This novel was devastating. From the beginning of Winter Sisters there is a crushing weight of uneasiness that settles on the reader's shoulder and does not release until the final page.

In the winter of 1879, there is a blizzard that engulfs the burgeoning city of New York in chaos. Many lives are lost, and in the confusion two sisters, Emma and Claire, disappear without a trace. What is left of their family desperately searches for them, but with little hope.

This book brings to light the atrocities women and young girls faced in a time when they were expected to be docile, fragile and somewhat expendable. When they were little more than property. Women who spoke out, who were strong, who were independent or different were shunned, mistrusted, not listened to, and often mistreated. A lot of the themes in this novel could sadly be equated to injustices still being faced in today's society.

In 1879, the age of sexual consent for a woman was ten years old. Can you imagine that? A ten year old girl being considered old enough to agree to having sex or even understanding the nature of sex. The thought was gut wrenching, vile, and so disturbing. To think that Emma, only ten years old, is subjected to gross abuse and then must once again relive the pain, torture, and shame in court, with people not believing her or believing her old enough to have wanted or asked for the sexual act hoisted upon her. Or more terrifying, thinking of all the girls that her family came across trying to find her and her sister, the ones alone in back rooms of sex parlors and brothels (no family to come looking for them, those girls were never saved).

I was in tears when Emma's tragic situation was first revealed, and in tears again when she asked the unanswerable question, why? Because no one could answer, no one could understand. No one could know how another human being could inflict such pain, suffering and irreparable damage to another person, let alone a child.

At the heart of this story, it is a story of resilience, hope and healing. In a time of rebuilding after war, after hardships and suffering, there is a need to rely on strangers and kindness. So, while this novel has its fill of darkness, there are also spots of light, laughter and friendship. It was a very good read, the words shaping a world filled with danger, sometimes claustrophobic, but also beautiful with a glimmer of hope for a better future.

This historical novel and the follow-up to My Name is Mary Sutter was enjoyable however, since I haven’t read Mary Sutter I chose to skip a a paragraph here and there to prevent spoiling that book should I choose to read it. All in all a fun read.

I loved the novel, My Name is Mary Sutter! I was hoping that I would love this book as well. While it is well-written, I had a hard time finishing it. Not only did the book drag a bit, but there were a few gruesome scenes that made me uncomfortable. Instead of a fun read, it became a heart-breaking read. Thus, Winter Sisters would be a very emotional read made for mature readers. However, these scenes really turned me off from the book. I highly recommend for fans of Rust and Stardust!

As I did not read the first book in this series, I did feel like I was a little behind on the characters. However, I did find myself brought into the story with the characters very quickly. This book is what I would best describe as a slow burn. It took till about 1/3 of the way through before I really felt intrigued by the plot. Once in, there was all of these unanswered questions. I actually was at the point during the trial where I didn't want to put this down because I had to know what happened. Beyond this, I had a couple of issues. Even with the suspense, there were some parts of this book I could have lived without -- particularly the graphic nature of Emma's injuries. I get that we needed to understand she was raped. I don't think we needed the detail of the damage to her vaginal opening and the stitches. I know, we were seeing this scene through a doctor's perspective; she wouldn't shy away. But still, it felt wholly unnecessary. There was enough terror with what happened to these girls. I also felt that the cast of characters was too large. Some of the characters served more as plot points (i.e. Amelia) and didn't really hold their weight in the story. I also felt like if we had gotten to the main plot of the girls quicker, it would have made the book better overall. You need to set up character and time, but not as much as was done here. I don't think I would go back and read the first one, but overall, this book was okay.

