A pair of sisters who share a troubled relationship must face what’s at the heart of their conflict. With spouses and their mother complicating matters, they have difficult choices to make. Author Lynn Cullen tries to intrigue readers with an unusual setting but fails to offer a solid plot in the uninspiring novel The Sisters of Summit Avenue.

In Minneapolis in 1934, June Whiteleather seems to have the perfect life. Despite the ongoing Depression, she works as a Betty—one of the women in the Betty Crocker test kitchen who maintains the brand of the company. June grew up poor, but no one in the kitchen would ever suspect it. How could they, when she’s their go-to Betty for advice on how to throw the most elegant brunch and maintain a façade of a high-class life? Her physician husband earns enough for June to live that life in truth, so it only makes sense that she be deemed the expert.

June enjoys the respect and deference of the other Bettys, but she aches to have children. She and Richard have been unable to do so, and it’s begun driving them apart. In truth, June was never fully Richard’s to begin with. Her heart went to John a long time ago, and for a time John reciprocated her love. In the end, however, John went to her little sister, Ruth.

On the Michigan-Indiana state line, Ruth is flat out exhausted. For the last eight years, she’s run the family farm by herself while keeping track of her four children and trying to make ends meet. When she and John first got married, life seemed quaint and doable. Ever since the “sleeping sickness” banished him to his bed, however, Ruth’s been doing the heavy lifting—most of the time literally.

The farmhand, Nick, provides a pleasant distraction from time to time, but Ruth still finds herself unhappy. Everything wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. June’s living the good life three states away, and Ruth burns with jealousy for every fancy thing June owns. It doesn’t matter that June sends her entire paycheck to Ruth to help with expenses, and even the satisfaction of winning John has worn off. Ruth wants a different life, but no offers seem to be forthcoming.

The girls’ mother, Dorothy, lives with Ruth and does her share to help with the kids, but Dorothy is worried about her younger daughter’s discontent and the choices she’s making because of it. In a moment of desperation, she calls June and begs her to come visit. Ruth really wants her there, she says. To Ruth, Dorothy makes it sound like June’s been dying to see the family. When the sisters come face to face, old wounds break open and they’re forced to deal with the betrayal and misunderstandings that have kept them apart all these years.

Author Lynn Cullen takes readers to the heart of the country and the Great Depression, bringing to life the desperation of those years. She offers the perfect juxtaposition of the fabricated life the Bettys present to Betty Crocker’s fans while millions of people across the country are struggling to eat. Ruth’s frustration and weariness with her circumstances ring true as do June’s disenchantment with her charmed life.

Unfortunately, the book suffers from too much of the sisters’ internal conflict. Readers will get pages and pages of details on how Ruth spent most of her life envying her older sister and how that envy is misplaced. Dorothy, too, has her own dark secrets, and while they may bring shock value to the story, they don’t help the sisters or the plot in any significant way. Cullen brings it all to a rushed ending that acts like a consolation and breaks character for almost all involved, a hurried attempt to wrap up the story with a neat bow that includes the title street (not mentioned in any great significance anywhere else in the book.)

Those interested in a look at an interesting facet of the early days of one of America’s most iconic brands might find those portions of the novel interesting. The portions on the sleeping sickness, too (a medical mystery to this day,) provide interesting fodder. Otherwise, readers will want to pass this one up. I recommend they Bypass The Sisters of Summit Avenue.

A story of two sisters: Ruth and June, raised by a heartbroken, absent mother, fall into the typical roles for older and younger siblings. June, the oldest, takes care of and protects her baby sister, Ruth. Ruth, as the younger sibling, wants to be everything June is and to have everything that belong to her. June leaves their small town for art school in Chicago after high school graduation and meets John who quickly sweeps her off her feet. June falls madly in love, but realizes that John, as a small town farmer can't give her everything she wants in life - to be rich, happy and somebody. Ruth surprises June in Chicago, and in the process steals John and convinces him to marry her. June meets and marries a wealthy doctor, Richard and gets the life she's always wanted - money, cars, a beautiful home and designer clothes. They fail to conceive any children, so June is not happy. After giving birth to four babies quickly, John takes ill to the mysterious sleeping flu, leaving Ruth to run their farm all on her own. Richard comes to visit Ruth with June and claims to have a cure for John. If John wakes up, will things change? Both sisters are nervous of the secrets they keep that John can reveal.

