En syster i mitt hus

by Linda Olsson

From the acclaimed author of Astrid & Veronika, a lyrical novel of two sisters bound together by a tragic moment from their past.

Maria and Emma have not seen each other since their mother's funeral two years ago. But now, Emma has come to visit Maria at her house in Spain, an unsettling intrusion on Maria's quiet and solitary life. Over six days in the seaside town, the sisters cautiously recount the years of their separate adult lives. Their walks through the quiet town and evening talks on the terrace reveal almost more than Maria can deal with, until finally, the sisters confront their unspeakable family history.

A Sister in My House is a compelling drama of grief and betrayal, but ultimately it is a story of hope and forgiveness.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Book Club, Family, Contemporary, Novels, Spain

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Linda Olsson lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Her debut 'Let me sing you gentle songs' was published in September 2005 in New Zealand. Since then the rights for it have been sold to many countries. It has now been published in the US and Canada under the title 'Astrid and Veronika' as well as in her country of birth, Sweden (Låt mig sjunga dig milda sånger).

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deceptively quiet book. Not much happens in terms of action. One sister stays with the other sister at her rented home in Spain. They walk and tentatively begin to talk. These sisters are not close nor have they ever been but their shared childhood is something worth talking about however reluctant they might be. I couldn’t stop thinking about Virginia Woolf although there isn’t anything obviously Woolf-like about this book. There is a lot to consider in this short novel and I find myself ruminating about the heady concepts of love, forgiveness, and how we perceive vs. how others perceive the same events. This is a thoughtful book and a much appreciated palate cleanser from some of the psychological thrillers that I’ve been reading.

[Cathrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this was a disturbing mirror to look into.

I'm a faithful bibliofile. If I fall in love with a novel a writer will have to really ... a writer will rarely live up to that experience again or rather have me relive that experience again.

For example I met Ali Smith through 'Hotel World' (HW). I adore everything she has written since but nothing 'as much' as HW. Saramago introduced himself to me through 'Blindness' and though I enjoyed his other works I loved nothing as blindly as my first Saramago. I could list many other first loves. I won't as you get my point, but one other such love at first read encounter was Linda Olsson's 'Astrid and Veronica' (AV).

AV touched the very core of me. The scene where pancakes are made is one of THE most moving scenes in literature for me. It beats any moment in Romeo and Juliet or Jane Eyre.

I have enjoyed all the following of LO's books. I was never surprised that though I liked them all very much none of the beat AV. I wasn't surprised because that is about me. My perspective through which I read. It is about how my heart ticks when a new to me author really moves it. The thrill of new love.

So .... when 'A Sister in my House' (soon to be published in English by Randomhouse Penguin USA) arrived at my house I was expecting to love it but not AS much as AV.

Yet ...
But ...

Ah damn, now I have to rewrite my whole theory.
My theory of self ...
My theory of first book love ...

This book beats AV!
Did I just say that?

It holds within its covers so much layered truth. Truth about families. Parents and children. Siblings. The way we act, react, remember, rewrite and protect ourselves.
Family, love, lack of love, identity and protection.

Mainly ... protection.

The letting go of it too.

It was an utterly painful, distressing and personal experience. Every page was a mirror. We do not wear make up when we read ......


A Sister in my House by Linda Olsson.
5/5 !!!

[Diane Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two sisters who have been estranged for years come together for a visit at a house in Spain. Not much happens event-wise, but both have a lot of emotional baggage to be dealt with. Long walks by the sea, simple meals, wine, coffee and croissants all contribute to a loosening of inhibitions and resentments, and a resolution of sorts comes about. The only other character in this novel is a neighbor who is helpful and supportive.

This is a short (200 pages) novel that packs a punch in a quiet and introspective way. Not for lovers of action.

[Sheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

My feeling about this book are ambivalent at best. It's a relatively short book, so that made it a DNF, I kept thinking once I got into the story I would like it, but we didn't seem to mesh.
It's about two half-sisters who share a somewhat distance mother. The older sister, Maria who lives in a coastal town in Spain; extends an invitation to her youngest sister, Emma to come visit her. Maria is leaving to head back home after the funeral of their mother never expecting Emma to take her up on it.
It's rife with family drama, from the past as they are growing up to the present time. Each sister is battling their own demons and it's hard to figure Maria out ultimately as a person. Emma, was a little more transparent.
I loved the setting, it made me long to travel to that beautiful town. The characters were for the most part very pleasant. I had a problem with Maria, for some reason I just can't explain it. It's well written, it just wasn't for me. I could probably re-read it next year and love it who knows?
I would like to think First-To-Read for providing me with a copy of this galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Anna Björklund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma besöker sin syster Maria som bott i Katalonien i många år. Hon fick en inbjudan av sin syster två år tidigare, när deras mamma dog. Mycket har förblivit osagt och de har inte hållit kontakten. Det är ett spänt läge genom hela boken, ända till slutet. Det är mycket funderingar och man ställs inför "what if", hur saker och ting hade kunnat bli.. men kanske hade de ändå inte blivit så mycket annorlunda ändå.. men man kan bara spekulera, aldrig veta. Det fanns en tredje syster och äntligen talar de ut. De gräver runt bland sorg, kärlek och hat, men till slut talar de ändå ut med varandra, ärligt.

