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    The Sweeney Sisters: A Novel
    The Sweeney Sisters: A Novel
    The Sweeney Sisters: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Sweeney Sisters: A Novel

    Written by Lian Dolan

    Narrated by Brittany Pressley

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    An accomplished storyteller returns with her biggest, boldest, most entertaining novel yet—a hilarious, heartfelt story about books, love, sisterhood, and the surprises we discover in our DNA that combines the wit of Jonathan Tropper with the heart of Susan Wiggs.

    Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.

    But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister. 

    When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.

    Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?

    By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family.

    This audiobook includes an episode of the Book Club Girl Podcast, featuring an interview with Lian Dolan about The Sweeney Sisters.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 28, 2020
    ISBN9780062989079
    Author

    Lian Dolan

    Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She is the author of Lost and Found in Paris, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena, and Elizabeth the First Wife, and is a regular columnist for Pasadena Magazine. She's written regular columns for O, The Oprah Magazine, Working Mother Magazine and Pasadena Magazine. She is also the co-creator of Satellite Sisters, an online community for women, and for many years was a host of their award-winning and top-rated talk show/podcast of the same name, which she produced with her four sisters. She graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California with a degree in Classics and now lives in Pasadena with her husband and grown sons.  

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    Reviews for The Sweeney Sisters

    4/5

    185 ratings27 reviews

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    • 4/5
      There's three sisters: Liza, Maggia and Tricia plus one other: Serena. Except the additional sister isn't discovered until their beloved father passes. The mother of the three sisters died in the past. The book takes you quickly to what happens as soon as the father dies and how all the sisters react with their different personalities, relationships and careers. After both parents die, the big issue is money. How will their famous dad's inheritance turn out and let's not forget about the caretaker, Julia. It's a super relaxing read full of suspense. I enjoyed this book.

