Good storyline , multiple voices to be heard , after the explosion fifty years prior , some of the remaining survivors wants to keep the day and the secrets in the past , but with a young eager teen , finding out the backstory is what she is going to do no matter the consquences .

Give yourself a gift of flowers--violets, a rose, and a daisy -- and read this debut. This book caught my eye on NetGalley as it is set in Missouri and based on an explosion that occurred in a small town near the Arkansas border in 1928. Michelle Collins Anderson changed the name of the town from West Plains to Possum Flats and built a fascinating narrative with timelines based in 1928 and 1978.

💐Daisy Flowers finds herself dumped in Possum Flats for the summer with a grandmother she hardly knows. She talks the editor of the Possum Flats Picayune into giving her a summer internship. When she grows weary of writing obits and taking lame photos, she focuses on this untold town story from fifty years ago.
💐Rose Flowers runs the funeral home and is not interested in talking about that long ago tragedy. What is hiding behind that unflappable exterior of hers?
💐Violet Flowers was Rose's twin and also the given name of Rose's estranged daughter Lettie. Will Lettie continue to avoid being in Possum Flats as she has been or will Daisy help bring them together?
💐The audio book has multiple narrators including one for Daisy, Rose, and Dash/Reverend Paul. A very well thought out audio book production. Have your tissues ready for the last few chapters!
💐Happy Pub Day to this debut! The author is coming to our library system in a week. I plan to be there to meet her and get my book signed.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel based on the true story of the dance hall explosion in West Plains, Missouri, in 1928. Although most of Anderson's story is fictionalized, the research she did when writing it makes this book feel like a living thing. There's a lot of heart and humor amid the tragic tale as the granddaughter of a woman whose twin sister died in the explosion comes to stay for a summer 50 years later. She passes the time by learning about what happened that fateful night and doing a series of stories about it for the local newspaper.

I loved the cast of characters and the narrators who give them voices in the audiobook. Each narrator was so convincing and perfectly cast.

Thank You , NetGalley and the publishers for an opportunity to listen to The Flower Sistersby Michelle Collins Anderson.

I loved this story set in a small town and about a small community.

When a dancing hall fire leads to a lot of deaths in 1928, the lives of many change. It is only 50 years later when Daisy comes to visit her grandmother due to exceptional circumstances and starts digging for articles that lot of things come to the forefront.

It was a simple, cozy read. Something like a one day read which won't disappoint you.

So, I'll definitely recommend it.

Thank You.

What a very special book this is!! ❤️❤️❤️
I absolutely adored it!!

So…this is a Historical Fiction that is based on a true story, and bounces back and forth between two timelines…1928 and 1978.

Daisy Flowers is a 15 year old whose Mom (Violet) has horrible taste in men. On her latest excursion, she is traveling across the country to CA with her new beau…and leaving Daisy behind (with her Mom, Rose) who she hasn’t seen or spoken to for years… She tells Daisy that they are going to CA to get a home set up, and then they’ll come back to get her.

Daisy writes a letter to her Mom every week that summer…but never hears back…

Add to this that the grandma’s business is as the town’s funeral director! She gets to see every person in town at their lowest moment…and has had some doozies! (Let me tell you that one of these scenes had me LOL at work…that if I had food in my mouth, I would’ve spit it out! Hysterical!!)
Daisy wants NOTHING to do with this family business!

So she goes in search of a summer job…and gets one with the local, small town newspaper. She has her hopes set high…as to what she’ll accomplish there! But remember…she’s 15!

This is when the story takes on a whole new perspective, as Daisy decides to delve into something that happened 50 years ago in this small town… and although she WANTS to speak to any and everyone about it, no one wants to speak to her. As a matter of fact…they just want to forget it ever happened.

BUT, Daisy is stubborn…and will not give up!

Once she finds just ONE PERSON to open up about what happened, well, she’s opened up a HUGE can of worms…and now there’s no going back!!

