“Sisters, Strangers, and Starting Over” by Belinda Acosta
c.2010, Grand Central Publishing, $13.99 / $16.99 Canada, 307 pages
You love your sister to pieces, but she can be a little odd.
Your brother is quirky, too, but since he’s just like your father, you’re not surprised. And tu Madre? Oh, let’s not even go there. People say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but your mother is downright pine-nuts.
Still, they’re your familia and you’d do anything for them. But in the new book “Sisters, Strangers, and Starting Over” by Belinda Acosta, Beatriz wishes she had done much more for her sister, 15 years ago.
When lanky Irish-Texan Larry Milligan first met Beatriz Sanchez, he thought she didn’t like him but she did. It was a nice coincidence that they both came from San Antonio to attend the U of Michigan. It was even nicer that they fell in love.
Twenty-five years and two sons later, they were still loco over one another. Life was good at the Sanchez-Milligan household: eldest hijo Carlos was heading for college. Thirteen-year-old Raúl was doing well in middle school. Larry’s nephews, Wally (age seven) and Seamus (age fourteen) lived with them, and that was working out, too. Their wedding anniversary seemed like a good reason to fiesta with friends and family.
But the happy evening ended abruptly. After everyone had gone home, the police arrived and with them, a thin girl with a backpack and an envelope of papers. Seeing her face, Beatriz was instantly whisked back in time.
Things were shaky when she and Larry were just starting out. They lived in a small apartment, and they didn’t have much. So when Perla, Beatriz’ baby sister showed up on their doorstep, embarazada, Larry and Beatriz thought it best to send Perla back home. But somewhere between Michigan and Texas, Perla disappeared and now – so many years later – Perla’s daughter, Celeste, stood in front of her Tia Beatriz, frightened and alone.
After years of living with sons, Beatriz loved the idea of a hija. She strongly felt that Perla sent Celeste to San Antonio as a chance to right old childhood hurts. Beatriz particularly looked forward to having a quinceañera for her sobrina. But other members of the Sanchez and Milligan familias had different ideas…
Looking for a novel that’s sweet but not maudlin, layered but uncomplicated, and includes a good burst of flame now and then? “Sisters, Strangers, and Starting Over” is one of those books, and it won’t take long to read. That’s because you won’t want to put it down.
Author Belinda Acosta has a way of getting inside her characters, so we come to know them like old friends and appreciate their emotions and thoughts. I loved how Acosta blended two cultures into one squabbling, scheming but loving family, and it was a treat to watch her plotline unfold with them.
Like its predecessor in the series, this book can be read as a standalone, shared with your hija, Mama, hermana, or any one who loves a good story. Look for “Sisters, Strangers, and Starting Over” and start it today.
– Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm
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