This book depicts a time when slaves and household help were treated like members of the family. Lily and Callie share every aspect of their privileged lives and are great friends. When circumstances beyond their control separate them, they maintain their friendship by letter writing. The novel delves deeply into the girls' families, revealing intriguing secrets as well as more serious issues including physical abuse, illness, and death. I loved how the author incorporated amusing conversation throughout the story.

Emily and Callie Bullock are daughters of a successful cotton farm in Alabama, in the 20th Century. The core of the story is on Callie and her struggles. The characters are relatable, flawed, and intriguing.

Callie has always been a wild child. She enjoys the outdoors, especially the river and trees. She finds freedom in the woods. Callie awoke one morning from her slumber beneath a tree. She has no memory of how she got there, but as she begins to feel better, she starts to recall a few hazy confusing memories.

Emmy is thrilled about the future because she and Knox are engaged. Callie, on the other hand, is not happy that women do not have the same freedom as men. She has no hope of ever finding love. When she initially meets Solomon, a new neighbor who is striving to reclaim an abandoned property, he treats her very differently from other males. He gives her the freedom to shed social limitations and discover her true self.

In this story, two sisters experience change as they grow up in a southern home. If you enjoy historical fiction set in the south, with family drama and a few mysteries to solve, you'll like this story.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Letters from My Sister is an enjoyable slow burn Southern historical mystery/romance. It’s my first book by Valerie Fraser Luesse and I look forward to reading more. Set in turn of the 20th century Alabama, two sisters share everything from first loves to secrets. Though opposite in many ways, their love for each other forges an unbreakable bond. When trouble comes in the form of a new house guest, the sisters’ lives are forever changed. It’s the story of love, loss, family, murder, amnesia, and a touch of faith.

I thoroughly became engrossed in the Bullock sisters’ story which is loosely based on the author’s own relatives. Callie and Emmy were both likable characters who tugged on my heart strings. Despite it being the early 1900’s South, this close knit, wealthy family treats their African American workers like family.

Emmy is engaged to Knox Montgomery and looking forward to their wedding day. While Emmy enjoys socializing, Callie would much rather climb her tree and go on secret raccoon hunts with her father. Her life is changed though when new neighbor, Solomon Beckett bought the nearby home she’s always admired.

The trouble starts when their housekeeper Hepsy’s granddaughter Lily comes to stay. Lily is gorgeous, and unfortunately attracts the attention of Ryder Montgomery, the very married brother of Emmy’s fiancé. The mystery involves something Callie witnesses that she can’t remember due to a blow to the head. The tension and mystery build as she tries to recall what happened that fateful night.

Along with the endearing Bullock family, I loved Hepsy and her family. Hepsy and her daughter have the gift of sight and I loved how it was portrayed in the story. I also enjoyed the romance between Solomon & Callie. I loved the part where he finds her up in the tree with her petticoat flying. Their love story provided some light, humorous, romantic moments to balance the heavier ones. The title is slightly misleading as the letters don’t appear until well after the halfway mark. However, the letters provide crucial clues to the mystery.

It’s a well written, slow burn mystery/romance, women’s and historical fiction fans will enjoy. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

Even though they are children of privilege, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock know that not everyone is as privileged as they are. Set close to the turn of the century on a cotton farm in Alabama, the close knit wealthy family enjoys a good life. The sudden appearance of a beautiful young woman throws their lives into turmoil and they face unexpected challenges.
The characters are vividly brought to life. Callie and Emmy are women with different personalities and their close relationship is beautifully depicted. When one of them suddenly has memory loss, only the other one can help her. This compelling story includes suspense, romance and secrets. Beautifully told, the story embraces themes of family, kindness and inclusion. It is well worth reading. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Deep South fiction is not my favorite genre. It takes a lot of talent and a light touch on the melodrama to sufficiently draw me into such a book and keep my interest throughout—even more so to wow me into granting a Deep South book five stars.

This author did all that and more with Letters from My Sister.

Mrs. Luesse’s author voice tugged me in swiftly, and as the family dynamics unfolded and the mystery deepened, I found myself so riveted that the melodrama felt juicy and inviting rather than annoying.

I was surprised that the letters didn’t come into play until well past the halfway mark (57%), but there were plenty of other things I enjoyed about the story that I only began wondering about the letters a few chapters prior to their appearance.