På sätt och vis är det en stark bok, men den är ändå blek, ända fram till crescendot då de äntligen talar öppet och ärligt med varandra. Den dröjer sig inte kvar, den har ingen lång eftersmak och jag tror inte att jag kommer kasta mig över någon annan bok av Olsson.

[Ulla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what happens but when I start reading a Linda Olsson novel, I become completely fascinated. She writes beautifully, whether I read the book in English or Swedish. She writes about quite ordinary people, and whatever happens, happens inside the characters' minds and hearts, and between them.
In "The Blackbird Sings at Dusk" there are only three main characters, in "Astrid and Veronica" only two. In "En systers i mitt hus" it's mostly just the two sisters. And somehow that's quite enough! The intensity of the feelings and memories makes these book almost thrillers!!
Maybe it's an age question!?

[Kat Pegfred · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall, I did not like this book.

I like the theme of opening up, saying things that need to be said, clearing the air, and healing. However, the theme was a bit overkilled in this particular story.

I despised the two main characters - Maria seemed rather lacking in empathy for others and Emma was a whiny "victim." I tried, but couldn't get past my feelings of dislike for the characters. Perhaps this is a compliment to Ms. Olsson - that she created two incredibly realistic characters (there are many people in this world who are uncaring and whiny).

The theme that bothered me the most, though, was the relentless assault on the mother's character while almost completely neglecting to assault the characters of the father characters. Sure, a selfish mother can do emotional damage to her children, but I would think that abandonment by one father and regular molestation by a stepfather would be more damaging to a child's psychology and memory. Yet, the author seems to let the father characters off the hook, while constantly berating the mother character. I have seen this theme in other authors' writings (Jennie Shortridge comes to mind) and it bothers me that we're so hard on mothers but let fathers off the hook.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

devoured this in one afternoon. A quiet story of two sisters who have had little to no relationship. They discover, upon spending a week together, that miscommunication and misunderstanding have plagued them both.

[Sophia Melin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read, as always with this author.
Beautifully written, bittersweet story surrounded by a magic Spanish landscape...

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read that I don't think I would have picked up on my own. I'm going to get my pet peeve about this one out of the way immediately and I shall not dwell on it anymore: no contractions. When I see entire soliloquies without contractions, my brain dies a little. It feels entirely too formal. Of course there were some, but the monologues were overwhelmingly formal. Also, "Good morning, how did you sleep?" is not a question that invites monologues, but in this book, that's what you get.

Away from the peeves!

Emma and Maria are two sisters who have lost contact with each other. Maria lives outside Barcelona and, on impulse even she can't understand, invites Emma to stay with her for a visit while they are cleaning up at their mother's funeral. Emma seemingly ignores the request until two years later when she emails Maria that she is coming for that visit. Maria is instantly upset and angry at Emma (and, rightfully, at herself) but prepares for the visit anyways. Clearly, these two sisters have, not just issues, but subscriptions worth of problems.

The book unfolds with many monologues and pouring forth of sisterly tears as they finally, actually, talk to one another. We have one sister, Emma, who stayed near home and became the caregiver to a Mother that the other sister could not stand. Maria, after the death of her twin Amanda, went off and never came back. Neither of those situations are ideal and they naturally created a rift between the two. The rift started when Emma was born and "invaded" the twins space and just grew larger and larger.

Ignoring my peeves, the way this story unfolded was interesting. Little bits and bops of things kept popping up and disappearing and made me (the reader) anxious. "We need to talk about Amanda" was said enough times that I yelled at the book "TALK ABOUT AMANDA". The book ignored me and continued on until it was damn well ready to talk about Amanda. And what a talk it was.

Interesting little book. Definitely worth a read. I'm sure I'm a rare reader when it comes to the contractions and formal language deal, so I'm sure you will do just fine.

