Sisters, Long Ago

When 13-year-old Willow Paige experiences flashbacks to an earlier life, she can't figure out what the vision means. With her sister Sarah terminally ill, her everyday existence is complicated enough without thoughts of a past life to haunt her. Through her research and advice from a New Age therapist, Willow deciphers the uncanny images as part of a former life in ancient Egypt. Her belief in reincarnation enables the girl to help her sister face death, although she realizes that few people will understand her feelings. Stiff writing and a tone bordering on didacticism keep this novel from coming to life. Willow herself seems dense, and her slow understanding robs the story of dramatic intensity. Sarah's illness is handled sensitively, however, and Willow's fundamentalist best friend adds a note of interest. Ages 10-up. (Mar.)