Things I loved were the tone, characters, family aspect, that the servants were beloved like family, that sisters were featured, and that the mystery involved amnesia. So many favorite things all in one place! There was so much to love about this story, and I hardly have the words to do them justice.

Content: skinny-dipping, alcohol

Letters from My Sister by author Valerie Fraser Luesse is a three-hundred-and-fifty-two-page paperback. Published by Revell, this historical Christian fiction is poignant with heavy topics of physical abuse, illness, and death. It also includes relationship and family life lessons with a bit of mystery and romance.

Set in Alabama during the twentieth century, this is a touching tale of sisterly love. It is the story of sisters Emily and Callie. These sisters are extremely close to one another. When trials come, they begin to occasionally write letters to each other. In the letters they pour theirs hearts out about the issues they are facing.

The author did a wonderful job crafting the characters in this book. They are endearing and most have baggage that make them seem real. The sisters are Southern girls with a bit of sass. I felt transported to the time and place of the story by the author’s exquisite words. It took only a few pages to become invested in the story and the lives of the sisters. There were different subplots and a few twists that kept me turning pages. In fact, the ending was not expected by this reader.

I loved that their servants/slaves were treated like family and friends. Civil War books or books dealing with the horrors of slavery are difficult for me to read. I hate the injustice of it. This book pulled at my heart and made me shed a few tears.

I recommend this book to historical fiction lovers. For me, I wish it had just a bit more Christian content. This would make a wonderful book club choice. There is so much to discuss! It gets a 4 star rating from me. A copy was provided by the publisher, but these are my honest thoughts.

I just finished my first book by author Valerie Fraser Luesse. Letters from My Sister had all the feels. It was romantic, it had a hint of mystery, it had some nasty bad guys, and it had loyalty, friendship, family bonds, and unconditional love. This story kept me reading with lots of different subplots and the ending was not what I expected at all.

I absolutely loved the strong family bonds and the strong family ties with their servants who were more like family than servants. The author was able to talk about a tough subject like servants/slavery and the horrible way black people were treated during that era with grace and tenderness. The family depicted in the book were the exception (although they should have been the norm) in that they treated the “servants” of the house like family and not slaves, but their life was still chosen for them. The way the author expressed that left me feeling sad and wanting to do more. The book did not hold back on tragedy, loss, death or tough subjects, but all were told truthfully and with tenderness. The way the author wrote had me crying, the way she portrayed the scene was so realistic.

This book was historical fiction so if you enjoy that genre, you might want to pick this one up for yourself (and a box of tissues if you’re like me, I’m just saying!)

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher but was not required to write a review. All thoughts are strictly my own.

Thank you to Revell Fiction for a copy of my eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book published on August 15 so it's out now. It's historical fiction with elements of romance, family drama, and mystery.

I really enjoyed this histroical fiction by new to me author, Valerie Fraser Luesse. This book takes place in 1911 in Alabama and is loosely based on the relationship between the author's grandmother and her relationships with loved ones.

Part mystery, part bond between beloved sisters. and part romance, this story was a gradual build up of characters and events surrounding the Bullock family, their hired help, and their small community. I loved the main character (Callie) and her nature loving ways and I think all readers will find something to love in this story. A few characters even reminded me of my Southern roots including my grandmother.

There is mention of assault, murder, racism, and on page death due to illness. So if those are triggers, tread gently.

What a story! I simply couldn't put it down!
Luesse pulls you in right away and doesn't let go until the end.
I, along with everyone else, assumed that this would be written in letter form between two sisters, Callie and Emmy. But I got a pleasant surprise.
It was a bit slow at first, but as I read on the pace picked up faster.
I was pleased with the outcome of this story.
The mystery was awesome! Luesse has a way of keeping you guessing throughout the whole story. Mystery is my favorite thing.
Callie and Emmy, along with Lily, were amazing characters, and I enjoyed getting to know them.
I could picture myself among the crowd that day as Lily sang her solo, and I, along with everyone else, was entranced by her beautiful voice.
I didn't like Ryder always sneaking around. He made me mad because of his behavior. He had no good intentions at all!
No woman should have to put up with that!
I also thought the author has done very well in making the tough subjects like TB, sleep walking among a few other things realistic and relatable.
I admired these characters in how they dealt with these types of things in every day life.
I didn't want this book to end. I'm glad I chose this book to read.
I want to say again how this book was so very good! I didn't want it to end!
Wow! What a story!!
I really wish I could give this book more than 5 stars! It definitely deserves it!
5 stars for a well written book. I highly recommend it!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Set after the Civil War in the American south, Letters from My Sister is a coming of age story about family, loyalty and the bonds of sisterhood. As one of three sisters myself I am always drawn to books with close familial bonds. Callie and Emmy are deeply loyal sisters who live a life of privilege but their lives change when Lily comes to town. All three learn more about each other and themselves.,,the evolution was interesting to observe.

