The Wilder Sisters - Hardcover

Mapson, Jo-Ann

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060191163 ISBN 13: 9780060191160

Publisher: Harper, 1999

Synopsis

Set in Floralee, New Mexico, The Wilder Sisters introduces two sisters who fall in love with men when they least expect it--and most need it. Rose, at forty, the older, more practical one, lost her husband two years earlier when he was killed by a drunk driver, leaving her in New Mexico with two ungrateful twentysomething kids, a bored dog, and a horse with a bad back. Employed as a bookkeeper to a local veterinarian, Rose and her boss, Dr. Austin Donavan, share a love of animals and an intimate yet platonic friendship, each staving off the urge to initiate a romantic relationship. Austin is a man with an ex-wife and a drinking problem, and Rose is trying to block out the bad memories of an unfaithful husband.

Lily, the beautiful, younger, more daring sister, lives in a tiny condo in Southern California with her cherished dog, Buddy Guy. A woman who has put her career before everything else, she has had more than her share of selfish lovers but has yet to have a taste of love. Each woman needs a well-deserved break from the stresses of her personal and professional life. Lily flees to El Rancho Costa Plente, their parents' ranch in Floralee, for some emotional detox, leaving all responsibility behind in California. At the same time Rose, weary of caring for Austin and aching from the departure of her two nearly grown children, sets out for the ranch to take a much-needed vacation. A time-out from their problems would seem to be the perfect cure for what ails the Wilder sisters. But the two haven't spoken in five long years, and spending time together is the last thing they'd planned. Nor had either anticipated being so actively pursued by lovestruck men--Rose by her boss, and Lily by an old boyfriend who has grown even sexier over the years.

The Wilder sisters are earthy, smart, and strong-willed yet surprisingly vulnerable Western women. Readers will be in their corner all the way as they rediscover the bonds of sisterhood and slowly open their hearts to love.

About this title

Review:

The Wilder sisters are as different as two sisters can be. Rose, the elder, passed up college to marry her first love, Philip, and has spent the years raising her kids in the small town of Floralee, New Mexico. Lily, on the other hand, shot right out of college and into the high-powered world of medical sales and the heady thrill of having multiple lovers. But now, as Rose is 40 and Lily is 35, the two share the experience of watching their carefully arranged lives fall apart. Struck by the heartlessness of her job and of her boyfriend, Lily returns home to the family horse ranch for a bit of soul-searching--and finds her sister tackling her own inner demons.

Rose, who's struggling to reestablish herself after the death of her husband, Philip, suddenly finds hope and comfort in a growing friendship with her boss, Austin. Although she falls in love with his inner qualities, Austin remains a depressed, alcoholic mess who pines after his ex-wife. As their relationship evolves, Rose fights to maintain her dignity and preserve her independent identity as Austin shuffles through attempts at sobriety and fidelity. Lily, meanwhile, reunites with her former high school flame Tres but fears this will become yet another meaningless affair.

Understanding that "if you gave up on love, all that was left was money and horses," (and fully appreciating the value of good horseflesh), these two throw themselves after love with equal parts inspiring courage and realistic fear. While the simplicity of Mapson's writing style most often complements the purity of this unadorned plot, the substance of the novel remains the interactions of the two sisters. Readers who enjoy the pleasantly puzzling issues of siblinghood will find the dynamics between these two fascinating. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

From the Back Cover:

The Wilder sisters fall in love with men when they least expect it -- and most need it. Rose, the older, more practical one, is a widow who lives in New Mexico and has two ungrateful kids, a bored dog, and a horse with a bad back. Lily, the younger, more daring sister, lives in Southern California, where she has put her career before everything else -- including love. Lily and Rose flee to their parents' ranch, for some emotional detox. But the two haven't spoken in five long years, and spending time together is the last thing they'd planned on. Nor had either anticipated being so actively pursued by lovestruck men. Readers will be in their corner all the way as they rediscover the bonds of sisterhood and slowly open their hearts to love.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0060191163
• ISBN 13: 9780060191160
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384