It takes me a while to come upon the central theme of Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira because this book is the not the mystery you may assume from the fact that it begins with a disappearance. I have a definite "a-ha" moment. What draws the entire book together is the women - young and old – who are all made to suffer by a society in which women do not have the same position or rights as men. The plot centers around the disappearance of two young girls in a time and place when the age of consent by law was 10! (Note that the subject matter of the book is disturbing!) However, the focal point of the book is not a mystery; it is the bigger themes of rights and equality in a story that draws me in and keeps me reading until the very last page.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/06/winter-sisters.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

WINTER SISTERS by Robin Oliveira is a sequel to My Name is Mary Sutter about the Civil War surgeon. In this latest novel (which can be read as a stand-alone), it is 1879 and there is a major blizzard near Albany, New York. What follows is a disturbing and sad tale of two young girls, sisters aged 7 and 10, who disappear and later return to face their abuser in court. This book combines elements (mystery and historical fiction) which I typically prefer, but WINTER SISTERS was too dark for me, although I do have colleagues who enjoy and highly recommend Robin Oliveira's work.

A richly rewarding historical read, where the emotion glimmers on every page.

This one wasn't for me, but the writing wasn't too bad. I thought the characters were interesting, but just couldn't get into the plot for some reason.

Two girls aged 8 and 10 disappear on their way home from school when a blizzard engulfs New York in 19879. When they are found 6 weeks later, medical examination shows that the elder, Emma, had been repeatedly raped. The girls talk of two men involved in their imprisonment--the man who they say took care of them and "the other man" who hurt Emma. Were there really two men involved? Was Emma really raped as the "age of consent" was 10 years old at that time? Lawyers and police try to uncover the answers to these questions and find out what really happened.

This was an excellent book--a well-written page turner with interesting characters and a bit of old New York history.

A snowstorm rages in Albany, New York rendering many killed, and two small children lost among the large piles of snow. Mary Sutter, now Mary Snipp, exhausts all available remedies to locate the girls. After yet another environmental disaster, and as the Snipps are to bury them, Claire and Emma miraculously appear on the Snipp’s doorstep. More unexpected was the unspeakable trauma Mary uncovers that occurred to them.

I wouldn’t necessarily say you need to read Book #1, but it would most certainly help to better familiarize yourself with the main characters, especially at the start of this novel. That aside, reading this as a standalone would work out nicely. This novel also lacked in the mystery or thriller aspect for me and I would not have labeled it as such. Unfortunately for me, this story failed to grasp my full attention until I veered on ‘Book Two’ (second half of the story), at which point it was all hands-on deck and I particularly enjoyed the court room aspect in this novel. The details of life in the 1800s came as a huge shock. One aspect in particular being the age of consent. Did you know in 1879 the age of consent in New York was ten-years-old? TEN!? The treatment of woman during this time was less shocking, but not any less revolting.

The biggest gripe I had with this novel was the sexual assault of a minor child and how this became such a large discussion in this novel. As a mother, I had an extremely difficult time with this and there were many time where I did not want to press on.  This novel was not what I expected after having read My Name is Mary Sutter, or the blurb for that matter. Its main topic was unexpected and created a large struggle for me to really get into this story. Ultimately, had I previously known of this inclusion I would not have opened this book.

While this inclusion was disturbing to read, the story itself was very well-written and well researched. Robin Oliveria kept true to My Name is Mary Sutter in offering her reader concise and accurate information on the time period. I also appreciated the inclusion of Elizabeth's character as a violinist. This I found beautiful and could relate being a violinist, while amateur, in my early years. Overall, this novel is not for the faint of heart.  If you can stomach the inclusion of child molestation, and the graphic medical telling of the same, I would give this novel a go as Robin Oliveria does offer a well written historically factual novel.

Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira is the second book in the Mary Sutter series. In Albany, New York in March of 1879 the O’Donnell family heads out. David to the lumber district, Bonnie to her millinery shop and the girls (Claire and Emma) to the grammar school. That afternoon a horrible blizzard strikes the area. After the storm, David and Bonnie are both found dead. Claire and Emma were released from school after the storm, but they never made it home. Dr. Mary Sutter and her husband, William search for the girls, but they are unable to locate them. Mary routinely visits the police station, but Captain Arthur Mantel urges her to give up her quest. If the girls have not been found by now, they are presumed dead. Mary is not about to give up that easily. What happened to the O’Donnell girls?