    • 4/5
      I loved it except for the profanity which was a bit much other than that great book
    • 5/5
      Fast paced and just lovely. We become real adult in the moment we discover and accept that our parents are complicated and imperfect like anyone else.
      Thanks
    • 1/5
      So disappointed in this book - it is not at all “hilarious” as the promos for the book suggest. It’s not even mildly funny - or interesting. I didn’t care about any of the sisters - and couldn’t keep them - or the random guys that come and go in the book - straight. What a snooze.
    • 4/5
      The Sweeney Sisters is a nice story. It has a beginning, middle and end. The characters are believable. The setting is nicely described. It is a story of acceptance, understanding and caring. The Sweeney Sisters is a very fast read. The rating of four stars was awarded to the book in this review.
    • 4/5
      Good escape reading with a little meat to it than strictly chic lit and a good family discussion. The right amounts of family insight into dysfunction, love, & secrets to satisfy me.
    • 4/5
      This was a very well told story, I liked how it took a common tale, the one of three daughters with a famous, big as life father and upended it with the results of a DNA test. Author William Sweeney passes away and his three daughters, Liza, Maggie and Tricia arrive home to grieve and go thru all the motions of those end of life tasks. What they are surprised to learn from the family lawyer, Cap, is that a neighbor girl they barely remember, Serena Tucker, has revealed she is a family match after a DNA test. I liked how it explored how to navigate a new relationship like that, in a family that is already entrenched in their own ways.
    • 5/5
      Enjoyable book. Easy fun read
    • 4/5
      Their father’s book was about “establishing self-identity and the impossibility of living up to standards that somebody else creates. That’s something you learn well past your coming-of-age years, isn’t it?”“The Sweeney Sisters” is a delightful story about how three sisters with unique personalities grapple with dealing with the loss of their father, dealing with the legends that surrounded his celebrity, and finding out they have another sister. It is told with sensitivity and grace you would hope if someone was sharing your own memoir: not leaving out the juicy parts but filling it with forgiveness , joy, and love. This book held my attention from the start and I enjoyed a peek into the personalities of all the characters.
    • 4/5
      Liza, Maggie, and Tricia Sweeney return to Connecticut when their father, a famous author, dies. They hold a wake, and a couple of uninvited guests appear. At the lawyer's office they learn one of those guests, a girl who grew up next door, is their half-sister. Each woman is dealing with things in her own life. For Liza, it's her marriage. For Maggie, it's direction. For Tricia, it's corporate law life. The sisters need to locate their father's final manuscript which belongs to his publisher and get things in order to sell the house. They decide to spend the summer there. They learn more about their father, about their half-sister, and about themselves. I enjoyed the DNA angle to this story. I really don't think the author understands DNA matching very much because she called Serena's DNA match wtih Maggie a 99% match. That's not the correct percentage for a half-sibling match. However, the author did mostly skip specifics and just mention the match most of the time.
    • 4/5
      I’m a cover snob...there, I admitted it! Not a fan of the current rash of cartoon-type covers, I usually run from these books. But, the jacket write-up of this book (I’m also a sucker for sister stories) and a recommendation on Goodreads, made me think twice about this one. And, I’m happy to say, I’m glad I did! Do not judge a book by its cover...I’ll be more open now, or at least I’ll try!This was a fast paced read, perfect for the isolation and climbing of walls I’ve been going thru this week. A realistic look at the three Sweeney Sisters (Liza, Maggie and Tricia)who are born to a famous literary author and poet. Idyllic life? Not so much. WIlliam Sweeney has numerous demons that he fights. Maeve Sweeney a free spirit poet, her life is cut short. The sisters are dealt blow after blow when their dies suddenly, a random DNA test finds another sister (Serena), a missing manuscript, inheritance issues and each one dealing with their own private issues. Ms. Dolan delves into real family drama in such a way that we become fully vested in all four sisters as we start to peel back the layers of each and the dynamics of growing up with a not-so-perfect father figure. As the youngest of 3 sisters, I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions of the sisters collectively and each in their own right. Adding a 4th to the mix was well done. Thoroughly enjoyed the story line, cast of characters and writing style! I look forward to reading this author again. Thanks to Ms Dolan, William Marrow and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
    • 4/5