[Najwa Warraich · Rating 1 out of 5]

WOW. What a disappointment this book was. I honestly was so annoyed with this book throughout the reading process. So this book essentially follows two sisters who have not seen each other in over two years since their mother's funeral. They end up meeting up and it is a story of them experiencing grief and working through their relationship. Sounds great right? However, the execution was just abysmal. I did not even understand why they did not have a good relationship from the beginning... everything was so sporadic and weird. The timeline of things made no sense and I actually was just over the fact at the amount of shitty things that happened to them. These women were so sad but I had no exact clue why. They kept repeating the same things over and over again but it had no relevance in building the story further. All in all, this was just not worth the read and I do not recommend. 1/5 stars.

[Paltia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living alone one grows into solitude. Having this threatened by the arrival of a guest, sister or not, is more than enough for Maria to regret having invited her. This invitation, made at a time of vulnerability, at their mother’s funeral is not answered for two years. When Emma arrives the story commences. Ms. Olsson gently introduces the other players in the drama. Emma has two children, and a husband. Maria has Maya. They both have Amanda. Their visit allows them the time and space to explore their relationship and their relationships with the other characters. Always touching softly without sacrificing impact their stories evolve. Beautifully written with a personal touch so familiar in Olsson’s work. Listen to Arianna Savall as you read. Bellissimo.

[Pallavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

****3.5****

Maria and Emma who have never been close even though they are half sisters and lived several years of their childhood together in a same house. When Maria, on a whim, invites Emma to her home in Spain, at their mother's funeral, little did she know how this invitation will bring a huge change in both their lives later.

Emma, after two years gets in contact with Maria and decides to visit. Maria is dreading her sister's visit as she was never close to Emma and does know almost nothing about her life. Emma stays for six days and the reader gets to know about the life of these sisters where there is a negligent mother, abusive stepfather, sibling ego's and wobbly relationships. 

A very short and intense novel. I loved the narration and it's plain plot where nothing much eventful happened but only revelation of past happens. Very well written and quiet.


ARC from First To Read in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

Happy Reading!!!

[Almira · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a "short" (207 pages) book, this book packed a powerful message of love and redemption.

Half sisters, Emma and Maria, have been "re-united" two years after the funeral of their mother.
Both sisters have such different perspectives of how their mother loved the other, and what occurred to Maria's twin, Amanda.

Descriptions of the area, brought back memories of living on the Mediterranean Sea, and the aromas of the various foods described.

Writing was excellent.

[Arja-täti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aivan ihastuttava kirja. Nyt tekisi mieli lukea Olssonit uudelleen kaikki. Mutta maltan mieleni. Näitä ei kuulu lukea peräkkäin ja ahmien vaan nauttien.

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ihan kelpo kirja, kiinnostavia teemoja, mutta mielestäni Olsson vähän toistaa itseään.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read several of Olsson's books and feeling that they were stellar, it was very odd to negotiate through this audiobook.
As I was listening I was asking myself if the reader's voice, though well read, wasn't right for this book. Perhaps. I must add that I am generally not a fan of "family secret" books. I felt tired and fatigued from only small passages, so it took me ages to get through. Sadly I didn't really like or relate to the two sisters in the book. It seemed so odd that I felt that the story was wildly contrived, or perhaps taken from a true story.
I am still a fan of Olsson and her other books that I have read and enjoyed. She is a beautiful writer and that is true whether it is a story that I love, or really don't care for.

[Dorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I don’t think we are responsible for the love that is offered to us. Grateful, possibly. But not responsible. Love is not fair. You don’t get in proportion to what you give. And you can never make someone love you.”

I liked this book and it was a pleasant read, but I didn't love it. The author has a beautiful writing style, but I believe there were issues in the translation. Sometimes the dialogue just didn't sound natural, or the narrative didn't quite flow right. However, that didn't stop me from understanding the author’s intent and following along. It's definitely a slow burn, meant to be savored, not rushed. There's not a lot of things happening or mystery and suspense to keep the reader engaged; it's essentially a story about two women (estranged sisters who haven't been a part of each other's lives in years) spending several days together, walking around town, and talking. It's a chance for them to revisit old memories, put aside their grievances, and learn more about each other in an effort to renew their relationship. But while that might sound somewhat boring, the author wrote it in such a way that it was interesting and enjoyable to read. It's also a relatively short book, coming in at just over 200 pages. I think if the author would have made it any longer, it would have felt dragged out and I would have enjoyed it a lot less, but as it stands, it's about the perfect length for a book of this nature. I’m giving it 3/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book for free through the First to Read Program in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Ngaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother sent me A Sister in My House from New Zealand when I was living in North Carolina. I tried to start it when she sent it and gave up almost straight away. I picked it up a few days ago, and it turns out that my mother has great taste, because I loved this book.