While the Winter Sisters is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. My Name is Mary Sutter is summarized early in the Winter Sisters along with the history (backstory) of each main character. I like that the main character is a female doctor (such a rarity in that time period). I found the pace to be lethargic which can be attributed to the abundant details and the authors formal (and descriptive) writing style. The author’s descriptions help readers visualize the scenes. However, she needs to find a balance between not enough and too much. I was amazed to find that the age of consent (for relations) for “women” was ten in New York (how sad and disturbing) in 1879. The author included some fascinating historical information into the story which helped capture the era. The attitude towards women by many men (but not all) was accurately portrayed. The mystery was simple and easily solved before the answers are revealed. Winter Sisters contains foul language as well as vivid descriptions of violence and child rape (described in graphic detail from a medical viewpoint by Dr. Sutter). I read Winter Sisters, but I could not get into the story (it failed to hold my attention). The ending wraps up all the storylines neatly and happily.

This was FANTASTIC. A 5-star read for me. It was well worth the 8-year-long wait for a new Mary Sutter novel. Full review is attached in the links.

The second in a series and this book picks up years after book one ends. Dr. Mary Sutter has moved back to Albany and is in a good place in life when a blizzard hits the city and lifelong friends of her have been found dead and their daughters are now missing. She is determined to find them and after a natural disaster tides will turn and this story goes a little dark.

I enjoyed this book leaps and bounds more than the first book. I am completely on the fence as to if you should start with book one or skip on to this one. I was glad that I had the background information on Mary Sutter, but I could have absolutely enjoyed this one without the knowledge of the first book.

I loved Mary Sutter so much more in this book. She was a fierce female and having to deal with the low expectations of females at the time and her high expectations of her self - I just loved her so much more in this book. I applauded her so much in this book!

I don't love talking about trigger warnings, so I rarely warn readers, but this book had some hard and dark stuff in it, so I thought I would give a warning. There was some definite violence against children and it is talked about and discussed and a central part of the book, so if you are sensitive about reading things like that I would maybe avoid this book. I think I am a pretty tough broad and I had a few times where I had to put this book down and get a minute away and come back to it.

I wonder if Robin Oliveira will continue with Mary Sutter. I would read more from her due to book two completely exceeding my feelings of book one.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A spellbinding historical novel filled with complex emotions, women's issues, and a well-crafted mystery.

WINTER SISTERS is the first book that I have read by Robin Oliveira and can I say that I am blown away. The combination of eloquence and grit within this narrative is equally balanced to keep the reader entranced in this book from beginning to end.

Here is the thing. So many authors can do one thing well, but it is the truly talented ones that manage to handle multiple elements and blend them seamlessly. Oliveira does just that. Her cast of characters will pull you into their story as each encounters their own personal obstacles. Then, as the reader delves further in, the author carefully peels back the layers of a mystery most foul while intertwining the hurdles Mary Sutter and other women face in this era. It is simply perfection.

Fans of both historical fiction and crime novels will no doubt devour this book. I know I did.

Winter Sisters is a historical fiction novel about Emma and Claire, two young girls who go missing during a snowstorm in New York in the late 1800s. As the snow settles, the girls seem to have vanished without a trace, and because their parents died during the same snowstorm, the only ones left to search for the girls are their good family friends Drs. Mary and William Sutter, Mary’s mother Amelia, and Mary’s niece Elizabeth. After a massive search of the town the girls are declared dead, and the Sutters are left heartbroken from their loss. However, the girls’ ordeal is soon uncovered after a massive flooding as the ice melts, and the town of Albany is horrified to discover what happened beneath their noses through an unconventional trial of an Albany resident. Note: this novel does describe graphic sexual abuse, so readers who are particularly sensitive to those topics should probably pass on this one.

