Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue

1920s– Four sisters living in Vancouver are the subjects of this book which touches on addiction, sexuality, infidelity, secrets, police corruption, abortion, loss, and love. They all love, and all are yearning.

The sisters: Morag is a pregnant woman in love with her husband, Llewellyn. She is not the only one in love with him. Georgina is unhappily married to a man she does not love. Harriet-Jean still lives with their mother and is in love with another woman. Isla is in love with her sister’s husband and has had an abortion.

This book is somewhat slow, yet I found it to be enjoyable. I found myself swept into their lives and felt for all, but also was frustrated by two of them. The book begins with Isla nearly dying from an illegal back-alley abortion. An investigation begins. How will this change the sisters? What will happen?

So many things have changed for women, but some things have remained the same. This book depicts the struggles, the lack of choices, and the aftermath of choices. Where women bear the brunt (if not all) of the consequences for choices that are made. This is not a happy-go-lucky book. But it was a very nicely done historical fiction book that shows life in the 1920’s in Vancouver.

I had both the book and the audiobook version of this book.

Engaging, thought provoking, well written.

Thank you to ECW Press, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.