Two Sisters: A Novel by Mary Hogan

The third child in a family that wanted only two, Muriel Sullivant has always been an outsider. Short, dark-haired and round, she worships her beautiful blonde sister, Pia, and envies the close bond she shares with their mother, Lidia. Growing up in their shadow, Muriel believes that if she keeps all their secrets—and she knows plenty, outsiders always do—they will love her, too.

But that was a long time ago. Now an adult, Muriel has accepted the disappointments in her life. With her fourth-floor walk-up apartment and entry-level New York City job, she never will measure up to Pia and her wealthy husband, their daughter, and their suburban Connecticut dream home. Muriel would like nothing better than to avoid her judgmental family altogether. One thing she does quite well.

Until the day Pia shows up to visit and share devastating news that Muriel knows she cannot tell—a secret that will force her to come to terms with the past and help her see her life and her family in unexpected new ways.

REVIEW:
I found this book to be a quick but uneventful read.  Hogan tells the story of a dysfunctional family through the eyes of an adult Muriel (the youngest child) reflecting back on events of her childhood. The past is interspersed with present sad family events, and ultimately reveals 'secrets' that I thought were pretty obvious from early on in the narrative.  I was also disappointed by the quick and neat wrap-up at the end of the novel - I'm all for the idea of family forgiveness, and of giving people a second (or thirtieth) chance, but Muriel's struggles throughout the book are trivialized at the end. 3 stars