      The three girls known collectively as the Sweeney sisters grew up in the shadow of their father – a brilliant writer but a mercurial man. They have each taken an individual turn – one as a corporate lawyer, one as an artist, and one as a perfect wife and mother. Their childhood memories are mixed as their mother died when they were still young but the news of their father’s passing is a bit of a shock for he was the kind of man that everyone thought would live forever.The girls come together and plan a proper Irish wake for friends and family to allow those close mourn for the man before the world in general mourns for the legend. It’s a celebration of the great man’s life and the next day they meet with their father’s close friend and lawyer to read the will. This is where their close family world comes crashing down when he informs them that they have a half sister. She is the result of a relationship her father had with a neighbor – the girls had no idea and are somewhat shocked and quite reluctant to trust this young woman. Particularly given that she is a reporter. What is she really after?The Sweeney Sisters is a very character driven novel – did I really need to type that? I am sure anyone could tell that from the title. It is, therefore a very good thing that Ms. Dolan has created some really fun and interesting characters. Each of the sisters is unique and yet you can imagine these women being part of a typical family even they live in that rarified and fictional world where money doesn’t seem to matter because there will always be some. But that is why we love to read these books.The Sweeney Sisters is about three girls finding themselves, learning to live without an outsized parent, creating new lives and finding the truth of the past. All while learning to trust a stranger who is suddenly family. I really enjoyed getting to know the Sweeney Sisters and their families and friends. Reading the book was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. I settled in with a nice cup of tea and just started turning pages. I didn’t stop until I had finished the book. It was a good read with family drama, romance and more.
    • 5/5
      I love a good sister story and Lian Dolan's The Sweeney Sisters is a great sister story. When Bill Sweeney, a giant of the literary world, passes away, his three daughters- Eliza, Maggie and Tricia- reunite in their postcard perfect hometown of Southport, Connecticut to plan his funeral.Liza lives in Southport and owns a successful art gallery. "She had been raised well and married better", wife to the successful Whit and mom to two teenagers. She is efficient and organized, and her home is a showplace where everyone gathers for a Thanksgiving, with each course timed to perfection.Maggie is the second born, known as 'Mad Maggie' in her younger days. A freespirit, she is an accomplished artist whose paintings sell well in Liza's gallery. She has dated and lived with many men, including a Hollywood director who treated her badly. Maggie "excelled at emotional intelligence, " she was "the glue that held the whole family together".Tricia "emerged from the womb ready to conquer the world, setting and achieving goals with astonishing success." Her resume includes Yale Law School, marathon runner and hardcharging corporate lawyer in NYC.The girls lost their beloved mother Maeve to breast cancer when they were teens, and now they were orphans. When their father's best friend and trusted lawyer Cap tells the sisters that there is not much left in the estate and that they need to sell the family home and find their father's last work, a memoir that he had already received an large advance for, they band together.At the sendoff party for their party, they see an unfamiliar woman in the crowd. Serena is a Washington journalist who grew up in their neighborhood, although she is a few years older than the Sweeney Sisters. She is there because she ran a DNA ancestor test and discovered that she is also a daughter of Bill Sweeney.What does Serena want? Is she after any family money, a good news story, or both? Did Bill know he had another daughter?The Sweeney Sisters is a gem of a novel. It's got humor and warmth, and I laughed out loud several times, something that is sorely needed these days. The sisterly dynamics feel very real, and if you have sisters or wish you had sisters, this is a book that will touch your heart and bring you joy. I absolutely adore The Sweeney Sisters and give it my highest recommendation.
    • 4/5
      On the opening page, before Chapter 1, the plot of The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan, is laid out in a few simple paragraphs. Three sisters, Liza, Maggie and Tricia, who grew up in Southport, Connecticut, are reunited after the sudden death of their world famous author father, William Sweeney. An unexpected guest comes to the wake. It is their half sister, Serena Tucker, who had learned from a DNA test that her mother had a relationship with William Sweeney, and that relationship had remained totally secret until now. So what happens in the rest of this book? I think this novel does an excellent job at characterizing each sister, their father, their long deceased mother of the three full sisters, even Serena' s mother. Because this is such a character driven book, I thought I knew each one of them so well. Some quotes bring this to life. About William Sweeney: He was a throwback to the time when being a vaunted American writer meant being male, white, and heterosexual, with a drinking problem, a healthy ego, and a dark childhood.AndThat's the luxury that men have. They can be awful and beloved. Women don't get that kind of leeway.AndI'm saying that the tough stuff we've all been through was not caused by our father nor were we rescued by our father. He takes bizarre credit for our downfalls but gives us no accolades for our resilience.About Serena:In a few weeks time, Serena began to see the role she might play in this sisterhood. A loyal friend to Liza. A workplace sounding board to Tricia. A source of support to Maggie. There is a place for me here, Serena thought, looking around the patio at the small crowd of attractive people, chatting, drinking, and laughing, comfortable in each other's company, a family by birth and by choice. I can be one of them.How Serena saw the sister's relationship with each other:"When I came to the wake, I was looking for something some connection to your family. I assumed it would be through your father, but seeing you all together again reminded me of the envy I felt when we were kids and you'd walk down the lane together laughing and singing. You were the same twenty years later. I see what you do for each other---you cover for each other. I haven't had that in my life. I've been out there on my own. No one to provide coverage. It's a new concept to me."About Serena's mother:Her mother chose a path that many women had before her, the path of of least resistance. Serena saw her more as a coward than a liar.The three sisters are described: there is Liza, a bit of a control freak, with a husband, twins, and a gallery business to run, Maggie, a fliperty-giblet, free spirit, yet very talented painter, and Tricia, the youngest, an unemotional attorney. We watch them grow and change throughout the book, we delve into their past growing up years, see old and new loves and watch relationships develop. We learn family secrets and watch as family dynamics change over time. And then there is the mission to find that last work of William Sweeney, that autobiography his publisher is waiting for. A bit of mystery to enhance the plot.And my favorite quote:You will survive the truth.All in all, solid writing, very well-developed characters, and a very satisfying read.