This is a debut book for this author, and I can’t wait to see what’s next, as this was phenomenal!

And, as I do when I love a book, I started investigating…and found that it is in fact based on a TRUE STORY!!

If you have the opportunity to pick this one up, please do! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!!

#TheFlowerSisters by #MichelleCollinsAnderson and narrated absolutely delightfully by a FULL CAST including #JimFrangione, #AndreaGallo, #LJGanser, #LauraKnightKeating, #ChristinaMoore and #GrahamWinton.

5+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RecordedBooksMedia for an ARC of the audiobook which actually releases today (since it is now after midnight…) on 4/23/24, in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️. Historical Fiction at its absolute best!
⭐️. Small town shenanigans throughout!
⭐️. Twins with that very special ‘twin bond’…
⭐️. Secrets that have been kept for many, many years…
⭐️. A new kid in town making all kinds of waves…
💫. An ending that will bring closure & peace, & yet rip your heart right out….

You will feel ALL the feels with this one!

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you 'liked' my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

The Flower Sisters is historical fiction inspired by a real event from the late 1920's. Yes, the Bond dance hall in the author's home town of West Plains, Missouri did blow up, killing 39 of the town's three thousand residents, and the mystery of how the explosion occurred was never solved. The rest of the novel, including the name of the town, is just a really good story that takes place 50 years after the explosion.

The story is told through the eyes of several of the town's residents, some of whom were present and survived the explosion, others who had friends or relatives who died from the blast, and some who are just learning about what happened. This was a terrific book for audio, with a cast reading the different characters' perspectives, which helped keep them straight and developed their personalities further.

Hard-core history buffs are not the intended audience here, this is a good novel that fictionalizes a real event. It reminded me of my beloved Fiona Davis novels in that way. Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio ARC of The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson. The opinions in this review are my own.

Michelle Collins Anderson's dazzling debut, THE FLOWER SISTERS, is spellbinding—a stand-out, talented new voice in fiction! From a master storyteller, this captivating tale is full of scandal, wit, grit, dark secrets of the past, nostalgia, family, forgiveness, reinvention, wisdom, and second chances—with dual timelines and characters you will love and care for.

Inspired by a true story, a top book and audio of 2024.
I loved THE FLOWER SISTERS! 5 Stars ++

~AUDIOBOOK: I loved the distinct voices of the different narrators: Jim Frangione, Andrea Gallo, L.J. Ganser, Laura Knight Keating, Christina Moore, and Graham Winton. This was an award-winning performance! Highly recommended.

OK, booklovers and fellow readers, hang on. You know I get long-winded when I am passionate about a book I love, so here goes.

THE FLOWER SISTERS is a fully immersive, engrossing, insightful story of home, family, and belonging. Richly woven, full of heart, emotion, and humor. Vivid and evocative, with perfect pacing and lyrical prose that captivates you from the first page to the last with characters that linger long after the book ends. Inspired by a true story with dual timelines from 1928 to 1978, you will genuinely be spellbound.

INSPIRATION: Drawing on the little-known true story of one tragic night at an Ozark dance hall in the author’s Missouri hometown, this beautifully written, endearingly nostalgic novel picks up 50 years later for a folksy, character-driven portrayal of small-town life, split-second decisions, and the ways family secrets reverberate through generations.

~1928: Possum Flats, Missouri.
Violet and Rose Flowers are identical twins. Violet has a birthmark on the back of her neck. One is quiet and reserved (an introvert), and the other is wild and outgoing (an extrovert). Otherwise, they are identical.

It is Friday 13, 1928: The Ozarks. Lamb's Dance Hall Explosion.
39 Lives Lost before the night ends. What caused the explosion? A cautionary tale.

The highly anticipated dance (my parents met at a dance, which blows my mind, being from the Bible belt) was to be attended by the older teens and those in their twenties. There was to be dancing, jazz, The Charleston, smoking, booze, and fashion, with plenty of young women and men ready to cut loose, plus more! However, this was pretty risque for this period, considering this was during the Prohibition in the heart of the Bible Belt. Some thought what happened was deserved due to the night's sinning nature and activities.

