I had such a hard time getting into this book at first but by the end, I ended up falling in love with each of the characters and their many quirks. At the beginning, it was hard to remember who was who. There were so many names, I couldn't keep them straight. I honestly felt like I needed a cheat sheet with who was who. But by the middle, I was starting to fall for young Ruth, especially.

I saw so much of myself in each of these women. And quite honestly, learned a little from each of them, as well. Each woman struggles with herself, internally, and with the life she has, always wanting something else. But by doing so, they're wasting the time they do have with the person or people who truly love them the most.

I honestly didn't see that ending at all. I thought it would be different and was expecting Ruth to claim what June didn't want. But with it ending the way it did, it made things a little sweeter, overall. Ruth was finally given an overall good character, who wasn't jealous or wanting more.

It's truly hard to pick a favorite character in this book, even though I do seem to lean more towards Ruth because each woman had such great qualities. June never left her roots, even when she had every opportunity to do so and never look back. Dorothy never gave up on her family or John and so sweetly gave her terrible life events to him through story time, when no one else would give him a second thought. In fact, she really was the main heroine of this story. Without her sacrifices and determination, it would have never happened.

And lastly, the historical fiction part about Betty Crocker and the time frame, in general, were quite interesting. I never put much thought into Betty Crocker, even though I use "her" products almost daily. But, I can see now how she became such a big brand name and why she was so important to women at the time. The makers really were quite genius to create her in the ways that they did and make her seem like a real, modern day Martha Stewart of sorts. It was also quite interesting to learn about the swimsuit policies, too. I had forgotten about those strict restrictions for women and loved the girls who tried to run from being covered up!

I'm glad I gave this book a chance because it's worth the read.

Greedy notions of love get in the way of happiness in Lynn Cullen's "The Sisters of Summit Avenue."

June got the looks and charm. Her younger sister, Ruth, wants whatever June has. Their mother, Dorothy, has a whopper of a secret she has been keeping.

The story skips between Dorothy's past, the sisters' younger years and their present in 1934 when the country was dealing with the Depression, the emergence of mob figures such as John Dillinger and the popularity of Betty Crocker.

The early chapters charmed me, and the story kept reeling me in. I have mixed feelings about the ending, but it will do.

(This review appears on Goodreads, my Facebook wall and on the group Facebook walls of 52 Books and The Book Girls.)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was extremely hard for me to read. It jumps from one scenario to a completely different time with another scenario. I had a very hard time keeping track of what was what. I felt it could have been a great book if it were written in a different way.

The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen is a beautiful book and extremely well written. Everything you need to know is in the synopsis below:

Ruth has been single-handedly raising four young daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for eight long years, ever since her husband, John, fell into a comatose state, infected by the infamous “sleeping sickness” devastating families across the country. If only she could trade places with her older sister, June, who is the envy of everyone she meets: blonde and beautiful, married to a wealthy doctor, living in a mansion in St. Paul. And June has a coveted job, too, as one of “the Bettys,” the perky recipe developers who populate General Mills’ famous Betty Crocker test kitchens. But these gilded trappings hide sorrows: she has borne no children. And the man she used to love more than anything belongs to Ruth.

When the two sisters reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making. And their mother, Dorothy, who’s brought the two of them together, has her own dark secrets, which might blow up the fragile peace she hopes to restore between her daughters.

An emotional journey of redemption, inner strength, and the ties that bind families together, for better or worse, The Sisters of Summit Avenue is a heartfelt love letter to mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere.

I loved the sisters and their issues, the setting, the place. The author puts the reader right back in the 20s and 30s and its books like this that make me turn to historical fiction when I need a break from thrillers and crime stories. Don’t miss this book!

Due out September 10.

Lots of characters to keep up with! June and Ruth, two sisters are like a lot of sisters. Both compared their lives to the other and jealousy reared it's ugly head. The history of Betty Crocker was interesting but I found the book was just okay.

I received an ARC from the publisher/Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a story about two sisters long estranged and their pettiness and rivalry. It just didn't work for me. I didn'y like or relate to either one and their immaturity just wore me down. I stuggled through to the end but it left a few important unanswered question.
3

2 sisters, estranged for years, are brought back together by their mother to try and mend things before much longer.