I liked the writing style of this book, it easily took me from early artsy Chicago to midwestern small town farm life. It was easy to read and hard to put down. The characters were endearing and developed. The ending had a few unexpected surprises that made it even better.

THE SISTERS OF SUMMIT AVENUE is a book to be lingered over and relished. In this depression era saga,

Lynn Cullen expertly weaves the emotional stories of two sisters and the inequities in their lives, both real and imagined.

Cullen’s tale of sisterhood is written with insight, tenderness, hope and a touch of humor.
Relax and enjoy this life affirming tale of new beginnings as you would rare wine or an exceptional dinner.

Thank you to the author, Lynn Cullen, the publisher and NetGalley for a reader copy for an honest review.

I truly thought that I would enjoy this book much more than I did. I am not a big fan of the historical genre, but I was willing to give this one a chance due to there being sisters who didn't have a relationship, and a mother who was in the middle of bringing them back together.

I did learn a whole lot more about the sleeping sickness that was a big epidemic back in early 1900's that a cause has never been found for.

I would be willing to read another book from this author, even though this one wasn't a favorite of mine. Just didn't hit the spot like I thought it would.

I received an ARC of this depression-era story. It is a tale of two sisters struggling through the depression, trying to make their way while unraveling family secrets. A very good story, grabbed my interest and didn't let go until the end.

This book was ok, however I felt it was hard to keep up with. The past, and present kept changing, as well as who’s perspective it was coming from. I also thought that considering the years it took place, it was a little hard to believe how easy the women in this book were. I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

The things I enjoyed most about this book were the descriptions of the times. I thought the author did a good job of depicting the depression era and the difficulty of keeping a farm going. The parts that bogged the story down for me were the somewhat melodramatic aspects of the sisters (and their Mother's) lives. The narrative switches back and forth so often that it's sometimes hard to keep the characters straight.

The characters themselves were distinctive and interesting and the story moved along pretty well. The last part of the book, though, seemed rather rushed to have all the ends tied up.

Overall, a pretty good read. I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

The best parts of this historical fiction tale of two competitive sisters living through the Depression have little to do with the plot and much to do with the peripheral details. One of the sisters works in the Betty Crocker kitchen at the earliest stages and it was interesting to learn about those details. I admit there were a few other mysteries within the story that were also well done. But the overarching tale of two sisters and their mother left me cold. I was not drawn to any of them, nor their daughters or husbands, fathers or lovers. This is a fast book that generally covers familiar ground that left me wanting more. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This book has a beautiful cover and it is my first book to read by this author. This book is a historical fiction novel that takes place in one of my favorite eras...the 20's and the 30's. It features two sisters that are jealous of each other and they have two totally different personalities but you can still see they love each other. I very much enjoyed this book and it held me captivated til the end. I hope to read more books by this author in the future.

