Losing My Sister

Novelist and poet Goldman (Early Leaving) beautifully renders the complexity of sibling relationships with candidness, tenderness, and sorrow in her chronicle of the immense and troubled love she has for her older sister. Growing up, Brenda was strong, smart, and no-nonsense, while Judy was the “sweet” one who admired and sought approval from Brenda, always thinking of her as more important. “Jews don’t have a Coat of Arms, but if my family did, it would say Sisters Matter,” she writes. In adulthood, they live close to each other, but a blowup leads to years of barely speaking, the result of a longstanding dynamic in which Brenda, burdened with a temper, wants Judy to be more like her and instead of praise, offers anger while Judy stays silent. Only after their parents die within two years of one another do they heal their rift. They’re careful with one another, retreating when problems arise. Decades later, when Judy publishes a novel, her sister is critical rather than congratulatory, and a different fight begins, this one more troubling because Brenda has cancer. Eighteen months pass before they make up, giving them only days of their renewed bond before Brenda’s health takes a turn. In the end, Goldman’s book speaks to the human ability to forgive and attain a measure of peace amid loss. Agent: Amy Rennert, Amy Rennert Agency. (Oct.)