This is a follow-up to the novel I Am Mary Sutter, and while many follow-up novels suffer in character development, that was definitely not the case for Winter Sisters. This novel does have quite a few major characters. but such attention was paid to their back story, their strengths and weaknesses, and their personal growth that I never found myself confused. Emma, the oldest of the sisters, was notably treated with profound dignity, which can be difficult to do in any novel in which a child is abused. However, Emma grows from a sweet, innocent child to a strong young woman who is able to defend herself and her sister, and then move past her trauma towards a happier future. A surprising development is that of Viola Van der Veer – I will not dwell much on the specifics of her story to avoid spoilers, but I loved the moment in which she found her own inner strengh, showing that it is never too late in life to become your own woman.

I had some trouble with the pacing in this novel, however. The first third of the novel is spent in Emma and Claire’s absence, and this section just felt too long and slow for me. It seemed unnecessarily weighed down by the Sutters’ grief, and they did not seem to make any progress. Emma and Claire’s discovery was undoubtedly a deus ex machina, and while I was able to accept that resolution, I just felt that the narrative could have been shortened in this location. I would still urge readers to pick up the novel and stick with it until it becomes more engaging again, but I am afraid that the author will lose some readers because of the slowness here.

I love reading historical fiction, mostly because of the setting, and here, the novel did not disappoint. Winter Girls felt upon first glance to be light on worldbuilding, but in retrospect, the details were just woven into the story so well that they were not disruptive. Winter Girls took place in post-Civil War Albany, New York, and looked in detail at the medicine, prostitution, and legal proceedings for that time. Mary Sutter in particular presents some of the most interesting worldbuilding as the only woman doctor in the region. She works for the local hospital as a surgeon, and also has a clinic for local prostitutes and their families to be treated for basic health care. She notibly refuses to do abortions, but often does treat women for complications due to the abortions they have procured elsewhere. In one scene, however, Mary operates on the child of a prostitute whose throat is so swollen she cannot breathe. Mary is shamed by the community for her clinic, as it is illegal to treat prostitutes as it is seen as aiding them in their profession, but Mary strongly feels that everyone deserves basic healthcare, regardless of the legality of their actions otherwise. The political discussion on this topic was interesting, and I feel that it still manages to be relevant in today’s society.

In all, I’ll give Winter Sisters an 8 out of 10. Once I got into the thick of the narrative, I really enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down, but the slow start made it difficult for me to really commit until about a third of the way through. Even still, I would strongly recommend this to readers of mystery or historical fiction, as there is much to enjoy.

The thing that caught my eye about this book was that the protagonist was a Civil War surgeon–and a woman. My masters is in American History but my speciality is women in Civil War nursing so seeing a book with a female Civil War surgeon as the main character totally made me want to read this book even more!

This is the second book in the series but I hoped not much had transpired where I needed to read the first book, though I will admit that the first book sounds wonderful and I was temped to pick it up before this one but I got distracted with something else entirely.

So this book hit a lot of marks for me when the pick came through–Civil War surgeon, disappearance, beautiful cover art, and the promise of dark secrets revealed. I was totally in on this one!

New York, 1879: After an epic snow storm ravages the city of Albany, Dr. Mary Sutter, a former Civil War surgeon, begins a search for two little girls, the daughters of close friends killed by the storm who have vanished without a trace.

Mary’s mother and niece Elizabeth, who has been studying violin in Paris, return to Albany upon learning of the girls’ disappearance—but Elizabeth has another reason for wanting to come home, one she is not willing to reveal. Despite resistance from the community, who believe the girls to be dead, the family persists in their efforts to find the two sisters. When what happened to them is revealed, the uproar that ensues tears apart families, reputations, and even the social fabric of the city, exposing dark secrets about some of the most powerful of its citizens, and putting fragile loves and lives at great risk (summary from Goodreads).

First let me say this. While this book is the second in a series, I think it would read ok as a standalone, though reading the first book would be helpful, it’s not necessary to the plot so don’t fear that you will be lost in the plot on this one.

This was a difficult novel to read for one reason alone…the abuse of the girls. As a parent I found it really hard to read about what the girls endured but at the same time it propelled the novel forward because I needed to know that they would be ok or get some justice. The things these girl endure are horrifying so just be ready for some feelings when you read this book.