This book is classified as Christian which is a bit problematic but the prose is beautiful, the slow pace invites deep immersion and the era is always interesting to learn more about. My favourite character is endearing Solomon. I like that there is also a mystery and slivers of romance. But what hit my heart with a bang is the writing. Oh, how stunning and vivid!

My sincere thank you to Revell and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this fascinating novel.

For some reason, when I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be more about the letters. It was not. It was about two sisters, Emmy and Callie, their family, and the family that served them for years. Taking place in Alabama in the early 1900s, we see how fiercely protective these two families are of one another.

Callie is a young woman who is adventurous and doesn't let the rigid rules set by her mother slow her down. This story is told through Callie's eyes, but the rest of the characters are well-fleshed out, and we get to know them too. This story pulled me into this tightly-knit group of people just farming and living life, falling in love, and dreaming of a better future for all.

Then, all of a sudden, something happens. And the story changes into a mystery that seems to alter everything. However, after I closed the last page, I began to think that what happened in the first chapter was what really changed everything for this family.

This story pulled me into its atmosphere of love, mystery, and a little bit of the spiritual and wouldn't let me go. I have been pondering it since. It is bittersweet as it deals with tragedies I was not expecting. In fact, I feel I was just as shocked and grieved as the characters when certain things happened. Author Luesse really knows how to pull the reader into her stories, and she does well in getting us to know all her characters.

I was provided a copy of this novel from Revell Publishing through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Letters from My Sister
A Novel
by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Pub Date 15 Aug 2023
Revell
Christian| Historical Fiction| Women's Fiction


Through Revell and Netgalley, I am reviewing Letters from My Sister:


As the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer, Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life when Lily McGee arrives and turns their well-ordered household upside down. Lily's arresting beauty quickly attracts the wrong kind of attention. Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her true self.



After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she wasn't supposed to see--or was she? A haze of memories surrounds her, just an image of Emmy holding Lily's missing baby girl on a darkened riverbank. Through their letters, the truth slowly emerges between the sisters-including a revelation that will shape Callie's future.


I give Letters From my Sister five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Very interesting story.
Not exactly what I was expecting, but intriguing none-the-less.

This the story of two sisters, Callie and Emmy. They are daughters in a well-to-do family.
Emmy has found her love, and Callie is still looking... Their relationship as sisters is so sweet. Really, their whole family was just about perfect. But, there are definitely some unsavory characters to be found in these pages.
Bad things happen. Only, Callie doesn't know what or why. She is found with a head injury at the foot of her favorite tree one morning.
For awhile, I had a lot of questions. The author has masterfully written a gripping tale of those long ago days in the south.
This story has mystery, love, humor, and so much more.
I've loved each and every book by Valerie Fraser Luesse, and this one is definitely not the exception!
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Letters from My Sister is a coming of age story around the post civil war era. Daughters of a priviledged cotton farmer set the stage of the life of Callie and Emmy.

The social expectations for women during that time were quite heavy. Emmy being the more practical sister, and Callie free spirited made for dramatic untold secrets. The story unravels slowly about family, blossoming romance and loyalty. The book is clean and the characters are well written.

I received a complimentary an e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: Letters from My Sister
Author: Valerie Fraser Luesse
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly--and innocently--draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see--or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily's missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters--including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie's life.

This was a tiny bit slow to start off, but Callie was such a great character that I kept reading, and I’m so glad I did! The Bullock family was so fascinating to read about. I enjoyed every one of them! This book made me laugh out loud several times—and cry. I was immersed in the lives of the characters and the dreams of the sisters, and I ended up enjoying this very much.

