A moving debut about a complicated Jewish family, mother-daughter relationships and the changing music scene of the 60s and 90s. This was AMAZING on audio narrated by three of my favs, Barrie Kreinik, Helen Laser and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker.

I really liked the way the story jumps from the past to the present as we follow the music careers of two women and witness their struggles with unexpected motherhood, first love, messy affairs and the politics of their time.

If you enjoyed books like Daisy Jones and the Six or Songs in ursa major, this dual timeline, multiple POV, historical fiction book is one not to miss! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: discussions of abortion

The Singer Sisters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A really fun enjoyable book. It you love music & family drama it is for you. It was nice to read after a couple of real intense books. The audio was great & super fun cover.
Thank you NetGalley

The Singer Sisters

An emotional family drama, The Singer Sisters kicks off with Emma as she sets off to skip college and kick of her musical career, much to the disappointment of her mother, Judie, who followed the same path many years before. Following both Emma and Judie during this pivotal time in a young woman's life and career, both live out the burden that women musicians face in the industry, even years apart. Family secrets, sibling tension and the realities of life on the road, The Singer Sisters is a beautiful and emotional story.

I received an ALC from Macmillian audio. My thoughts are my own.

The Singer Sisters is available now!

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
•
When I read the synopsis of The Singer Sisters I got major Daisy Jones vibes. That is a favorite of mine so I was super excited to read it. While this book for sure gave off Daisy Jones vibes, I didn’t love it as much.
•
The story is told in dual timelines and with multiple POVs between the 1960’s when Judie was a folk singer and in the 1990’s when Judies daughter Emma is breaking out into the alt rock scene. This is truly a mother/daughter relationship story which is very heartwarming and heart wrenching.
•
While there are many themes about family and friends and navigating fame and the harshness of a cruel world, I felt like the story sort of dragged at times. I felt like a resolution to everything could have come much sooner making this story much shorter.
•
The characters are mostly all lovable. You can relate to them and you can feel for them. I really enjoyed that aspect. Also loved all of the references to the music in those times.
•
I listened to this via audiobook. Barrie Kreinik, Helen Laser and Stephanie Németh-Parker were phenomenal narrators for this one. They transported me into this story. Highly recommend grabbing the audio if you’re thinking of picking this one up!
•
Overall, this was a good book, I enjoyed it, I just wrongly expected Daisy Jones, which this was not it. I am highly recommending this to all of my music friends! Give this one a shot! The Singer Sisters releases today 8/6. Be sure to check it out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Seltzer and MacMillan audio for the ALC n exchanger my honest review.

The Singer Sisters follows two generations of one very musical family in the pivotal musical eras of the ‘60s and the ‘90s.

Judie and Sylvia make waves in the ‘60s on the folk music scene. Raised in Cambridge by conservative Jewish parents, their trajectory isn’t exactly what their parents dreamed for their future. Judie’s talent for songwriting and Sylvia’s pure voice made them a duo to be reckoned with until one evening’s pleasure diverts Judie’s entire career.

Emma is an alt rocker with serious mommy issues. “Flower,” her newest single, finally proves she can write music like her mother, but she has no other songs in her and borrows from Judie’s old songbook causing a huge rift between the two. Emma channels her anger at her mother Judie through her stage performances becoming successful enough to be mocked on SNL.

Judie and Emma both grow so much as characters with time and as secrets are finally aired. Their mother daughter relationship is tense and painful at times. Seeing how both women are treated in the musical industry makes me immediately envision Ken from the Barbie movie high on “the patriarchy”.

The three narrators do an excellent job allowing the reader to easily distinguish between the different voices, but I do wish we could actually hear some of the music that is so vital to the women of this family.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Sarah Seltzer for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Singer Sisters is out tomorrow. All opinions are my own.