The book had it’s slow moments somewhere in the middle and it started to drag a little for me. It starts out fast like jumping right into the snow storm fast, but then it starts to drag a little but picks up eventually and it’s full steam ahead until the ending. Even though the abuse sections were hard to read, I think they actually helped move the story along to the resolution.

The main characters were well suited in their roles within the book. I liked Mary and thought she was a compelling and interesting character with an interesting life. Hence why I want to read the first book in the series. Each character and the historical content clearly had been thought through, researched, and sketched. I loved seeing not just the characters but the historical elements leap off the page. Oliveria writes with a daft hand—history, interesting characters, and an emotional plot–all winning concepts and well executed.

So why the four star review? For me the middle lost a little steam. I would love to see some of the middle sections pared down a little so that the main plot could move more quickly. This book will appeal to a certain kind of reader. If you love historical fiction and historical thrillers this will be an outstanding read but you just need to be ready for the graphic content. It’s not your typical historical fiction read–it’s something much darker and gritty than one would expect but for that I was completely into it. I loved reading something not in the same mould as all the other historical fiction or historical thrillers. This was different in so many ways and it was fantastic!

One final note…..the cover art is stunning. It doesn’t exactly scream thriller but it is so lovely and stands out. If I saw it in a book store I would pick it up right away and buy it. I love the snow and the horse and sleigh on the front. It’s eye catching. It doesn’t scream thriller but it doesn’t scream ‘run of the mill historical fiction’ either. Perhaps it’s the red of the sleigh, but something makes this stand out and I love it!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: Winter Sisters (Mary Sutter #2) by Robin Oliveria

Kindle Edition, 415 pages
Published February 27th 2018 by Viking
ASIN B07466FFJF
Review copy provided by: Author/Publisher in exchange for an honest review
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 4 out of 5

Genre: Historical fiction, mystery, historical mystery, historical thriller

Memorable lines/quotes: NA

"Winter Sisters" by Robin Oliveira

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Group Viking
Pub. Date: Feb. 27, 2018

“Winter Sisters” is historical fiction. We see life in Albany, New York, during 1879 as clearly as if we have been walking down the street with the main characters.

“Winter Sisters” is a family saga, with a poignant feminist narrative. One character is a midwife who becomes a surgeon. The author models the surgeon after, Elizabeth Blackwell, M.D. (1821-1910), America's first female doctor.

“Winter Sisters” is a mystery. A historical blizzard blasts the city and in its chaotic wake, two young girls go missing. Her family spends weeks searching for them in case they survived. This blizzard is not fiction. It occurred in 1888 and took the lives of four hundred people. The author moves the year back in time for a legal matter in her story.

“Winter Sisters” is a courtroom drama. This occurs later in the book and brilliantly portrays a sensational trial that has the local newspapers working around the clock and the residents arguing over their dinner tables. Here is where the reader discovers the reasons for pushing back the year of the storm. (Next sentence is a possible spoiler.) In 1879, the age of female sexual consent was ten years old. Learning this fact made this reviewer physically ill. The law was changed in 1886. The legal age for female consent went from ten years of age to sixteen years of age.

One can argue that although the book is marketed as historical fiction, it is actually a thoughtful thriller hidden within a historical fiction tale with a feminist theme. The only flaw takes place in the first few chapters. There is a difficulty in following just who is who in the story's many protagonists. This may be so because “Winter” is the follow up tale to “My Name Is Mary Sutter,” who is the female surgeon. The book is engaging as well as politically profound with matters that are still present in today times. Simply look at current cable news channels.



Find all my book reviews at:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list

There is no doubt that Winter Sisters will be one of my best read books of 2018. The history of the time pulled me in and held on to my attention the entire book. I was intrigued by the role of women and how Mary Sutter was able to be a doctor in a time with that just didn’t happen. It was interesting to see how the men treated her and how she reacted to their treatment. Mary Sutter is a strong, unbelievably strong, character that comes from a time when women were expected to be at home raising the children, cooking dinner, and being a wife and made a career for herself in a male job.

