Where do I begin? I’m going to cut straight through to my verdict: GET THIS BOOK! If you are a lover of historical fiction, you will eat this up! It is twisty and is 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. Rose did make me laugh quite a bit…you’ll see. Her granddaughter Daisy is also quite a character half-child /half-adult as she struggles with being fifteen and pining for her mother to come get her from this small town hell her mother dropped her off in! She gets a job at the local paper and finds herself in the midst of a scandal as she researches and writes about the explosion of Lamb’s Dance Hall in 1928. Her stories explode the lid off of that town that had been compressed for fifty years. Riveting to say the least!

In 1928 on a hot night in a small Missouri Ozark town, a dance hall exploded killing dozens and forever changing the survivors. Fifty years later, 15-year-old Daisy is dropped off in that town with her grandmother and finds herself searching newspaper archives working to determine what really happened that night. The Ozark setting comes alive in this historical mystery.

This historical fiction book was based on a real tragedy i the author's home town.
Violet is an outgoing twin who loved to dance and liked a good time. She went to a dance with a group of friends on Friday, Aug 13, 1928. The group enjoyed dancing the Charleston. the Lindy ,etc, and partying (sometimes with a little hooch). The dance was in full swing when an explosion ends the evening and results in 39 deaths.
The story picks up 50 years later when Violet's twin, Rose's granddaughter, Daisy, is dropped off to spend the summer with her as her mother goes to California to look for a job and housing with her boyfriend. At 15 yrs old Daisy is lonely and bored in this small town, but talks her way into a summer internship at the local paper. Initially she writes obituaries, but comes across an article about the dance hall disaster and gets the editor to agree to her doing a series of articles about the survivors to commemorate the 50th anniversary.
The story gives the tragedy life as the survivors reluctantly share their experience that night, and as Daisy gets to know the people in this small town. I thought that the author did a great job describing the small town dynamics, the emotions of the survivors bringing up the tragedy and loss of that night, and the sensitivity with which Daisy pursued their stories. This character driven novel touched on love, loss, mystery, family connections, secrets and finding home. The ending was perfect as we had a final tour of Possum Flats.
I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Press and the opinions expressed are my own.

Based on a real life tragedy which occurred when the Bond Dance Hall in West Plains, Missouri blew up in 1928.

Violet, the vivacious, outgoing twin, is not feeling well one evening and convinces her identical twin, Rose, to go to Lamb's Dance Hall with Dash, Violet's boyfriend. Rose, quiet, shy, retiring, dresses in Violet's clothes and wearing Violet's necklace, sets out to have a good time. In 1928, the Charleston and the Lindy were popular dances and the women were able to show a lot of leg with these dances. Everyone is having a good time, when, unexpectedly, the building blows sky-high. Thirty-nine people died that night.

Fast forward to 1978, granddaughter Daisy is dropped off at grandma's house, while her mother, Lettie, goes off to find herself. Daisy has never met her grandmother and is bored silly because there is nothing to do in Possum Flats. She convinces the local newspaper to hire her as a summer intern and there she discovers the events of the 1928 explosion and fire. Wanting to do a 50th anniversary retrospective of this event, she convinces the editor to allow her to interview survivors and family members to get their take on what happened. Most don't want to talk to her about it. Some do and she discovers more than she wanted to know, including things that involve her own family.

This book tells of a terrible tragedy and how it affects a small town well into the future. Pinging between past and present, the characters are reluctant to relive a horrible event until an outside comes to town and starts asking questions. I enjoyed the writing, the character development and the historical setting. Would recommend.

The Flower Sisters is a story based on a real event, the Lamb’s Hall Dance Club explosion in Missouri in 1928. The characters and story is all fiction though. The story goes back and forth between current day (50 years after the explosion) and the 1928 time. Daisy, a 15 year old, is left in the care of her grandmother while her mother trots off to California. Daisy gets an internship at the newspaper and gets to write about people that are still alive from the 1928 explosion. I found that very unrealistic that any place would allow a 15 year old with no experience to write these articles and publish them. There are quite a few twists and turns in the novel that will keep you interested but the story does drag on and falls flat at times.

"The Flower Sisters" by Michelle Collins Anderson left me conflicted, as its promising mix of nostalgia and mystery was overshadowed by the novel's slow pacing and an unfortunate preoccupation with inconsequential details. In 1978, we follow Daisy Flowers, a spirited teenager, dumped unceremoniously in Possum Flats, Missouri, setting the stage for a compelling mystery rooted in a tragic 1928 explosion.

The strength of the narrative lies in the vivid depiction of small-town dynamics and the intriguing premise surrounding a decades-old tragedy. Anderson expertly weaves family connections and buried secrets, offering the potential for a satisfying resolution. However, the novel stumbles in execution, burdened by a plodding narrative that hinders overall engagement.

