Relationships between mothers, daughters and sisters can be beautiful, but they can also be fraught with tension. When unexpected changes occur that upset the status quo, a lot of drama can unfold.

“The Sunshine Sisters,” a novel by Jane Green, explores the intricacy of family relationships and why sometimes the people we love the most are the ones who can cause the greatest pain. It’s a fact that we can choose our friends, but family is what we are given.

Ronni Sunshine is a mother, but first and foremost, she is a movie star. But it’s her daughters that steal the show in this story. There’s Nell, who is the oldest and the strong, quiet one; Meredith, the middle child who suffers from low self-esteem and turns to food for comfort; and Lizzy, the youngest, who can sweet talk just about anyone into doing whatever it is she wants.

They all suffered the heartbreak of growing up with a mother who was too busy with her career to give them the love and guidance they all desperately needed, and a father who decided to leave rather than deal with it all. They all coped in different ways: Nell by bottling up her feelings, Meredith by moving far away, and Lizzy by doing whatever made her feel alive, never mind the consequences. In turn, the sisters have drifted apart over the years, in more ways than just miles.

Now, Ronni is dying, and her last wish it to have all her daughters with her as the end nears. She wants to try to mend their relationships, and to strengthen the bond between her daughters so they will have family to lean on once she is gone.

Will they come, and will they find their way back to each other? Is it possible to forgive and forget the hurt that has been inflicted over and over again, creating long-lasting scars?

Number one NY Times bestselling author Jane Green brings us all the joys and heartbreaks of a family struggling to find a connection. She’ll take you to New York City, London, and Westport, Connecticut, where the final outcome will take place. This is a story that many parents and children will be able to relate to, and one can’t help but cheer them on, and to hope that they find the happiness and peace they all deserve.

Jane Green is a former journalist in the UK and a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York. “The Sunshine Sisters,” released in May 2018, is her 19th novel.

Written for The Woodbridge Magazine (UK)