Maria lives by herself in a rented house in a small town in Spain, trying to heal after the loss of her partner Maya. Her estranged sister, Emma, arrives for a visit and upends everything that Maria thought she knew about her past. The sisters circle each other, each trying to understand the other and trying to defend their private fortresses of memories, hurts, and losses. But the miracle of the beautiful setting and the time together helps them confront the pain of losing a sister as children, and the lack of love in their family.

Nothing much happens in this book, but everything happens in it. Two sisters learn to love each other after a lifetime. Linda Olsson is a treasure.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olen lukenut kaikki Olssonin suomennetut kirjat ja ne ovat jostain syystä olleet minulle vuoroin ihania elämyksiä, vuoroin ärsytystä herättäviä lukukokemuksia. Onkohan oikeastaan ollut kyse siitä, millaisessa fiiliksessä olen kullakin kerralla Olssonin teksteihin tarttunut?
Tällä kertaa Olssonin rauhallinen ja kiireetön kerronta oli nautinnollista luettavaa. Sisarusten suhteen kuvaaminen eteni hienosyisesti ja viipyillen, ja espanjalainen rannikkokylä maalautui silmieni eteen niin vahvasti, että melkein tunsin olevani siellä itsekin. Kirja oli rauhoittava lukukokemus, hyvää stressinpoistolukemista kerrassaan.

[Carro · Rating 5 out of 5]

En bok som är svår att släppa. Två systrar gör äntligen upp med det förflutna. Din sanning och min sanning...

[Henna Kaukoniemi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liian samanlainen kuin Olssonin aiemmat kirjat. Ei yllätyksiä, ei särmää.

[Anne Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooo I loved this book! Vivid, emotional, full of hope. Warmth. Grateful for the arc from the indie bookstore where I am employed.

[Annette Hjelm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Innehåller viss analys som kan ses som spoilers.

Den yttre ramen för den här romanen är två systrar, Maria och Emma, som vuxit upp tillsammans med en mamma som utåt ville visa upp en fasad av en fin och lycklig familj, men som inte förmådde ge barnen den trygghet och kärlek som de behövde. Maria och Emma har bara träffats sporadiskt vid födelsedagar och jul sedan Maria lämnade hemmet vid sexton års ålder. Ensam kvar med mamman blev Emma, som då var tio år. Efter att mamman dog för två år sedan har systrarna inte setts alls. Nu kommer Emma oväntat på besök till Maria i det stora hus hon hyr vid den spanska kusten. Maria lever ensam och låter dagarna gå med bara så mycket arbete som är nödvändigt några timmar på förmiddagen, snabba promenader och vin i ensamhet på takterrassen. Emmas besök innebär att rutinerna rubbas och Maria ser Emma mer som en inkräktare i sitt liv än en älskad och välkommen syster. Hon känner sig obekväm när Emma blir personlig och vill prata om hur de levt sina olika liv, och om barndomen som de delade fram till dess den tragiska olyckan inträffade, då deras syster dog.

Maria försöker hålla allt som verkligen har någon betydelse ifrån sig, inte minst den överskuggande känslan av sorg och känslan av att inte vara sedd och älskad. Utlämnade till varandra under några dagar i Marias hus djupnar efterhand samtalen, och till slut finns det ingen annan utväg än att släppa fram de tillbakahållna tankar och känslor som plågar särskilt Maria.

Maria har en personlighet som jag tror att de flesta av oss har stött på i verkliga livet. Det är en personlighet som är svår att tycka om. Sådana personer som Maria kan tyckas obegripliga och svåra att få grepp om, men egentligen handlar det sannolikt om ren och skär egoism, gränsande till narcissism. När Maria upplever att hon måste dela kärleken från någon, som när tvillingsystern visar Emma samma kärlek som hon visar Maria, känner sig Maria djupt sviken och oälskad. Som om kärleken inte kan räcka till flera, utan bara till en person. När Emma som barn sökte tröst och stöd hos Maria, vände Maria henne bokstavligen ryggen. Emma hade ju enligt Maria stulit kärleken från tvillingsystern och lämnat Maria utanför. I vuxen ålder har samma oförmåga att älska och älskas inneburit att Maria flera gånger i affekt brutit upp från det liv hon levt och rest bort, utan att sedan höra av sig.