I am going to start my review with some unsolicited advice for authors. When naming characters, especially primary characters, try to give them distinctive names. Don’t start the names of the two main men with the same letter. Similarly don’t name the two sisters in this story of family dysfunction each with a 4 letter, one syllable name with the single vowel “U”. A small quibble you might say, but somoften I had to mentally pause and say, “ Wait, which is Ruth and which is June?” And I felt vindicated when about 85% of the way through the book, the text got the two characters switched.
Starting with that complaint, I’m thinking much of my criticism of this story could have been reduced with a good editor. This is a story of four generations of a dirt poor family struggling through The Depression. Our main focus is on Deborah who when we meet her is the grandmother trying to help out with her younger daughter’s family as Ruth copes with a failing farm and a husband imprisoned in his body by sleeping sickness. Apparently this was a real situation in the United States at this time. Deborah, however, is not a stereotypical doting grandmother. She is suffering from anxiety and the psychological damage of an unmarried pregnancy. Then there are the two sisters of the title of this book. Both Ruth and June love and hate each other equally. As the story unfolds we come to understand the reasons for their conflicted feelings. That does not make them any easier to like. There is a lot of jumping back and forth in different periods in the past. This is where I think a good editor could have helped immeasurably. As it stands, my feelings for the two suffering sisters of Summit Avenue did not really change much, although, if I understand what happened, I do have a warmer spot in my heart for Grandmother Deborah.

I enjoyed this book enough to give it four stars but I was not thrilled with the style of writing. The story jumps from past to present and between the sisters and Dorothy. Normally that does not bother me but in this book, I thought it took the punch of the story away. I would get really invested in the current storyline and then, bam, it would switch.

I knew going in, this was a work of fiction but I really thought I’d get to the end and be told it was loosely based on a true story. Alas, that did not occur. I have found myself reading what I can on the creation of Betty Crocker.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Gallery, Pocket Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

I love it when a book makes you jump on the internet to research aspects of the story. While the story line itself is fiction, there were many wonderful historical facts that piqued my interest. I had never heard of "sleeping sickness" and immediately searched for more information. What an amazing worldwide epidemic and it makes it even sadder that no cure was ever discovered.

And then the Betty Crocker "ladies" were a delight to read about. The Betty Crocker of my day is a different concept all together. So to read about the many women economists who served as the hands and feet of the Gold Medal Flour Company and how they tested and demonstrated the myriad of recipes to be shared with women was amazing.

And even with all of the wonderful historical aspects of the story, you have family dynamics that will have you gritting your teeth. You will discover a lot about the relationship between the two sisters who are the main characters. And then their mother's story comes out as she sits and talks to her son-in-law who is suffering from the "sleeping sickness."

So much information is shared and you will be turning the pages quickly to see what will happen next!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3
A strong opening with multiple story lines keeps the reader wondering. Mother Dorothy is ‘not much of a parent,’ and has secrets, as do her daughters who loved the same man. June, the ‘more fortunate’ sister (i.e. richer, married to doctor) works for Betty Crocker. Paragraphs telling her story have an edge, the sarcastic tone can get tiresome. ‘Poor Ruth’ is literally poor, on a farm, scraping by during the Depression. The tone describing her tends towards the self-pitying.

“June topped her (Ruth) at everything. June had curly blond hair; Ruth’s was brown and straight. June had golden skin; Ruth’s skimmed-milk flesh was shot through with veins. June developed curves in her early teens’ Ruth was still waiting for hers at thirty…” You get the idea, but Cullen goes on.

Cullen’s writing is solid, but not special. “Anxiety descended, squeezing her like a too-small coat.” “She could never control his heart. She could never make him not love June. …She could feel them now, perched behind her in the boat, nobly resisting their beautiful love for one another. Their yearning was so palpable she could reach back and wave her hand through it.” There’s more sappiness where that comes from. “Tension vibrated between the like a clothesline in the wind.” Dialog was stilted and didn’t flow easily.

I did enjoy the historical aspects of the book and recognizing places and events in the Twin Cities, like Summit Avenue, Minnehaha Park, and Winter Carnival ice palaces. Betty Crocker and the flour mills were a familiar story to me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this inspiring book in exchange for an honest review.