Written about events of the depression, it really was a grim time period, which the book clearly described. A family struggling to eke out an existence, when the world is falling apart around you.
This is the story of two sisters, June and her younger sister Ruth. Their mother Dorothy is a reclusive woman, that show little affection for her husband
William her youngest Ruth, while clearly favoring the much more charming June. She has hidden the early events of her life, and lost a lot in the process.
I found the story cleaver, with its Betty Crocker sideline, really had difficulty in sorting out the characters, their relationships and the timelines.
Lynn Cullen’s research of the era, its struggles and the cleaver Betty Crocker aspect, kept me interested.
I appreciate the ARC from #NetGalley #GalleryBooks and #SimonandSchuster. It’s a book worth the read.

This is my first book by this author so I was not sure what to expect. I was drawn to this story because I have not read much about The Depression and the fact that it was set in the Midwest was an added bonus since that is where I live.

I want to start first the positive. I found the information about Betty Crocker and the girls to be fascinating. I did not know anything about this "institution". I wish more of the story had been based on this and maybe it would have held my attention more.

I found the writing to be choppy and the story not to flow easily. I had to force myself to read it because of the lack of smoothness to the story and writing.

A story about two sisters, Ruth and Jane and their relationship with each other and the people in their lives. They love each other but also have jealous tendencies toward each other. It is also about the difficult relationship they have with their mom and husbands. The story is and kept me wanting to keep reading.

This is a tightly woven beautifully written story about sisters, envy, love, family, it’s all here! I was drawn into it and couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this book

Told from multiple points of view and in different time periods, this book expertly weaves together the lives and conflicts between sisters, June and Ruth, and their mother Dorothy. An enjoyable part of the plot has adult June working for Betty Crocker as a “Betty” starting in the 1930s. She seems to have it all, especially in a time of great need, but two losses dog her happiness. Ruth, a struggling farmer taking care of her sick husband, has little sympathy for her sister, but she has not always treated June well. All the while their mother harbors a secret that she worries will test what family they have left apart.

I enjoyed this book; it is well-written and the time period and point of view changes are effortless. The end was too melodramatic for my tastes, but I’m sure will be right (and satisfying) for many readers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having read MRS. POE and TWAIN'S END by Lynn Cullen I was excited to read THE SISTERS OF SUMMIT AVENUE, I particularly enjoy Ms. Cullen's historical fiction writing style. I was not disappointed, once again Ms. Cullen succeeded in transporting me to another time in history, the Great Depression.

This is a story of family, two very different sisters and their sibling rivalry and their mother, an interesting, multi-faceted character.

I enjoy books that relate the situation through the eyes of more than one character and this was one of those books that did this very well.

Though this book was a work of fiction, much of it was taken from the time of the Great Depression and it added another layer to the novel. Highly recommend this book to readers of historical fiction.

I am going to be honest, I was not able to finish this book. I had a really hard time getting into it. Maybe it was my headspace at the time, but despite the intriguing summary, I could not get past the first few chapters. The story was just slow for me. This was my experience, and this may not be your experience!

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy historical fiction and thought the premise of this book sounded interesting- a story of two sisters and their mother and their trials and tribulations growing up.

The reality was that this book was really slow for me and I had a hard time getting invested in the characters at all. The story got confusing for me at times, I didn’t feel like it was explained well in some parts.

Overall kind of missed the mark for me.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a fair review. I chose to read this book because the story was set during the Great Depression, however, it turned out to be a disappointment. The two main characters, June and Ruth, were sisters and rivals. June married well and worked as a Betty Crocker (no kidding). Ruth stayed on the farm and married the farmer both girls were in love with. Not sure whether Ruth really loved him or just wanted him because he loved her sister. Either way, neither of the girls were very likable, but the man they fought over contracted a sleeping sickness. June's husband, a doctor, thought he found a cure with B12 injections, which he administered in the middle of a dust storm. Then there was Dorothy--the girls' mother. She had her own problems and secrets going on. They were a very busy family and the whole story was hard to believe--especially when Dorothy's original love interest showed up in the end. The best I can say is that it was an easy read and I was glad to be done with it.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

Sisters, Ruth and June, reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making.

The story bogged down in spots but it was an okay read, didn't love it .. didn't hate it.

