rabck from MyssCyn; political staffer Lucy swears she will never, ever go back to her hometown in Door county, a peninsula on the lake in Wisconsin. But when her sister dies, she has to stay for 8 weeks in order to inherit the house, otherwise the local animal shelter gets it. Alice's friends are hostile at first, until Lucy shows that she is taking a vacation and in good faith, is trying to understand Alice, her life after the accident, which by twists and turns, we find out bits and pieces of, and Lucy's role in the accident that left Alice brain damaged. ( )

A truly unforgettable journey of grace and healing, The Second Sister by Marie Bostwick is a very emotional novel of family, forgiveness and friendship. It is also a heartfelt and engaging story about making peace with the past and letting go of mistakes in order to move on and embrace the future.

Lucy Toomey has spent her entire adult life avoiding her small hometown in Wisconsin. Despite her older sister Alice's numerous pleas to visit, she has not returned home in the eight years since her parents' deaths. When she learns that Alice been hospitalized and is in serious condition, she drops everything to rush to her sister's side, but unfortunately Alice passes away while Lucy is still en route. Planning to leave as soon she settles her sister's estate, Lucy is stunned to discover that the terms of Alice's will stipulate she live in the family home for eight weeks in order to inherit or the house will go to a local animal rescue. She reluctantly remains in town where she eventually discovers startling truths about herself, her sister and their somewhat complicated relationship. Lucy also unexpectedly finds friendship and, quite possibly, love but will this be enough to change her mind about leaving the small close-knit community for good?

Lucy lives life at a frantic pace and she allows herself very little time to think about anything other than her demanding career. Her childhood was spent in the shadow of her older, more accomplished and outgoing sister and she could never live up to her father's expectations. In the aftermath of the tragic accident that left Alice mentally impaired, Lucy was overcome with guilt at the events of the day and she could not wait to leave her unhappy memories behind. Although she has achieved a measure of professional success, her personal life is devoid of friendship or love. Lucy and Alice talk daily, but Lucy only pays superficial attention to her sister's rambling middle of the night phone calls and after Alice's death, she comes to realize how little she knew about her sister or her life.

While at first Lucy resents taking time away from her career, she slowly begins to appreciate the slower pace of life. Of course, she still plans to leave as soon as possible, but in the meantime, she enjoys getting reconnecting with old school friend Peter Swenson, his extended family and other people from her past. When she decides to make a quilt in her sister's memory, Alice's close friends, Rinda, Daphne and Celia, reluctantly offer their assistance, and Lucy is pleasantly surprised to discover how much she likes spending time with the three women. Despite her new found contentment, her departure date is fast approaching and Lucy clings tightly to her decision to leave. But will a shocking revelation change her plans?

The Second Sister is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that is also quite uplifting. The storyline is complex but easy to relate to and the characters are appealing and sympathetic. The setting is charming and Marie Bostwick brings the small Wisconsin town vibrantly to life. It is a very heartwarming story of reconciliation and grace that is sure to resonate with readers of who enjoy novels that are not afraid to delve into the complexities of real life relationships.
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Lucy takes up temporary residence in her sister's cottage, as requested and detailed in her sister's will. During the year Lucy resides in Nilson's Bay, Lucy rediscovers small home town life and the impact her sister had on others in the town. Enjoy!

Lucy Toomey is busy working on a Presidential campaign. Her days and nights are consumed by work and punctuated only by late night calls from her sister, Alice, who still lives in Lucy's hometown of Nilson's Bay, Wisconsin. We learn that Alice suffered an accident at 18, which left her mentally disabled, and for which Lucy still feels guilty, many years later. However, not even her guilt can convince her to return to Nilson's Bay. Until she receives a call that Alice has passed away.

As the campaign winds down, Lucy finds herself once again in her hometown, settling Alice's affairs, living in her old home, and trying to figure out her life.

Overall, this is a fairly easy read, though I found the beginning a bit slow. Lucy is not the most likeable of characters, though she did grow on me as she herself grows. The plot is rather predictable, though you don't find yourself fighting the ending much. Once I got through about the first third, the book went quickly and was a pleasant read, but nothing amazing. (It did make me want to visit Door County, Wisconsin, however! Well-done on that front.)

Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. ( )

The Second Sister by Marie Bostwick
Lucy is following her senator's campaign and path to the White House when she gets a call from her sister Alice.
Lucy hopes he will become president...Alice wants Lucy to spend Christmas in Nelson's Bay-their family hometown.
Election day and she gets a call, her sister has overdosed on sleeping pills and she must leave for WI. She dies and the president to be wants her to take time off work, for a few months.
Because she now has the time she steps into Alice's life and helps out with charity projects. Lawyer tells her of the stipulations to Alice's will....
Like how she tends to the animals and discovers her sisters quilts. She reads through the beginner books of quilting and dives into making one. She has no idea who all the quilts were for that her sister had made.
Recurring dreams keep her awake some nights. Like the tips about rotary cutters and other quilting issues.
Small town living and she's not used to everybody knowing everything about her. She finds herself at a neighbor's house for Thanksgiving and enjoying the time there.
Peter, the lawyer is helping her adjust and make sure she stays for 8 weeks. So many secrets and she finds the FOA!
Love the paying it forward and hearing about ice fishing. She does have a job at the White House in Jan and you wonder if she will stay or leave...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). ( )