Summer Reading

I read a lot but don't usually post about books except my Goodreads widget at the side that I am terrible about keeping up to date. I thought I'd share a recommendation for a couple of books that I've recently read including one I just finished.

The one I have just finished is When We Were Sisters by Emile Richards. I borrowed this book from my local library. I have not read any of her books before. I am so glad that I picked this one up. The story is about Cecelia and Robin who grew up as foster sisters in the system together. Cecelia is now a successful singer/actress while Robin, who used to be a photojournalist, has put her career on hold to raise a young family. Cecelia decides that her next project is going to be about her life growing up in foster care. She persuades Robin to work as a photographer on the project. Robin's husband is an attorney at a high-powered firm. She juggles all their home life while he works long hours. He doesn't want her to leave.

This is a story of their journey. You follow Cecelia and Robin as they confront their past, how it leaks into their adult lives and how their past has shaped their relationships with others. It's a beautiful story. There a lot of relationships in the book but it is told through Cecelia, Robin and Kris' eyes. My heart really broke for all that the girls went through as children and how strong and successful they  become as women. Through it all they were there for one another - true sisters not through blood but through heart. I admit I cried at this one. It's a really beautiful story!

Somewhere Out There by Amy Hatvany. I have read books by this author before and enjoyed them. This is another one about sisters. Natalie and Brooke are blood sisters. They haven't seen one another since Brooke was four and Natalie was just a baby. Natalie was adopted. Brooke grew up in the foster care system. Natalie remembers nothing of her life before adoption and she's never asked as she didn't want to upset her adoptive mother. It is only when her daughter has to do a family tree for school that she starts to ask questions. This is a story of their journey, of them reconnecting and forming a new relationship. It's a really beautiful book about relationships and how the past can shape the future. This is another tearjerker.