SOLVED. Fiction, mostly historical as it is told in flashbacks, 4 elderly sisters recount theirs lives before a major storm hits their coastal home. Spoilers ahead. [s]

[Kristy]

This will contain spoilers in order to provide enough info. I hope someone knows this book. The sisters grew up isolated and abused by their father. After their mother walks into the ocean, the father starts sexually abusing the eldest. She ends up having a son with lots of issues and they keep him locked in the basement. She had a chance to leave with a boy she met but he went off to war and she missed her chance. I don't remember much about the middle sister, but the younger two were twins who became very strange after their mother died. The father at some point stopped them going to school and as the youngest, they ended up having the least socialization with other people. The never left the stage of talking in their own twin language and it became the only way they could communicate. I believe they also killed someone and the other sisters covered it up. In the end, the older sisters chose to die in the storm. They keep it from the twins so they don't panic. They do this as they are afraid of what will happened to the twins after they die as the twins are incapable of dealing with the world and won't be able to take care of themselves. This very sad book is probably also the most beautifully written book I've ever read.

[Ayshe]

Honour Thy Father by Lesley Glaister?

[Kristy]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I read it about 11 years ago and want to get a copy because the writing may be the best writing I've ever read.