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading the story of The Sweeney Sisters. It begins with the trio of sisters, Liza, Maggie, and Tricia, coming together to mourn their father's sudden death. Their father, William Sweeney, was an accomplished writer, but not so accomplished as a father. Then, the Sweeney sisters receive a surprise when they meet with their father's friend and lawyer, Cap. This surprise shakes their world, and cause them to question everything they had known about their parents. As they struggle with how this secret will affect their lives, they learn how to let go of things that don't matter, and how to grab hold of things that do. This is a story of struggle, of disappointment, but also of love, family, and hope. It is the connection of love that holds people together and helps them get through difficult times. It is how people choose to deal with things and how to include others that make all the difference. #TheSweeneySisters #LianDolan #Edelweiss
    • 3/5
      This book failed to hold my interest. The premise was good – The Sweeney sisters’ father dies, and they throw an Irish wake for him. But the party is crashed by a half-sister they didn’t know existed. Maybe I have just read too many sister stories lately and am burned out on them for a while. I found the pace to be too slow for me, and the characters not very well developed. None of these sisters really appealed to me. I felt no emotional connection with them, and, for me, that is one of the key components of a good family story. There are a few twists and surprises so I am sure many will enjoy the story. My thanks to William Morrow Books for the advance copy to review.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable novel set in affluent New England small town, about three different but close knit sisters coming together after their fathers death. They discover their father had a fourth daughter and have different reactions to this news. This is a love story of sisters, as well as each sisters individual love stories. Overall enjoyed reading this novel would be a perfect vacation read.
    • 4/5
      This is a charming novel about the special relationship between sisters and the complications of family life. When the Sweeney sisters suddenly lose their famous writer father, they learn he has kept a secret, a fourth Sweeney sister.The Sweeney sisters, however, are strong and resilient and, despite their differences, will try to make it all work. They confront the past, as they face the memories of their famous, well-loved but complicated father and their loving free-spirited mother who died too young, along with their own complicated live and their new-found sister. The sisters are all very different personalities, but these differences form a beautiful unit as they move their extended family forward. There is no bond like the bond of sisterhood.
    • 3/5
      Really enjoyed this book about sisters and their dysfunctional father.it took a few chapters to get into the book but was glad I stayed with this light read.
    • 5/5
      LOVED this book! The story follows sisters as they navigate the fall out from their father's unexpected death. Not quite middle aged women who nevertheless are all in very different circumstances (picture-perfect suburban mom, slightly unhinged vagabond artist, tightly wound NYC lawyer), they must work through messy revelations regarding his finances and personal life, all while trying to preserve his legacy as a revered literary legend.Some elements of the book are trite (relationships that seemed to happen WAY too easily and conveniently) and while I loved that I knew well three of the settings (Western Connecticut and lower-upstate NY, NYC, and DC) it also made me realize how publishers should have readers with local knowledge of the places written about. In the DC section the author has inadvertently used the name of an historic and very high end DC hotel (the Hay-Adams) in place of the neighborhood (Adams Morgan) that she describes as the location of the cramped apartment of a broke grad student (or interns?) Totally would have been caught by a reader who knows DC well (and maybe they would have recommended a different neighborhood entirely- Adams Morgan has gotten really expensive in the past 2 decades!On the whole, though, I devoured this book and have already recommended it to friends. I also am planning to check out the authors's podcast and see if I should add it to my listening rotation!
    • 4/5
