Stories about sisters

[garlicandsapphires]

I'm looking for stories that centre on characters who are sisters (preferably a pair, preferably adults), where the character relationship is a good portrayal of sisterhood, in a way that's about closeness (or distance, or a mixture of the two) rather than rivalry/jealousy (a bit of that would be ok, just not too much). I've been trying to think of stories about sisters - there are the fairy-taley portrayals of good/pretty/clever vs. bad/ugly/dull sister, which are so not what I'm after, or protagonists whose sisters exist as foils or plot devices. I'd like there to be a sense of equal partnership. (I mean, the desire to find this sort of thing came to me during an episode of Supernatural, when I started wishing I could see the parallel universe version in which the Winchesters are girls).

There's probably loads that I haven't thought of. I'd prefer genre, something quite fun and adventurous, but recs of any kind would be lovely.

Comments

[troisroyaumes]

First thing that comes to mind is I Capture the Castle, although they are not adults quite yet in that one and there's some level of jealousy involved.

[dragon]

I kind of doubt that this is what you're looking for, but Melanie Rawn's Exiles of Ambrai series revolves in part around three sisters. However, one is definitely in opposition to the other two. It's a sprawling sci-fi/fantasy series and will probably be incomplete, as the long-promised third book has yet to be written (and book two ends on SUCH a cliffhanger, so it's quite a shame). The first book is The Ruins of Ambrai.

The other books I remember with a set of sisters are Dee Henderson's O'Malley series. Those are romantic fiction/crimesolving, albeit with a strong Christian orientation, so don't read if that's not your thing or you can't skip over it. However, while the family members are all definitely in each other's lives and show up frequently, each family member has his/her own book. I'd start with The Negotiator, although there is a prequel novel that doesn't directly deal with the main characters of the series.

Other than that, I can't think of too many sisters, which is a sad lack, although I do have several books with close female relationships, although they aren't the primary focus of the story (like Sharon Shinn's Mystic and Rider or Emma Bull's War for the Oaks).

I'll be watching this with interest to see what other people recommend!

Kate Crackernuts, by Katherine Briggs

[kathmandu]

Kate Crackernuts is a YA novel about two girls who are stepsisters. It's a retelling of a fairy tale, so it has malevolent and powerful witches, but it's centered on the two girls: how they met and became friends before they became related, how despite the Wicked Stepmother's efforts to favor one over the other they loyally backed each other up, and how they went off on an adventure and rescued themselves plus a boy.

I seem to recall the author was a scholar of old Scottish dialect and folk tales; the story is told in a heavy dialect that does take some getting used to. And it's out of print, so you might have to check several libraries or used-book shops. But I liked it.

Re: Kate Crackernuts, by Katherine Briggs

[garlicandsapphires]

Ooh, I love fairy tales and dialects. Will look that one up, thank you!

[ex_pippin880]

The first thing I thought of was Tripswitch, but they're cousins, and I haven't read it in over ten years so I don't know quality-wise how good it is.

Sorcery and Cecilia

[kathmandu]

YA/fantasy by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. It's an epistolary novel set in Regency England; the title characters are cousins, but raised so close together and of such like minds that they act like sisters. In the novel Kate goes off to London for her Season while Cecilia stays home in the country, but they discover they're each having adventures which are part of the same conspiracy, and work together to stand up for themselves and oppose the wicked.

Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman

[kathmandu]

Come to think of it, Practical Magic centered on two sisters, who were very close growing up, launched into different life paths in adulthood, and then came together again to deal with the crisis. The book goes into detail on a lot more of their lives than made it into the movie.