In the small town, this was the night of letting go. Everyone has their issues. Hormones are flying. However, there was an impulsive decision that caused an explosion, and before the night was over, there were 39 lives lost. One twin will not survive, and many of their friends and loved ones. Families grieving, trying to make sense of the night's events.

For the ones who survived, there was guilt and regret and a night that changed the trajectory of their lives. Some later became town leaders, hiding their buried secrets behind their masks.

However, the town never knew the secrets it was hiding until 50 years later, when a young girl, a summer intern at the local paper, digs up the explosion archives and brings all its haunting secrets to the surface.

~1978. Possum Flats, Missouri. Daisy Flowers, age 15.
Her mother, Lettie, is a wanderlust hippie who left home as a teen and said she would never return to Possum Flats. She and her daughter have moved everywhere, chasing dreams across the country. Daisy just wished they would settle down somewhere.

Now, 18 years after leaving her home in Possum Flats, Lettie drops off her daughter, Daisy, now 15, at her mom's house, Rose, the mortician and owner of the local funeral home. This is the first time she has seen Lettie or her granddaughter. Then Lettie takes off to California with a man and says she will send for her daughter.

Daisy is at a loss. She is accustomed to organic foods and city life and thinks these people are weird. She is stuck with an eccentric grandmother she does not know in a dead-end town, living above the funeral home with embalming fluids, dead people, odors, and terrible food. Daisy, the main character, learns a lot from dead bodies coming through and the juicy secrets.

LETTERS: She wonders when her mother will return for her. She writes to her mom (we get to hear the letters), but the mom never returns her letters. Throughout the book, there is an ongoing mystery regarding the mom's whereabouts until the end. Is she coming back? Hazel, the postmistress, sees Daisy mailing the letters and selling her stamps. She also considers the returned letters but cannot tell Daisy or open them.

ROSE: Rose, the grandmother and funeral director, is hilarious—all the characters are! You will laugh out loud as Rose prepares for the Mayor's funeral (he was with his mistress when he died in a compromising position), not his wife, of course. In the meantime, Daisy loves reading books and writing.

SUMMER INTERN NEWSPAPER: Daisy decides she can use her grandmother's funeral home and all the scandal to snag a summer internship at the local paper. She gets the job but is not thrilled about writing obits and the mundane events of the town. However, she meets a fun teen, Joe, the newspaper delivery boy, and her editor at the paper, who finally allows her to write about past events and explore the archives. She will get her first byline, and she is thrilled.

50TH ANNIVERSARY: This is where she finds the story in the newspaper's archives about the explosion at the dance hall in 1928. She plans a 50th-anniversary celebration and a series of feature stories.

OPENING PANDORA'S BOX: Little does she know that opening Pandora's box will change everything she knows about her family and the town's leaders. Possum Flats is not thrilled to have the past unearthed with the pain, regrets, and lies it has buried. Some think what happens as a teen should be left there, but Daisy is tenacious and begins interviewing. Some are ashamed of their actions and do not want their past broadcasted.

Then she learns her grandmother has a big secret. Nothing is as it appears with many.

Told from alternating POVs:
~Daisy: (Flower Child) 15-year-old granddaughter. Intern for the local newspaper, The Possum Flats Piscayune
~Rose: Grandmother. Town mortician. Small town owner of Flowers Funeral Home.
~Dash: Pastor of the Assemblies of God Church
~Hazel: Postmistress of Possum Flats
~Jimmy: Police Chief
~Smiley: Photographer
~Violet-Rose: Twin sisters

Some may have found their calling that night. Others changed their lives due to the horrific night.