Maria beskriver i början av boken, att hon inte har några minnen av Emma som en egen person, med egna känslor och åsikter. För Maria var Emma bara en statist i hennes eget liv. Istället för att visa ett intresse för sin syster och för andra, genom att verkligen lyssna och ställa frågor, tolkar Maria in vad hon själv tror att andra tänker och tycker i det de säger och gör, vilket förstås ofta leder till feltolkningar och missförstånd. Missförstånd som aldrig får en chans att redas ut, eftersom Maria redan har uppfattningen klar för sig och därför är ointresserad av andra synsätt än sitt eget. Maria gör det hon vill, hon är självständig och bestämd. Sina dagliga promenader går hon med symboliskt snabba steg.

Emma är Marias motsats. Hon är den självuppoffrande lillasystern, som blev kvar med mamman när den ena storasystern dog och den andra försvann utan att sedan höra av sig. Som barn var hon den söta, glada, anpassningsbara. Den person som kliver av bussen hos Maria är dock lågmäld, trött och tärd, men det är hon som har den mentala kraften att lyfta på locket till barndomens trauma. Maria undviker till att börja med att bli personlig med Emma, hon byter samtalsämne eller bara går när det blir för personligt. Men med ett litet steg i taget släpper hon in Emma i sitt liv, hon börjar lyssna, tankar väcks och sakta, sakta sker en förändring.

Det jag anser är bokens största behållning är skildringen av Marias personlighet, och vad den har fått för konsekvenser för hennes relationer. Marias uppvaknande sker långsamt, det är ingen omvälvande förändring man kan ana, och det är just det som gör berättelsen trovärdig. Alla trevande samtal om det förflutna, vad som egentligen hände och vad det egentligen innebar, har inte inneburit att Maria under några dagar plötsligt förändrats från att ha varit en självcentrerad person till att bli inkännande och empatisk. I slutet av boken är Emma och Maria hembjudna till en vän till Maria. Maria tackar nej till att dansa, men Emma tackar ja. När Maria ser dem dansa tillsammans står hon som fastfrusen, oförmögen att ta blicken från dem. Sedan vänder hon och går hem, och lämnar Emma kvar. Maria kan fortfarande inte dela kärleken från någon. Men man anar att hon mår bättre, sorgen och tomheten gnager inte lika mycket. Hon har förlikat sig med och accepterat det som har varit och börjar kunna se framåt. Mer kan man kanske inte hoppas på.

Mitt första intryck när boken var utläst, var att jag inte blivit berörd och att det inte var en bok i min smak. Men jag fortsatte att fundera på den efteråt och insåg att det här är en berättelse med många bottnar. Berättelsen berör sannolikt olika mycket beroende på var man själv står i livet när man läser den, och beroende på hur mycket man själv har vridit och vänt på och försökt förstå relationer i sitt liv. Boken innehåller många insiktsfulla tankar som säkert kan fungera som ögonöppnare och förklara varför vissa människor agerar så till synes obegripligt.

♥

[Minna Pietiläinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ihanaa tekstiä, niin kiireetöntä. Tunnelman voi aistia. Tapahtumat sijoittuvat pohjoisespanjalaiseen kylään, jossa Maria asuu. Hän vahingossa kutsui sisarpuolensa kylään äitinsä muistotilaisuudessa. Etäisiksi jääneet sisaret kerivät tällä vierailulla pala palalta auki suhdettaan, mitä on jäänyt sanomatta ja mitä on väärinymmärretty. Tähän tunnelmaan haluaisi jäädä.

[Liisa | kirjavuori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiljainen, rauhallinen, nopealukuinen. Samantapainen kuin kaikki Olssonin romaanit, paljon pohdiskelua, enemmän ajatuksia kuin tapahtumia. Hahmot ehkä liiankin tietoisia ajatuksistaan ja tunteistaan, mutta kieli kaunista ja tunnelma hauraan hellä.

[Athol-mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short and beautifully written novel. Two estranged sisters, Maria and Emma, spend a brief time together in Maria’s home in Spain, 2 years after the death of their quite distant mother. It is a time of healing, of reflection and of a slow path to a tenuous future. I had never read Linda Olsson before but I certainly intend to read her other novels.

[Johanna Juntunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se oli tosiaan hyvä! Sisarustenkin välit saatiin korjattua :)

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kind of book. Beautifully written and deeply thoughtful. The two sisters gradually come to an understanding of their relationship and themselves.

[Karan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong 4 for me. Interior family drama.