Two generations of musicians. Judie was a folk star in the 1960’s. Now her daughter Emma is breaking out in alt-rock in the 1990’s. As she gets deep into her mother’s music, she uncovers old secrets.
This is more than a story of sisters, mothers and daughters. It's a perfect summer read with Daisy Jones and the Six vibes. Music, family and secrets blend together to make one heck of a debut novel. Told in multiple POVs.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 
This was a solid listen about mothers and daughters and what it means to be a woman. The story mostly follows Judy and Emma, mother and daughter, as they navigate their lives and youth. Judy's story was especially interesting and impactful to listen to. This is a story that every mother, daughter, and woman will be able to relate to.
For such a musical based story it really would be elevated if the narrator had any musicality at all.
Honestly could not tell the difference between the narrators, each narrator had good distinguishing voices for the separate characters, though they themselves sounded very similar. It took me until halfway through the book to even question if there was more than one.
The narration didn't really hit for me, reading the physical book might have made me more empathetic to Emma's story. The story itself was compelling and I have to admit I did get emotional imagining the final scene and all the emotions.
3.75/5

Apparently I’m in the minority here…and that’s just fine…

Although the story was interesting, it just didn’t hold my attention.
Lots of characters. Lots of family and extended family drama…
I didn’t find that I could identify with or even really liked any of the main characters, and therefore, did not find myself very invested in the book…

Although there were lots of great topics to explore… two sisters singing in the 60’s; adoption (and sometimes the feeling of exclusion at times); cheating spouses; families falling apart and working to build themselves back up again… it somehow just fell flat for me…

As I’ve read in others reviews, this was presented as similar to Daisy Jones…to me, it was NOT anything like it. I loved that book! I also loved Honey. Also similar to this one. But for some reason, this just didn’t click for me.

Still, a good story, but not my favorite.

#TheSingerSisters by #SarahSeltzer. Narrated nicely by #BarrieKreinik, #HelenLaser and #StephanieNemethParker. (And I love all the narrators too!!)

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
***It is due for release on 8/6/24!***

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, and click 'LIKE' below!! 📚⭐️

This was a solid debut novel perfect for fans of family dramas and historical fiction set within the music industry, along the lines of the recent debut novel Honey, as well as the classic Daisy Jones & The Six. I received audiobook and e-book copies and enjoyed the multiple narrators in the audiobook version.

The plot vacillates between dual timelines: Judie and Sylvia in the 1960s, a pair of Jewish sisters who rise to fame as "The Singer Sisters," and Emma in the 1990s, who is Judie's daughter. Emma is on the quest for fame, while her mother disapproves. There are lots of other family dynamics at play, including themes of adoption/accidental pregnancy, LGBTQ representation, divorce, etc. We see the sister rivalry between Judie and Sylvia, as Judie sidelines her career to raise her family, while her husband still gets to tour as a musician, and Sylvia refuses to marry to focus on her career instead. Overall, I much preferred the Judie/Sylvia narrative, as I found the Emma character to be rather immature and annoying, with limited character development, while the latter two are very well written with lots of depth and nuance!

I wanted to love this. Books about music are kind of my jam. I was hoping for the next On the Come Up or Mary Jane. That isn't fair. I know, but it was where my sights were set. I think what frustrated me most about this book was that the smart people did such stupid things. Not dumb things. We all do dumb things. Pregnant Judy on the water. Dumb, but totally understandable. It is the stupid things, the lies for no reasons, the cover ups that are simply there to cause tension. Every one of Chekhov's guns went off.

I had a fine time with this read. I was entertained while listening, I liked the characters and sympathized with their struggles, and the multiple points of view were fun. My girl Helen Laser crushed it as always, and I'm a fan of Barrie Kreinik and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker's work here, too. Unfortunately, my main feeling after reading this book, even just a couple days out, is that I don't think it's one that will stick with me. I also feel there was a real missed opportunity in the audiobook to put the many songs included to melodies. Maybe I've been spoiled by great audiobooks lately but hearing the songs as songs would have been so lovely!