The side characters—Mayor Watson, Lettie, George, Ginger, Fern, Joe, Roger, Mabel, Betty, Myra, and more—are all part of the story that also makes it sizzle. Rose/Violet, Daisy, Dash, and Jimmy are so funny! They are highly entertaining! But beneath the humor, there are essential takeaway messages. There are some strong women!

MY THOUGHTS: Words cannot convey how I resonated with this engrossing and impressive story of home. It has it all—from the exquisite front cover, a cast of well-developed characters you will fall in love with and care about, an audiobook with a stellar cast of narrators that make the characters come alive (you will laugh out loud), pitch-perfect! I enjoyed it so much that I listened twice, read the e-book, and ordered the paperback.

I LOVED the ending and hope we see more of these characters in future books.

This truly is a Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks! Multi-generational, crossing genres, perfecting the blending of uplit, suspense, rural small town, humor, mystery, coming-of-age, literary, historical, Southern, and women's fiction.

THE FLOWER SISTERS is for fans of Elizabeth Berg, Ron Rash, Jan Karon's Mitford Series, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Joshilyn Jackson, Karen Katchur, and Kristy Woodson Harvey, with an added winning signature style!

Michelle is an author to watch. She has been added to my top author list. Get this gem on your TBR list now! Storytelling at its finest. I highly recommend the book and audio. If this is a debut, I cannot wait to see what comes next!

The novel is movie-worthy, an ideal pick for Book Clubs (discussion questions included), and a fascinating Author's note about the real Bond Dance Hall explosion that killed 39 people and was never solved.

INTERVIEW: Stay tuned for my upcoming featured April #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A, where we go behind the book and this talented new author.

THANKS to Kensington Books, RB Media Recorded Books, and NetGalley for being introduced to this outstanding author and book and providing an ARC and ALC.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: April 23, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars ++
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Loosely based on a real tragedy:: the Bond Dance Hall Explosion that occurred in West Plains, Missouri in 1928. The story is well crafted even though some of the funeral home basement activities are a bit graphic. This is essentially a family story that goes back and forth, historically and generationally, between the 1920s and the 1970s, focusing on Rose and Violet, the Flower sisters of the title, and then on Rose’s daughter and granddaughter, Lettie (short for Violet) and Daisy. The central event took place when twins Rose and Violet were happy go lucky teenagers enjoying whatever bits of the Roaring twenties touched their rural town in the Ozarks. On April 13,1928, an explosion and its consequent firestorm blew away Lamb’s Dance Hall in that town, Possum Flats, Missouri. Located above a car dealership and repair shop under reputedly shifty ownership, Lamb’s was packed with much of the town’s youth. The storyline then moves to the 1978. The widowed twin, Rose, never left Possum Flats, where she continues to run the family funeral home on her own. Her daughter Lettie, named Violet after her deceased aunt, fled the town and her family at the age of 16, returning many years later with her own daughter, Daisy. Lettie, who very much follows the hippie ethic of the time, simply drops off the teenage Daisy at the home of a grandmother she has never met and knows nothing about, so that she can head for California with her latest boyfriend for a fresh start and to allow him to get “used to the idea of fatherhood." She leaves Daisy with a promise to come back for her “soon,” leaving an address, but all Daisy’s letters return unopened. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful debut novel. I found the characters endearing and the plot solid. There was grief, loss, humor, relatable moments, joy, and love. This is not only a story of secrets and regrets, but it’s about finding the truth, your family and most of all that place called home.

Thank you to Netgalley, Michelle Collins Anderson, Kensington Publishing and Edelweiss Plus.

The Flower Sisters is Michelle Collins Anderson’s first novel, and she hit it out of the park. The story is written in dual timelines (1928 and 1978) with multiple points of view. Its foundation is an actual dance hall fire in a small town in the Ozarks. We get inside the heads of the survivors as they were in 1928 and how this event impacted the small town even now fifty years later.