The Sisters of Summit Avenue is not the first book I have read from Lynn Cullen, and it will not be the last either. Each time I read something from Lynn Cullen I walk away at the end feeling satisfied and pleasantly surprised with her stories. This is not your average book about sisters, maybe that is because it gets into the gritty and ugly parts of a sister relationship alongside the good parts. So many times when an author writes about family relationships there can be a tone of predictability about halfway through, but this book did not do that at all. Yes, there were some things that I should have seen coming, but overall the story kept me surprised as it moved along. This is a messy story of family trials, financial trials, heartbreak, and secrets. But this is also a story about the strength of a sisterly bond despite all of the obstacles and drama life can throw at you.

While I own another of Lynn Cullen's books, this was my first of hers to actually read. The premise behind the book is very interesting. Sibling rivalries, estranged mother-daughter relationships with deep dark secrets mixed all into one big Betty Crocker cake. I want to start off by saying I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would. I'm not saying it's bad, it just missed a few marks for me.

The storyline is a good and solid one. The characters are well developed and very believable, even though a few are not very likeable. I really enjoyed the rivalry between June and Ruth. It's an example you could see in a million households between sisters. Cullen vividly paints a picture of the hardships and blessings between siblings and their parents. I really enjoyed reading about all the Betty Crockers. That's a piece of culinary history I didn't know very much about and it was fascinating learning how that whole conglomerate got started. Dorothy's heartbreak felt true to the core and given the time period of the book, very realistic. Throughout the book the author reveals secrets that I didn't expect at all. If you like what you're reading so far, then stop with my review and go get this book. It does have many positives.

Here is where the story fell short for me. Overall, I had to force myself to sit down and read this book. It doesn't grab you from the get go or have a pace that holds your interest. It took far too long for me to read this book. There are aspects of the story the author draws way out to the point of frustration and yet other parts you need more explanation but are just given a line or two. For the most part I felt the writing was very choppy and just didn't flow smoothly. The ending was somewhat of a jumbled mess for me. Not that everything needs to be tied up pretty with a neat little bow, but it felt like a lot gets thrown at the reader to see what parts will stick. 

Overall it's a decent book but not a great one for me.

My thanks to Lynn Cullen, the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. I requested this book because I'm a sucker for Minnesota books and I live just a few blocks from Summit Avenue. But in this case that wasn't enough to make this book work for me. It really didn't engage me, and maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this kind of story, but I couldn't get interested in the characters. If you are a big fan of both family dramas and historical fiction, this might be a better fit for you.

This character-driven story is told in different voices. It loops from past to present and back again. Ruth and June are sisters, each envious of what they perceive the other’s life to be. Mom Dorothy brings the girls together, hoping to end their estrangement but Dorothy also holds some secrets that will be revealed. I did find some of the characters hard to connect with at times. The story was a little slow in sections. Overall, I found it to be an interesting story of family drama. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

I really loved the title of this book and didn't need to know much else before downloading it. I spent years walking and driving up and down Summit Avenue and dreaming about the history of these magnificent homes. I also find the history of the "Bettys" fascinating. Most of this story is about a family, in particular the relationship between two sisters- June and Ruth. However, I felt like every plot line in this book just wasn't quite enough. Perhaps it was because there were too many things happening in this book for the author to fully flesh out every story line, but I was just left wanting a little bit more from everything. It's wrapped up tidily in the end, but there were some events and reveals that I thought warranted more reaction and impact on the characters than we got to see.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and allowing me to provide my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this historical fiction and family drama. There were many things I did not know about the 1930 that were explained in this book.
I enjoyed June and found I was rooting for her.
While I enjoyed this story I found Ruth to be a bit if a struggle to connect with and there were a few spots where my attention wandered.

How sibling envy can take control of their life's. Both sisters in love with the same man are unhappy thinking the other one had the better deal.
The book was sometimes hard to follow because you are reading the point of view of each one of the main characters as they feel what is happening at the current time and the memory of past events. The mother has her own concerns. As you read the book you get to understand more and more each Individual person. What made me a bit angry was the mother trying to be a good mother as the children are growing up is following the experts in child rearing advice with some dramatic results. Something you still see these days when young mothers trying to read everything about been the perfect parent.