Valerie Fraser Luesse lives in Birmingham. Letters From My Sister is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Revell in exchange for an honest review.)

"Letters from My Sister" is the story of two sisters, Emmy and Callie, set in early 1900s rural Alabama. It's the tale of a family that has an incredibly enlightened view of race relations versus the outside forces that battle against that. Callie suffers a brain injury and amnesia related to a mysterious event one night. What will be revealed when she recovers her memory?

The book moves at an incredibly slow pace. I didn't mind that at first, but the exposition kept going and going. It's not until about 60% through the book that we even hit the point of conflict. When we finally hit the denoument, it was a total let down. The resolution made the conflict out to be next to nothing. The antagonist was flat and did little to contribute to the central conflict. The title was also a complete misnomer. I expected a lengthy series of letters exchanged between the two sisters that would flesh out the conflict. There were only five, and they contributed little to the story. The romance in the story was quite contrived and illogical. The main couple basically had one date and then end up married. I would have liked to see more nuisance there.

This was a story with great potential that fell short of the mark. I received an advanced reader copy as part of the Revell Reads blogger team in exchange for my honest opinion.

Set in Alabama in the early 1900s, Letters From My Sister tells the story of the strong relationship between a prominent farming family and the family who had served them in so many ways over the decades. It also tells the story of two closely knit sisters who were quite different one from the other, and whose faith and love never wavered. Then nearing the halfway point of the story it morphs into a mystery whose solution appears to be unthinkable. It is also at this point that I became so captivated that I was unable to walk away from the book for any longer than absolutely necessary. The one thing that absolutely stands out in the book is Luesse's character development. She creates characters that readers feel like they truly have come to know on a deeply personal level. I am very grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Letters From My Sister from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

This book had some unexpected elements in it like a murder mystery. I thought from the title and about half of the book that it would be family drama and sister relationships. It was that but so much more! It was a commentary on the injustices of life, inequality of the classes in the south and how differently two sisters approach these challenges. I enjoyed getting to meet both Callie and Emmy. Emmy is the more traditional sister, desiring marriage, home and a family. Callie is more adventurous, not really knowing what she wants from life. Together the sisters are formidable, but when the unexpected happens, they face real difficulties apart. I think the characters were well-developed and relatable and the plot moved along at a good pace. There were some parts that seemed to drag, but they didn’t last long or make me lose interest in the story. There were some real surprises along the way, and I thoroughly enjoyed guessing what would happen next. This book seems to be a combination of woman’s fiction and historical fiction. It is an enjoyable and entertaining read but not a light romance by any means.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

In the past, I've had the chance to read some other novels by Valerie Fraser Luesse and enjoyed them, so when I saw this one, I was excited to read it. I must admit though, I struggled to get into this one as much as I had hoped and as much as I had her previous works.

First and foremost, I have to say that the story is very well written and I very much enjoyed the history of it. It definitely got off to a bit of a slow start and remained slower paced throughout much of the story as well. That slower pace is something I recall from her previous books as well, so it very well could have just been my mood at the time of reading that made this one harder to connect with... either way, I'd say it took somewhere until 25-30% into the story for me to really start to find myself drawn into these characters as I would have liked.

Despite the slower start and slower pace, there was a lot going on in this story and once I was able to get into it, I did find myself interested to see what was going to happen next with this family. I really enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters throughout the story. Though the title made me think letters might play a bigger role than they did, I didn't find that bothered me at all.

Overall, it's certainly a slower paced read, but one that fans of historical fiction are sure to want to check out for themselves.

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All opinions are my own.

I was somewhat lost during the first part of the book. I felt like I was plunked in the middle of a story with no context. There was no lead up to the family or even the time era. By certain things that I read I deduced it was either late 19th century or early 20th century.
I also felt mired in murk. So much of the nuances were murky that weren’t clarified until almost 3/4 of the way through.
It’s an ok story, but I thought clarity was needed earlier in the story.

This pulled me in from the beginning. I loved the setting, time period and characters.
To be honest, I thought the story would unfold through letters, but, that was a mistake in my part.

There’s a little mystery, sadness but most importantly fantastic writing. This my first book that I’ve read by this author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy.