The Sisters Antipodes: Jane Alison

This was a heartbreaking story of a girl who spends her childhood wondering if her father loves her. The father didn't know how to talk to his children, they made him uncomfortable and he didn't like being alone with them. Her story was made more devastating because his new wife had two girls the same age as his and they became a sort of replacement for the girls he didn't see. There was competitiveness between the two younger girls, who shared the same birthday, which seemed to end up defining who they were. I liked that the author referred back to her childhood diary and was able to recreate all the hurtful things said so they still seemed raw and painful. The "other half" Jennifer dies in her thirties leaving Jane to try to determine again who she is and what she has left. At the end there exists a sort of peace between everyone in the family, with the exception of the other stepsister, but there is still a feeling that everyone walks on eggshells to an extent. This was a beautifully written book.