I loved the descriptions of food and cooking, and how they enriched cultural traditions and religious rituals.

This domestic fiction, though it is contemporary, feels timeless to me. I'm only 40% done and have already started slowing down to make it last longer.

Sisters of Fortune was a wonderful read for me,I grew up in Brooklyn in the same religious environment followed the same traditions I’m still explaining things like niddah to my husband who has no idea what this means.This book drew me in from the first pages loved the sisters the families the whole beautifully written story.#netgalley #randomhouse

I really enjoyed this one, even though it's not my usual cup of tea. I am trying to expand my reading repertoire this year into women's fiction, memoirs and other genres that I find challenging and I was drawn to this because I was interested in learning more about the Sephardic culture of Syrian Jewish second-generation immigrants in Brooklyn. I was pleasantly surprised at how lighthearted, boisterous and funny it was after reading heavy and stressful books about multicultural issues.

It reminded me quite a bit of the vibes of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (except the wedding doesn't go like you'd expect) and The Bandit Queens (without the crime). At times I got bored because this isn't my usual genre and it was completely immersive in the daily rhythms of family and community life of these three close-knit sisters, and not much actually happened. It was a very passive narrative structure that was more slice of life than action oriented. It was cozy and it touched on deeper themes but more in a YA or coming of age way, just grazing the surface.

Fortune is the good, obedient daughter, the one who never steps out of line or talks back, who does everything right and helps out her mother like a good Syrian girl in a community where your whole life is mapped out for you, in a culture where if you aren't married off to at 25 (usually to a much older man) you're seen as a crone and this creates scandalous gossip for your family. In this community reputation is everything and the smallest slip-up, like a 17-year-old female guest getting too drunk at a wedding, marks you for ridicule and punishment. Fortune, at age 21, is preparing for her wedding to a man she doesn't love, a fact she's coming to terms with throughout the book. I loved Fortune and her unexpected character arc.

The points of view shift between her other two sisters, Lucy, who is a high school senior and being courted by a doctor 11 years her senior, and Nina, the rebellious one who gets a job at a record label and has an office romance with a childhood sweetheart.

I felt like I was right there sitting in this kitchen with this tumultuous yet loving family, where women are often forced into loveless marriages for cultural expectation but they find ways to carve out their own happiness anyway. Like one of the sisters observes about her parents, there is a warm acceptance between them that some would mistake for love. Thought-provoking, raw and touching.

I loved the descriptions of food and cooking, and how they enriched cultural traditions and religious rituals. I could practically smell and taste the dishes off the page.

I felt like I was a part of this tight-knit family and watching them grow up and decide for themselves what they wanted against all the rigid expectations of their community.

This book was like a warm, gentle, exuberant hug the whole way through.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really liked this book!!!!! i love the themes of sisterhood, family, relationships, growth, and adulthood. It was a touching story, there were some good parts and some sad parts. I liked the way this book evokes emotion. Overall so good!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!