My Brilliant Sister

Reviews

‘My Brilliant Sister is truly that – brilliant. Amy Brown's writing is superb, and the story is wonderfully told. This novel speaks to both our literary past and our sense of who we are now. While some “careers” remain quiet, they are of vital importance to us.’ ‘If, like me, you love nothing more than diving into the hearts and minds of the characters in a novel, then My Brilliant Sister is the book for you. This exquisite novel asks big questions – about sisterhood, creativity, who should be considered extraordinary, and what makes a good life – while staying firmly grounded in the compelling voices of three strong women. I was spellbound by each of these subtly interlinked narratives. Amy Brown is a shining star!’ 'Gorgeously alive to both the smallest and biggest elements that make up a life, and a nuanced, moving and compelling exploration of the necessary compromises that accompany any woman's attempt to find meaning in work, whether domestic or creative, or – sometimes, somehow, magically – both.' 'My Brilliant Sister is a work of such beauty and truthfulness. It’s also a sustained poetic and political enquiry, which moves effortlessly from the smallest to the largest, and poses irresolvable questions of being and language, with a melancholic lightness of touch.' ‘A rich, playful meditation on art, domesticity, wildness and the struggle to be understood – I loved it.’ ‘Amy Brown’s impressive debut enters the minds of three women in two different centuries, all shaped by the author Stella “Miles” Franklin, a luminous figure who casts both shadow and light. This is a searing, multi-layered book that not only reflects on female authority and a queasy balance between family and ambition, but also perceptively pries open the ways in which we live our lives through others.’ ‘Reading My Brilliant Sister felt like a private conversation I was having with myself and the one I’ve had with every woman I know many times over … And while many of the questions Brown asks are indeed irresolvable, I couldn’t help but feel like I had arrived somewhere different to where I started. Somewhere more honest and beautiful.’ ‘both a novel of ideas and a joy to read’ ‘a creative triumph’ ‘A layered and involving story about womanhood, motherhood and art.’ Expand reviews