I loved these characters. They are all intriguing and deal with deeply hidden secrets, which is a challenging feat to accomplish in a small town. Daisy, who I consider the story’s center, is dropped off at Rose’s house and funeral home; Daisy never met her grandmother before that day. The idea of living at a funeral home is very off-putting for Daisy. In addition, there isn’t much to offer a big-town girl in a small town. Lettie, Daisy’s mother, is selfish. She is more concerned about her boyfriend than her daughter.

When Daisy gets a summer internship at the local paper, she develops an article about the 1928 dance hall fire. Her investigation reveals many secrets that townsfolk would prefer to remain secret. Daisy becomes a pariah when many people, including her boss, blame her for stirring a hornet’s nest.

I love the wide range of emotions this story stirred in me. I laughed at a funeral story; I felt sad and hurt for Rose when her backstory was told. I was angry at Lettie and some of the residents who hurt Daisy. I cheered for Daisy because she is so creative and deals with a challenging situation in a mature and loving way.

I enjoyed following along as the author painfully pulls away layer by layer to reveal what is hidden underneath the rubble of the fire. The reader knows a traumatic reveal is coming, but I didn’t expect everything we learn along the way. The ending falls a little short of my expectation, but overall it is well worth the read. I love finding new authors. I will look for future books by Michelle Collins Anderson,

The multiple narrators do an excellent job of bringing the story to life. They made it easy to get into the characters’ heads and hearts. The story is well done!

A dual timeline historical fiction that is based on a tragedy that happened in the late 1920’s. 50 years later Daisy is left with her grandmother and starts her apprenticeship with the local paper. She learns about the tragic fire at the dance hall and begins her investigation.
A story that emphasizes forgiveness and family.
Thanks to @NetGalley and @RBMedia for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

This was a fabulously done audiobook. Multiple narrators, multiple POV's, multi- generational. Highly recommend!

The book is centered around a traject dance where 39 people died. It tells what happened, what people thought happened, and what really happened. I was hooked from the first chapter!

Many thanks to Net Galley and RB Media for an audio ARC of this book for an honest review.

Loosely based on this real 1928 tragedy that took place at the Bond Dance Hall explosion that killed 39 people who gathered to dance one evening in this small town in the Ozarks. Author Michelle Collins Anderson weaves a fictional but intriguing story of twins Violet and Daisy Flowers - one is sick and can't go to the dance and one goes without her twin.

in 1978, Daisy Flowers, granddaughter to the surviving twin is left with her grandmother while her mother leaves for one of her (party?) trips. She goes to work at the local paper and gets a job writing the obits but wants a bigger story. She begins to investigate what no one in the community wants to talk about. But oh what a story she will uncover!

My thanks to Net Galley and RB Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

This beautifully written novel is based off the tragic explosion of Missouri’s Bond Dance Hall in 1928.

We meet the story’s main characters at all different points in their lives, and we see how this devastating event affected each and every one of them differently.

When I wasn’t listening to this audiobook, I was thinking about it. And when I finished it I found myself missing the characters and wanting more, which makes this book an easy five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB media for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.

The cover was what first caught my attention. The black against the beautiful contrasting colors really highlights the glamour that was that time period. The story was exceptional intriguing considering there were elements that are based on the true explosion. I found the characters to be complex enough to keep my attention while simple enough that it was easy to follow. I loved how the story built up until the end and although there were times that felt confident that I knew where it was going, there was still enough question that I wanted to continue reading to confirm and see just how and why things happened the way they did. The narration was nicely done and I think this is easily a book that could be recommended and enjoyed by a wide variety of readers.

I would like to thank the author Michelle Collins Anderson, NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook.

This is a hard one for me to review. I gave it three stars, which to me is a "good". The book, for the most part, kept me engaged and I wanted to find out what happened with all of the characters. I listened to the audiobook and the full cast of characters did a nice job conveying their character and keeping the reader engaged in the story. I am a real historical fiction fan and knowing that this book was based on the real life event of the 1928 Missouri Dance Hall fire, I expected it to be more serious. Although the events were portrayed as being tragic, I found that I was rolling my eyes at the fictional characters choices and unbelievable events that happened in the story. The book was good enough for me to want to finish, but I wouldn't recommend it to hard core historical fiction fans.