The mystery aspect of the story was not hard to figure out but I found it interesting to see how the culprit would be brought down. I knew that some of the other characters were working to bring to them down and I was hoping they would be successful. I was appalled at some of the laws that made it difficult to find the justice that was desperately needed. Some of those who were enforcing those laws were equally horrific and I had hoped that would get what they deserved in the end also.

Winter Sisters is a wonderful, easy to read, enjoyable historical mystery fiction. I could not stop reading and felt that I was invested in the outcome. This is the first book by Robin Oliveira but I am definitely adding her to my must-read authors list.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

This is one of the more powerful historical fiction novels that will be released this year. It includes elements of all good mysteries: victims, survivors willing to go to any length to find the truth, suspense, intrigue, potential bad guy(s) / gal(s). Even the cops are not exempt from scrutiny, and those considered the least of citizens help search for the truth. The characters are memorable, rich descriptions of settings at times incongruous with events, and shocking, even horror-filled plot twists. There were times I felt as if my heart were being served up on a platter, enduring the bad and the sad with them. Would I read it again? Absolutely!

Mary Sutter Stipp is a surgeon who served in the War of the Rebellion, who met and married surgeon William Stipp. Her mother, Amelia Sutter, a midwife, shared their home, as well as their niece, Elizabeth, daughter of Mary’s late sister. Many years earlier, a young woman named Bonnie whose husband died in the war and both of their children died as infants, was also taken into their family home. Bonnie is now, in 1879, married to David, and they have two daughters, Emma, 10, and Claire, 7. They have their own home now. The millinery shop Bonnie opened years ago with the help of Amelia is now very successful.

Then the blizzard comes with a sudden whiteout. Emma and Claire are kept at school with their fellow students for two days until the snow stopped. The other students’ parents came to take them home, but neither Bonnie nor David comes for them. The school doors were locked as there was no more food. This is the last time they were seen, to the best Mary and William could uncover. Unbeknownst to the children, Bonnie and David were killed almost instantly within a short time of leaving the girls at school on that fateful day. Imagine, there are no TV channels to tell families where children were, or when the snow might stop, or even who was considered “missing”.

Seventeen-year-old Elizabeth is in Paris with grandmother Amelia, studying with a great violinist to learn whatever she didn’t already know to make the instrument sing, emote happiness and pain, and be a master violinist. She struggles with challenges from her instructor, so returning to Albany was a mixed blessing. She and Amelia learned by telegram that Bonnie and David were dead, that the girls are missing. And the suggestions by the police that they probably wandered in the snow, fell into the river, and drowned are not what the family will accept.

Mary, Elizabeth, and Amelia are very likable, well-defined protagonists. I like them for their passion for what they believe to be their calling, to finding the truth, to their emotions, significant family events, and hopes for the future. Others significant are less well defined, revealed only as it becomes necessary to the novel. Some of the characters gained a new strength, such as two that I also liked, Jakob and Viola Van de Meer, while the secrets of others divulged their weaknesses.

This novel shows the very best – and the very worst – of human nature. From the free clinic where Mary treats the prostitutes to the wealthy who own much of the city, people are weighed by who they know and how much money they have. Mary does what she can to protect those who try to help her discover what happened to the girls. It is hard, heartbreaking, to imagine just how little the law did to protect women and children in 1879. I appreciate the gentle love story within, and how events shaped some lives for the better. I also appreciate the interrelationship between Elizabeth, Emma, and Claire, which is a sight to behold. There are plot twists, pulse-pounding and shocking moments. Overall, in spite of the horrors within, the good outweighs them. The end is satisfactory with open ends tied up, although resolutions in the last couple chapters seemed to go by too quickly. While this is second in the Mary Sutter series, it can be read easily as a standalone. I highly recommend this historical and literary novel.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

I am sorry I could not get into this read. Very slow starting and just too wordy.