Story of two generations of songwriters, expressing emotions and heartache through their songs. I enjoyed the song writing aspect of this book very much but didn't find the character and stories particularly compelling.

the singer sisters by sarah seltzer 🦋 pub day: august 6th! thank you macmillan audio & netgalley for my early copy!

a family of folk-rock musicians fall apart and come together over time to deal with the secrets of the past and events of the present 🎸

I was HERE for the first part of this book but the vibes quickly changed the more I kept reading. I never really felt invested in the story or any of the characters. I was expecting to love it after hearing BIG claims comparing this story to daisy jones and the six but I was easily distracted while reading.

there were elements of the singer sisters I appreciated like the Jewish representation, depression, long lasting effects of adoption, LGBTQ-related issues and the sense of healing family trauma at the end. I just didn’t connect enough to care where it went.

if you're looking for a 2024 release focused within the music industry, I recommend honey by isabel banta! I’m sure there will be a bunch of people who will enjoy this story as it was well written, it just wasn’t the one for me. 2 stars 🎤

As a lover of the folk rock era (and books about that era), I was eager to listen to The Singer Sisters by Sarah Seltzer. The audiobook did not disappoint in terms of narration, as all the narrators were excellent in their roles (not entirely distinguishable, but that was okay). In terms of the book itself, I had mixed feelings. The writing was good and the premise (a daughter wanting to enter the music world that her mother had both excelled in and abandoned) was a good one. I thought the description of the time periods was well done. However, I was never convinced about the stakes in the book and it had a bit of a "just plodding along" feel to it. And though I don't have a strong need to "like" characters, I will admit that I found the daughter to be irritatingly whiney (in terms of personality, not narration). I think I would recommend this title to readers/listeners who are particularly interested in these eras and in mother-daughter stories, but there are definitely other books toat do both of these things with a bit more success.

Wonderful book. I read the audiobook format and loved the different voices. I enjoyed that the story had voices of minorities. I loved the different characters during different decades. Would read more by this author.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more had I not built up my expectations so high after reading the description. It was a a good story, with a well thought out flow. It just didn't quite capture my attention like I thought it would. Still a good read if you are a music lover.

Thank you MacMillan for the review copy of The Singer Sisters, this is a well performed and stylized audiobook, one that captures the 3 different voices Seltzer weaves into this book and is well produced in terms of pacing, noted breaks into time/character chapters. Strong audio production!

That being said, the book itself landed flat for me, an engaging plot idea that just didn't come together despite the wonderful performances. At times I tend to struggle with back and forth POVs and time frames, that is part of the challenge of a book like this as just as I felt I was getting into one story, the other voice came in and for me, it didn't work as the chapters felt too short to get into the bigger goals of the book. I also could not get into the mindset and voice of the Emma even as much as I LOVE a 90s setting, she felt under developed, again adding to a sense of disengagement from the plot. Ultimately a story of folk singers and family/generational secrets that lost the focus on getting me as a reader into the creative energy and mindset that I really enjoy in other books about folk music and these time periods.

An enjoyable debut about a family of folk musicians over two generations. I enjoyed the back and forth between the 1960s and the 1990s as well as the various perspectives of the women of the family. At times I was annoyed with each of them for keeping things from each, not communicating, etc. I really loved seeing how things came together by the end. I would've loved to see actual music in the audiobook to accompany the story, but the multiple narrators were excellent.

The Singer Sisters, by Sarah Seltzer, is a great book and an absolutely phenomenal audiobook. I've been spending a lot of time in the car this summer and audiobooks have gotten me through even the most tedious drives. Three incredible narrators brought this novel to life and the nine-hour runtime went by in a blink! Highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy.

I wanted to love this so badly. I know it’s so easy - practically impossible - for any musical family themed book can to be compared to Daisy Jones. I entered in with an open mind, and it had its moments but for me it didn’t quite have the magic of DJatS. All the issues seemed to be sort of glossed over and never quite fleshed out to the extent I would have wanted. None of the problems were ever quite dealt with or given a resolution. More so it was very “this happened and we’re not going to deal with it in any way shape or form we’re going to pretend it didn’t happen and it’s going to haunt us the entire time” which I suppose IS many families ways of coping with trauma. I struggled to finish this but was pleased with the ending.