My frustration stemmed from the author's tendency to delve into minutiae, detracting from the central mystery. The focus on uninteresting and irrelevant details muddled the story's momentum, making it challenging to maintain interest. Despite promising characters and a well-crafted premise, the novel failed to deliver a gripping and well-paced narrative, ultimately leading me to discontinue reading.

While "The Flower Sisters" holds potential for those with patience to endure its slow pace, readers like me, seeking a dynamic and focused mystery, may find themselves frustrated by the lack of urgency and the distracting emphasis on less crucial elements.

This well written, character driven novel has dual time lines that take place in 1928 and 1978 in a small Missouri town. The story line is based on the Flowers sisters - identical twins Violet and Rose. In the 1978 time line, we also meet Lettie -Rose's daughter and Daisy - Rose's granddaughter.

1928 - Rose and Violet were twins in looks but had totally different personalities. Violet was always looking for a good time and loved to spend time dancing at the local dance hall. Rose was quiet and enjoyed being home. Despite their differences, the twins were very close and shared all of their secrets with each other. One night in August, 1928, their lives changed dramatically. Violet had gone to the local dance hall with her boyfriend. During that evening, a huge explosion at the dance hall claimed the lives of dozens of young people including Violet. Rose struggled with the loss of her sister and ended up marrying the son of the owners of the local funeral home.

1978 - Possum Hills was still a small town where everyone knew what was going on with all of the people in town. Rose still owned the funeral home and was estranged from her only child Letty, who had left town as soon as she could and never looked back. One day, Lettie arrived with a boyfriend and her 15 year old daughter. Lettie's stop in town was short -- she dumped her daughter with a grandmother that she never knew and then Lettie left town to start a new life in California with her boyfriend. Daisy wasn't happy with being in small town Missouri. She and her grandmother lived upstairs and the funeral home was below them. She didn't really know or understand her grandmother and didn't know anyone in town. She managed to get an internship at the local newspaper and learned about the dance hall fire fifty years earlier. She wanted to do a story about the fire to commemorate the 50th anniversary but when she tries to talk to the survivors, most of them don't want to talk about it. This small town holds some big secrets, and the more Daisy looks into the history of the town, the more secrets that come to light. Will the secrets that she uncovers bring the people in town closer to each other or will they continue to ignore the truth of the fire?

This book had some fantastic characters - Daisy was an inquisitive young girl who had a hard life moving around with her mother. At the beginning, she hated the small town and wasn't too impressed with her grandmother Rose. Even though Rose could be difficult and outspoken, she still wished for a relationship with her granddaughter. Rose was appalled when Daisy wanted to learn more about the fire fifty years earlier and wanted the town secrets to remain secrets. But are the prices that we pay for secrets worth avoiding the truth? The story is about grief and loss but also about love and forgiveness. This is a family of strong women that I won't forget. This is a debut novel for this author and I look forward to her future books.

4.3 rounded down to 4/5.

In Michelle Collins Anderson's "The Flower Sisters," readers are transported to the small town of Possum Flats, Missouri, where the echoes of a tragic event from 1928 reverberate through the lives of the Flower family for generations. Drawing on a little-known true story, Anderson weaves together two compelling storylines fifty years apart, exploring the unpredictable effects of split-second decisions, family secrets, and the enduring power of redemption.

At the heart of the narrative are Violet and Rose Flowers, twin sisters whose lives are forever changed by a devastating explosion at Lamb's Dance Hall. As the story unfolds, we see how the events of that fateful night shape the destinies of the Flower family and the town of Possum Flats itself.

Anderson's writing is poignant and evocative, capturing the essence of small-town life with depth and authenticity. The characters, from the wild and outgoing Violet to the solitary and reserved Rose, are beautifully drawn and easy to relate to, making their struggles and triumphs all the more compelling.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its dual timeline structure, which is clear and concise, allowing readers to seamlessly navigate between the past and the present. The multigenerational flipping adds depth to the narrative, offering insights into the legacy of tragedy and the enduring bonds of family.

However, as the story progresses, some readers may find that the momentum begins to wane after a plot twist, and the ending may feel somewhat rushed, particularly as it transitions from the 1920s to the 1970s. Additionally, while the ending has a feel-good quality reminiscent of a Hallmark movie, it may seem somewhat out of place when compared with the rest of the novel's tone.

Nevertheless, "The Flower Sisters" is a captivating and well-crafted tale that offers a compelling exploration of family, secrets, and the resilience of the human spirit. Anderson's use of a real-life event as inspiration for the story adds depth and authenticity, while her skillful storytelling keeps readers engaged from beginning to end.

Overall, "The Flower Sisters" is a book that would make an excellent choice for book clubs, offering rich material for discussion and reflection. As readers turn the final page, they will be left eagerly anticipating what Michelle Collins Anderson will write next, testament to the strength of her storytelling and the enduring power of her characters and themes.

This story had an intriguing story line using different times in history and a varied set of characters each with their own thought and feeling throughout the story. I am from the area that this story is set and was looking forward to reading about a retelling. Unfortunately, I found it to be really slow and hard to get into. So much time was devoted to the same event being told though different characters viewpoints that I just kept wishing it would move on.

I loved the dual POV that spanned decades - it was one of the first things that drew me to this book and it did not disappoint. I think the way the author did a very good job of portraying small town life in a way that felt authentic not only to someone from a small town but to anyone reading the book. The characters were strong and the writing and plot were engaging.

A really terrific multi-perspective historical. I caught a couple of anachronisms (surprisingly, in the 1970s timeline rather than the 1920s), but the book was otherwise so well written and evocative that I couldn’t grade it down for them. There were a lot of different voices in this one, but each of them was beautifully distinct. And I loved the ending. It was the last book I read in 2024, and one of the best of the year.

3.5 This novel tells a story through a dual time line that surrounds an explosion at a dance hall in Missouri in 1928. This was an interesting event in history of which I was unaware. The story was compelling, most of the characters were likable, and I enjoyed the writing style. Yet, I did not find myself very engaged. It took me a while to get through this book. I’m not sure I can pinpoint the issue. Perhaps if it moved more quickly and focused more on the narratives from the timeline of the explosion, it would have held my attention.

Overall, I liked the story itself, and I would definitely read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, John Scognamiglio Books, and Michelle Collins Anderson for this free ARC digital copy.

A wonderful book set in The Ozarks in 1928 where we see a tragedy, a life lost-one twin dies and one twin lives. Fast forward to 1978 where we find Rose (the twin who survived) how is now looking after her 15yo grand-daughter.

This is a book based on a true story and what a very interesting story it is. Emotional, happy, sad and and a story of how life evolves through tragedy and over years. It is a wonderful story of family, love and healing yet so much more.

I enjoyed this book very much and felt it was well written but at times some of the descriptions just went a bit far and dragged on. But other than that it is a great story and a book I would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

1928 in Possum Flats is a little town in the Ozarks when a tragedy occurs where identical twins Violet and Rose lived. The Lambs Dance Hall suffers an explosion causing a fire that consumed Bonds Dance Hall. Violet Flowers, was one of the twins that succumbed to that fire. Forward to fifty years later we find Rose, the other twin, now widowed and running a funeral home. She is also a grandmother whose mother has dropped off her teenaged granddaughter ;15 year old Daisy. As Daisy becomes an intern at the local paper, she finds information leading to the 1928 fire, therefore, opening secret and memories that were best stored away. This is an emotional story of love and family and a tragic incident brought to life in wonderfully delicate prose. My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In “The Flower Girls,” author Lisa Larsen masterfully intertwines twin storylines fifty years apart, exploring the enduring impact of a tragic event in a small Missouri town. Drawing from a little-known true story, the novel unfolds through the lenses of Rose and Violet Flowers, identical twins distinguished by temperament, and later, through Rose’s daughter, Lettie, and granddaughter, Daisy. The narrative centres on the catastrophic explosion at Lamb’s Dance Hall in Possum Flats in 1928, a night that forever alters the lives of the Flower sisters.

Violet’s untimely death and the subsequent fallout shape the trajectory of the family, resonating through time. The dual timeline technique smoothly navigates between the 1920s and 1970s, offering a comprehensive understanding of the Flowers saga. Larsen excels in capturing the essence of small-town life and the reverberating effects of profound decisions. The characters, vividly portrayed, evoke empathy and connection, making the reader an integral part of Possum Flats. The complexities of family secrets and the impact of historical tragedies are masterfully woven into the narrative, creating a poignant tapestry.

The author’s skilful storytelling explores themes of love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. Daisy’s inquisitive nature, as she unravels the past during her summer in Possum Flats, adds a layer of suspense and discovery to the novel. Larsen adeptly portrays the small town’s dichotomy—its tightly held secrets and the healing power of confronting the truth. “The Flower Girls” offers a captivating blend of historical fiction, family drama, and mystery. Fans of Daniel Woodrell, Donna Everhart, Ellen Marie Wiseman, and Jeannette Walls will find themselves immersed in this beautifully written narrative. It delves into the unpredictability of life-altering decisions, the aftermath of small-town tragedies, and the enduring legacy of family secrets, creating a compelling and resonant story.

In 1928 the town of West Plains, Missouri faced an unimaginable tragedy. During a dance, the Bond Dance Hall exploded, resulting in the death of 39 people. Author Michelle Collins Anderson grew up in West Plains but did not know of the tragedy until she was an adult. She used the explosion as the catalyst for The Flowers Sisters. The novel tells the story of Daisy Flowers, forced to live with her grandmother in a town reluctant to open old wounds.

When Daisy's mother drops her off in the town of Possum Flats, Daisy has no idea what to expect. She's never met the grandmother she is supposed to live with who happens to be the town's funeral director. Daisy is given an internship at the town newspaper. She finds an article on the explosion in the "morgue" - the paper's basement archive. Daisy wants to write about the event, but faces resistance especially from her grandmother who lost her twin sister in the explosion. Daisy is aided by Joe, whose grandfather is the town preacher and was present at the event. The novel tells the usual stuck in a small town story with a unique twist. Daisy's article exposes long buried secrets and truths, but in the end brings healing to a very injured town.

This is a gentle book that draws you in. Daisy is spending summer with her Grandmother, who she barely knows, in a small country town. She gets involved in the local newspaper and starts getting a feel for the town. Set in dual timelines, we also find out about explosion 50 years before, however, there are secrets people are holding about this. As Daisy asks questions, things start to come to the surface, especially the big secret that Grandmother is keeping. The resolution of all this was beautiful and I particularly enjoyed the ending, especially the musings of Dash as he left this world. The themes of love, family, belonging, home and identity are explored in a sensitive and empathetic way. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC to review.

A story of family secrets and small town trauma, The Flower Sisters will have readers on the edge of their seats frantically turning the pages to discover answers to the questions that hang over Possum Flats and the Flowers family. This is a story about finding yourself, finding your home, and finding out how to honor the past while making way for a bright new future. It's a story of betrayal and healing, of life and death, and the very human decisions we make that have a ripple effect on the lives of those around us.

This book was another adventure/mystery that had me all mixed up with every kind of emotion that you could possibly think of. It was that well written.
It was definitely an interesting read and one I found myself looking up images for this fire and I was astounded. I couldn't believe it because it sounded so much like the Pulse fire here in Florida.
The scenes were so descriptive that I found myself shivering because I couldn't imagine how horrible their deaths were. It's sickening in how descriptive this was. I can't even comprehend how these people felt at being burnt up. This book will probably give me nightmares after reading this novel. I didn't think it would be so very vivid that I could actually see it happening like in a horror movie. Those poor poor people. No wonder it's not talked about much!
And no one knows who even set that fire that's the terrible part! It's like a cold case mystery.
Daisy's mom is really something else. Throwing her daughter over for a man. How rude is that? Ugh.
No wonder the poor girl feels unwanted and uncomfortable in her grandmother's town.
I really enjoyed her uncovering the towns history though. That's the mystery part that I enjoyed. I loved sleuthing along with her.
Her grandmother's job gave me the willies though. I can't imagine what it's like living in a funeral home and doing that type of job. I think it's absolutely creepy. It's also at times depressing so I knew how Daisy felt. I felt like we were sisters.
This story is told from multiple points of view and its like getting to know each character and making friends with them.
It's a little explicit at times but I skipped those parts. Sometimes too juicy for me.
I enjoyed most of the book except for what I said at the beginning.
I did finish it one day I had to see if Daisy solved the mystery of the dance hall fire.
I don't really think the cover matches the story inside however. I do love the womans outfit as it does match the times it was set in. She's from the 20's.
Overall a great read but very sad chalk full of historical settings.
The town's real name was West Plain MO and this really did happen.
The author did well with the timelines and I did enjoy reading about how this town changed through the times after the explosion.
Isn’t it amazing how life goes on after tragedies such as this and I did notice the date of the explosion too.
(It was around the time of Titanic's sinking years before).
I wanted to add one more thing to this review
I know that this is a long quote but it spoke to my heart clear through because it's so very true. It just takes some longer to realize it. Including me.
"Maybe home is something you can’t run from, a place you find yourself searching for even after you think you’ve gotten away. You look for it in every town or city, apartment or house—but it’s slippery, shifty. Because home is a feeling, and the people and place that inspire that feeling. It’s about their acceptance and your belonging, You can’t change where and who you’ve come from, only where you will go and who you will be. But that place and those people always call your name, longing for you— and you, in turn, long for them.
Very well spoken. I'm feeling and finding my way home to Daytona Beach slowly. Kentucky was my home for many years. So I completely understand Daisy. Some places just grow on you. This is how Florida is to.me. it's slowly growing on me.
This is why I love historical fiction because it's based on a true story.
I'm giving this one 4 stars because of the too descriptive scenes.
But I still highly recommend this novel for others who will like it also.
My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington publishers for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.