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They Were Sisters
The Persephone Collection (Related to this series)
- Author
- Dorothy Whipple
- Narrator
- Sara Poyzer
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 18 April 2024
- Run Time
- 14 hours 21 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 4.0 (1 review)
What to expect
When three sisters marry very different men, the choices they make determine whether they will flourish, be tamed or be repressed. Set in 1930’s middle-class England, the classic domestic drama, They Were Sisters, is a compelling but harrowing novel by Dorothy Whipple.
Meet three women with contrasting partners: Lucy's husband is her beloved companion; Vera's husband bores her and she turns elsewhere; and Charlotte's husband is a horrifying bully who turns a high-spirited naive young girl into a deeply unhappy woman. This is the story of how those marriages shape the sister’s lives, the consequences of their decisions, and the sisterly love that hopes to save them from tragedy.
They Were Sisters is part of the Persephone Audiobook Collection, a series of forgotten classics that includes neglected fiction and non-fiction by women writers. This audiobook of a novel first published in 1943 breathes new life into Whipple's work; with a fascinating introduction by novelist Celia Brayfield.
Critics Review
-
It is the most extraordinary and brilliantly subtle but moving look at three sisters, and the interplay between them as they grow into adulthood . . . such a wonderful character study
Stylist
-
Exerts a menacing tone from start to finish. I eavesdropped on the lives of Lucy, Charlotte and Vera, compelled to go on but with a sense of simmering dread
Independent on Sunday
-
The sparkling achievements of this accomplished novelist, not the least of which is the ability - rarer today than it should be - is simply to entertain
Spectator
User Reviews
Book 4.0
Narration 5.0
-
4.0 5.0
Like all Persephone books that I have read, this is a true classic. Beautifully written, psychologically interesting look at three sisters, two of whom whom while young make disastrous marriage choices which lead to consequences both ghastly and anticipated. I loved it, although perhaps despite the fact that the moralizing felt extreme and the unkindnesses faced by the children of the family were difficult to read at times. (Serious trigger warning: dog lovers be prepared.) That said, it is a wonderfully written book and I will continue to seek out Persephone editions. The narrator does a beautiful job.
TippyCanoeGal 2026-06-04
Details
- Author
- Dorothy Whipple
- Narrator
- Sara Poyzer
- Duration
- 14 hours 21 minutes
- Release Date
- 18 April 2024
- ISBN
- 9781035047291
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Classic fiction: literary and general
- Rating
- 4.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
When three sisters marry very different men, the choices they make determine whether they will flourish, be tamed or be repressed. Set in 1930’s middle-class England, the classic domestic drama, They Were Sisters, is a compelling but harrowing novel by Dorothy Whipple. Meet three women with contrasting partners: Lucy's husband is her beloved companion; Vera's husband bores her and she turns elsewhere; and Charlotte's husband is a horrifying bully who turns a high-spirited naive young girl into a deeply unhappy woman. This is the story of how those marriages shape the sister’s lives, the consequences of their decisions, and the sisterly love that hopes to save them from tragedy.They Were Sisters is part of the Persephone Audiobook Collection, a series of forgotten classics that includes neglected fiction and non-fiction by women writers. This audiobook of a novel first published in 1943 breathes new life into Whipple's work; with a fascinating introduction by novelist Celia Brayfield.
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