3☆

Secrets, Betrayals, lies, and half-truths. This beautiful story is told through the eyes of Dorothy, mother to June and Ruth, as well as the two daughters. From the past and in the present.

Dorothy has led a hard and sometimes unfair life. Her parents lived and worked for a wealthy family and Dorothy grew up with their son Edward. But when she gets in the family way she is quickly kicked to the curb. Even as she marries a good man, she is still waiting for Edward to come for her. 

Dorothy is a woman who doesn't understand how to show love and affection to her children. She loves them terribly but has never learned how to show them.

Everyone has a point of view in this one. June thinks Ruth stole her soul mate. Ruth thinks June gets everything she wants and is the favorite. Now Ruth is living the farm life with John who has sleeping sickness. She hates her life and wants Junes. June wants her soul mate back but has instead settled with a rich doctor and is one of the "Bettys" of the Crocker plant. 

When Dorothy calls June home, she comes and brings her husband who may have a cure for the sleeping sickness. But if John wakes up, how much of what has been happening will he know?

With 3 sisters of my own, I recognize this story! We all wanted what the other one had. Until we lost it and found out all we really wanted was to be loved and content with what we had. But as Dorothy would say, "We aren't dead yet."

Full of heartbreak, love, forgiveness and the love of family, this was a beautifully written book!

NetGalley/ September 10th, 2019 by Gallery Books

Review: The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen

My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for offering me this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Everyone’s family has its share of drama. It is always fun to read about someone else’s family drama. The Sisters of Summit Avenue is no exception. This is a story about a complicated blended family in the early twentieth century when blended families were not spoken of in polite society.

Half-sisters June and Ruth cannot be more different, and this novel chronicles their relationship over several decades. Mixed with the family drama is the added bonus of some mystery along with some interesting historical tidbits. I had heard of the mysterious “sleeping sickness” (encephalitis lethargica) epidemic that affected nearly half a million people in the early to mid-1900’s. Reading about the disease as it affects the characters in this book was interesting and truly horrifying. Learning some of the characteristics of this disease made Ruth’s story even more dramatic. I also learned more about the history of Betty Crocker. I received a Betty Crocker Cookbook as a wedding gift about 40 years ago, but this is all I knew of the name or the company behind it. June’s job as one of many Bettys is a fun addition to the story.

It is sad to read about how a bad decision and a series of actions made by a selfish and thoughtless young person can sour the relationship between two sisters who love each other. But this is often times how relationships are wrecked. I wish I could tell you that this decision and the actions following are forgiven and that the sisters are able to mend their relationship and live “happily ever after,” but this story is just not that easy. I like the ending of this novel, but it is a lot of work getting there. Maybe this work makes the story more real and believable. The wrap-up is a bit hasty, but it is not meant to overshadow the story of the sister’s relationship. The Sisters of Summit Avenue has a satisfying conclusion.

My star rating: 3.5

When the book opens, we meet June. She’s a “Betty”. And not in the way they use it in Clueless, or maybe that’s exactly how they use it. But she actually works for the company that owned Betty Crocker, one of the many women who develop recipes and think of decorating and home ideas.
Its almost comical. Because you know then men at these companies could think of this stuff, but in that day and age, they had to bring in women to do the heavy lifting for them so they could have long martini lunches and crunch the numbers. You know, the important stuff. And this is an actual piece of American history. General Mills created Betty Crocker in 1921. If you want to read more about it, the article in Foodimentary lays it out well.
So once you’ve moved past that mind-blowing tidbit, it’s funny that June is seen as the perfect housewife and cook. But she is anything but because she doesn’t have any children and back then, it was a glaring discrepancy.
Then of course once we’ve met June, we meet her sister Ruth. Who is everything June isn’t. She isn’t posh and put together with a successful husband. She is a poor farmwife with 4 kids and a husband who is basically in a coma. And has been for 8 years.
And it keeps getting more and more interesting. Because there are family secrets and love triangles. These women are way more scandalous that you can imagine at the beginning of the book. It took me about a third of the book to really get into it, otherwise I would have given it a higher rating.
Still, it’s a great read. And anyone who grew up with a sister will identify with the sometimes complicated relationship that June and Ruth share. This one isn’t a summer read. It’s more of a curl up under a blanket with a warm cup of tea read. Perfect for fall! And it’s out September 10.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced egalley in exchange for my honest review.