      The was a sweet story and a quick read with a great beginning and a perfect ending. I felt for the sisters having to come to terms with their fathers secrets and seeing his selfishness on another level, and I really liked Tricia, Liza, and Serena.For most of the novel I couldn't stand Maggie. She seemed unmotivated and even lazy, a grown adult who was unwilling to make her own way through life, instead relying on the generosity of others. Both of the cars she'd owned had been given to her as gifts. She's an artist without any other job, but she doesn't seem motivated to fulfill her commissions either. When the sisters have to sell the home they grew up in, Maggie is upset that there won't be enough money from the sale for her to buy a place on Martha's Vineyard. When she learns she has another sister, her first reaction is anger that she'll have to split the inheritance money another way. Maggie not only didn't like helping her sisters with any kind of work, she would actively look for ways to get out of it. Despite the fact that she lives off of others, we are told that Maggie considers that "everything that went right was her doing and everything that went wrong was someone else's fault". I was disgusted by Maggie, especially when she was so cruel to her sister Liza (on whom Maggie was reliant for her living) apparently just for the fun of it.Fortunately Maggie grew up by the end. All of the sisters grew, and I really appreciated that. It made for a satisfying read.This is a sweet story that I would have felt comfortable recommending to any reader if it hadn't been for the strong language.Thank you to NetGalley and the Book Club Girls group for this early read.
    • 5/5
      The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan is hands down one of the best books I’ve read in a long time! An immersive reading experience where characters are multifaceted, storylines interwoven seamlessly to keep me invested in an ‘ensemble’ family cast, and location used so very well as it’s own distinct character. I’m all in, sign me up! Dolan balances masterfully a very current topic of DNA testing opening old family secrets without making this an ‘issues’ book. At the end of the day families are the same as they have always been, struggling with the same things they always have. She tells the story of The Sweeney Sisters each in their own unique way, their own journey and as a family, with clarity and empathy and it makes a brilliant reading experience. I’ll be rereading, gifting, and recommending this title over and over. Highly recommended, five stars!Thank you to LibraryThing and William Morrow for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to review The Sweeney Sisters.
    • 4/5
      I very much enjoyed this story of sisters dealing with the aftermath of their father's death.The unique personalities come through as each sister handles the news in their own way. I could feel the emotions coming off the page as they handled their grief and the many complications in their lives.The story flows very well between the characters with background information interspersed with the present story. Although much of the subject matter seems like it would be heavy and depressing, the book retains a lighter feel.
    • 4/5
      What if one fact could turn your entire world upside down?The Sweeney sisters, still reeling from their esteemed author-father’s death, find themselves in this very situation upon their discovery that there is a fourth sister out there. Well, half sister. But this family doesn’t do anything by halves.With a big cast of characters, The Sweeney Sisters captures the struggles with grief among a myriad of personalities. Despite the larger cast, this novel’s characters are throughly developed. Each sister is a striking portrait of an individual, with their shared history apparent but not overwrought.The Connecticut setting is gorgeously described, as are each of the more specific settings of homes, businesses, and offices. The author has a keen eye for describing each situation such that the reader feels like they are there with these quickly beloved characters. This book hits that sweet spot where everything is aptly described, enough so you can visualize it but not so much that it feels burdensome or heavy.The plot delves deeply into family relationships, new and old, as the sisters learn more about themselves and each other while settling the estate. The way the sisters interact is realistic, and made me miss my own sister (who lives across the country) with an extra sharpness.With a tender heart, plenty of laughs, and an engrossing story, The Sweeney Sisters is sure to capture your heart and mind and stay with you long after you turn the last page.The Sweeney Sisters will be available April 28, 2020.Big thanks toLibraryThing for this advanced reader's copy!
    • 4/5
      William Sweeney, a famous author, has died. The Sweeney Sisters is a novel covering the period following his death. William Sweeney was an imperfect man who left behind several secrets and problems that his daughters must deal with while grieving. The sisters are very different but share a strong love for each other. As they uncover secrets from their past they also make choices and changes that define their future. This was a sweet book focusing on a loving family.I received an advanced copy of The Sweeney Sisters courtesy of Library Thing and Harper Collins.
    • 4/5
      William Kennedy is a literary giant, whose sudden death stuns his three adult daughters. They are further shocked to learn that he also fathered a fourth daughter, Serena, who is now a part of their already-complicated lives both individually and collectively. They react to her presence in ways that define their personalities. The knowledge from his postmortem memoir reveals that he was a very flawed human being with extraordinary talent. This knowledge and their memories of him as an imperfect father and husband bring the sisters, including Serena, to a deeper understanding of their bond.My thanks to the publisher and LibraryThing for the opportunity to read this book as an early reviewer.
    • 5/5
      I'm so happy that I took a chance on reading this book when I was unfamiliar with the author. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down once I started. There are wonderful characters, both living and dead, suspenseful scenarios, and unusual and compelling family dynamics. Although I flew through the book, there was plenty of substance to it and I think it would make a great choice for book discussion groups. I will read the author's previous books and look forward to her next one.