NEW RELEASE
The Ugly Sister - Jane Fallon (2011)
Abigail has always played second fiddle to her more beautiful sister Caroline. But as a child Abigail didn't mind that Caroline was the one to inherit their parents' good looks, or care how it affected the way people treated them, because Caroline proved to be not only her big sister, but her best friend and protector too. But when Abigail was 13, Caroline stepped into the world of modelling and got so caught up in her fame and success that she left her old life behind (including her sister). Eighteen years have passed, and Abigail is now a single mother who works part-time at a library. Her daughter, Phoebe, is already moving out, and has plans for a rather bright future. Abigail though has no place to stay since she sold her small cottage way before getting possession of her new flat. Then she receives an email from Caroline, after so many years of hardly any contact, inviting her to spend the summer holidays with her family. Abigail thinks it may be the perfect opportunity to re-establish their sisterly bond. But upon meeting her sister's family, she discovers that her visit is not going to be two fun-filled months of sightseeing but will instead see her step into the role of nanny while Caroline stages her modelling comeback. This is an intriguing story with a clever title which had me trying to figure out which of the characters really fit the profile of The Ugly Sister. (XT)
The Ugly Sister, by Jane Fallon, is about a woman who has spent her life overshadowed by her model sister. The summary says: "When it comes to genes life's a lottery . . . As Abi would be the first to know. She has spent her life in the shadow of her stunningly beautiful, glamorous older sister Cleo. Headhunted as model when she was 16, Cleo has been all but lost to Abi for the last 20 years, with only a fleeting visit or brief email to connect them. So when Abi is invited to spend the summer in Cleo's large London home with her sister's perfect family, she can't bring herself to say no. Despite serious misgivings. Maybe Cleo is finally as keen as Abi to regain the closeness they shared in their youth? But Abi is in for a shock. Soon she is left caring for her two young, bored and very spoilt nieces and handsome, unhappy brother-in-law - while Cleo plainly has other things on her mind. As Abi moves into her sister's life, a cuckoo in the nest, she wrestles with uncomfortable feelings. Could having beauty, wealth and fame lead to more unhappiness than not having them? Who in the family really is the ugly sister?" The Ugly Sister is out in September.