The Sisters

Khemiri (The Family Clause) follows three sisters and their childhood friend, a fellow Swedish Tunisian named Jonas, over decades in this wondrous novel. The Mikkola girls’ distinct personalities are evident from the opening scene of a Y2K New Year’s Eve party: Ina, the eldest at 24, is the responsible one; Evelyn, 21, is a dimpled beauty; and Anastasia, 19, is “the fun sister, the crazy sister, the ‘I have something in my sock, let’s sneak into the bathroom and snort it’ sister.” Their mother, a carpet seller from Tunisia, was abandoned by her Swedish husband, and the girls’ fierce devotion to one another is tested as they enter middle age. Ina gets married and has children, while Anastasia, an artist who went off to Tunisia and fell in love with a woman, returns to become a successful advertising executive. Meanwhile, Evelyn drifts until she finds her passion as an actor. Jonas, a writer, grew up next door to the Mikkolas and has nursed an obsession with Evelyn since childhood, one that sustains his deep and concentrated interest in the family. Blending humor and pathos, Khemiri perfectly encapsulates the push and pull of living in two different and sometimes dueling cultures. It’s a staggering achievement. Agents: Sarah Chalfant and Jackie Ko, Wylie Agency. (June)