Thank you NetGalley & RB Media for the ARC copy of this audiobook.
While 'The Flower Sisters' by Michelle Collins had its moments of charm and depth, I found myself struggling with certain aspects of the book. While the storyline was engaging overall, there were parts where the pacing seemed to drag, making it difficult to maintain my interest.
While the premise was promising and the characters were well-developed, I couldn't help but feel that the pacing was uneven at times, resulting in moments where the story dragged. Additionally, there were parts of the book that delved into graphic detail, which made me uncomfortable as a reader. While I appreciate the author's attempt to create vivid imagery, I felt that some of these moments were unnecessary and could have been handled with more subtlety. While I personally won't be recommending this book, readers who are comfortable with graphic content and don't mind a slower pace may still find enjoyment in 'The Flower Sisters'."

I loved listening to the audio book "The Flower Sisters", by Michael Collins Anderson. It features an excellent ensemble cast that bring the story to life. Full of twists and turns, and family secrets of three generations of women and about an event that effects an entire town. This is a must listen for fans of historical fiction!

I've been in a historical fiction mood for awhile now and tend to gravitate towards Holocaust/WW2 based books. I went into this book without knowing anything about the historical event nor having done any kind of research. This book was a pleasant surprise- it was historical fiction with elements of mystery and "who did it". There were plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged throughout, right from the first chapter. This book is based in the prohibition era and was a traumatic event that whipped almost a whole generation away from a town. Absolutely fascinating. I also enjoyed the multiple points of view- I think that the various points of view flowed well and made for a quicker read.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and it was a full cast. I enjoyed the narration, and it definitely helped with the multiple POV and that there were so many characters to get used to and learn how they fit together. So the full cast was a definite plus in the audio narration. It took a couple of chapters to get into the book and start to fully engage with the characters, but one I did, I didn't want to stop reading.

While the characters are quirky, and it was an interesting small town called Possum Flats, Missouri is a fictional town, the story itself had some depth and dealt with some difficult issues that needed to be reckoned with by the town. It reminded me a little of Dreamland Burning but with quirkier characters, more like the ones in Fried Green Tomatoes. The plot uses a real life dance-hall explosion and uses the premise that it has happened fifty years before the story begins. I really enjoyed the character of Daisy, and she was the quickest for the reader to connect with, she is working as an intern journalist and comes across the story and then begins to research and investigate the story for a 50th anniversary look back. The relationships between the characters and the secrets that they are hiding as she investigates this tragedy reveals a lot more tragedies that were not revealed previously.

The story is told from many points of view, by different people of the town. There is much flipping back and forth in the timeline, but it flows well. We see the same characters in the present day and in the past. The townspeople range from a pastor to a postmistress to a pharmacist to a mortician and more. The personalities were interesting, and it was multilayered on many to see how their characters grew and developed from this tragedy. I loved the character arcs and found most of them believable except for Dash the Pastor. The ending was a little weird with him. I think it might have been better as an epilogue, but it didn't truly diminish the book for me because by the end I really loved it already. It was a little Hallmarky with the ending, but I could see what the author was going for and it was okay.

I really enjoyed this story. There are a lot of secrets, the basis of many good books, as I love the intrigue. The more I got into it, the more I wanted to know how everything worked out. It's a slow burn, but an interesting one. I think historical fiction based on stories we haven't heard before but have social impact are a favorite of mine and I know my students love them as well. I will definitely add this one to our library and share it with my students. I think it is one they will learn a lot from in the best possible way through a good story.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

This thoroughly enjoyable, ensemble-cast narration was a delight. The topic could have easily become too heavy with grief and sadness, but it never did.
Recommended for purchase by the Scottsboro Public Library.