their priorities and their lot in life when their independent and politically-minded sister nearly dies trying to procure an illegal abortion. At the same time, we have the oldest sister who must act like a parent to the others, and despises her stuttering veteran husband, wishing she'd married the one that got away. We have the sister with the perfect husband who works in law enforcement and a baby on the way, who seems to have everything she wants - even though that husband has a side gig on the outside of the law, amongst other secrets. We have the youngest sister, still coming into her own, and wishing she could come out of the closet to be with her confident and strong-willed girlfriend - who may not be as confident as she portrays. As well, we have their mother, Ahmie, who prefers to sweep things under the rug and numb herself with drugs, and Rue, an adopted beagle who is always listening and makes some insightful observations about the family that takes her in.
This is a story about these sisters attempting to make sense of one another's choices, to understand themselves as people, and to unpack all of the ways that their family's tragic legacy has affected them all. It's a woman's search for a life where she calls the shots, and a man's quest to find the one who hurt his lover. It's tragic, romantic, dramatic, gut-wrenching and heart-warming. I could read many more books featuring these vibrant and deep characters. I don't often gravitate to toward historical fiction, but this was absolute perfection.