I really liked it. Thank you! ( )

I was so impressed with Robin Oliveira's debut novel, MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER, that I felt I had to read her next, WINTER SISTERS (2018), a sequel, set in Albany, fourteen years after the Civil War which formed the setting of the first book. Dr Mary Sutter is now married to Dr William Stipp, and they have a successful joint practice in Albany. Mary's mother, Amelia, and her orphaned niece, Elizabeth, live with them. The story opens with a devastating blizzard, in which their dear friends, the O'Donnells, are killed, and their two small daughters go missing. A weeks-long search is unsuccessful. But then, six weeks later, in the aftermath of a spring flood, the two girls are found alive, but the older girl, ten year-old Emma, has been brutalized and raped. A suspect is soon arrested and charged - the foreman of a lumber yard owned by one of the wealthiest families in Albany, the Van der Veers. In the course of the man's arrest and investigation, some very dark family secrets, and the seedy underbelly of Albany are unearthed. There is a trial that will keep you on the edge of your, well, whatever it is you're sitting on. And in those years the age of consent in New York was just ten. WHAT?! Yeah, me too. And brothels and prostitution in Albany were flourishing. All of this figures into a real page-turner of a mystery. Enough said. If I have any complaints about the novel, it would be about the excessively flowery details and descriptions throughout, and perhaps the overly melodramatic touches here and there, especially in final chapters following the trial. It seemed that Oliveira was trying too hard to tack on a happily-ever-after ending. While much of WINTER SISTERS was indeed riveting reading, I would have to say the MARY SUTTER book was better. But, as a sequel, this was very very good. Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER ( )

While browsing my Library's historical fiction I came across this book. I picked up 2 others as I did not think I was going to like this one-boy was I wrong! From the 3rd chapter on, I could not put it down.

This is a sequel to another book-My Name is Mary Sutter- which I had not read(but plan to!). Mary and her husband are doctors who served together in the Civil War, drifted apart and re-met then married. They now reside in Albany NY, with Mary's mother and orphaned niece Elizabeth. Their little family extends out to The O'Donnell Family-a mother, father and 2 young girls Emma and Claire.

in 1879 an epic late-season blizzard hits Albany and the city is caught unprepared and chaos ensues. Tragedy strikes the O'Donnell's, not once but twice. This is early in the story, and it was when I was so sure I knew what was going to happen.....talk about being Gob-smacked!

Robin Oliveira caught me up in her beautiful words and spun a tale so absorbing and real I had to catch my breath more than once. Her heroes are real, her villains are more than scary. This was a time in history when woman were not suppose to be smart, they were arm candy and literal slaves to their husbands. The meat of the story resounds what women continue to endure in our world today.

WARNING: Explicit trauma and heartbreaking sadness-but well worth reading.

Oliveria's dedication for the book "For girls and women everywhere"-

Indeed! (less) ( )

Winter Sisters. Robin Oliveira. 2018. In the late 1880’s, a massive blizzard buries Albany, N.Y. Two young girls go missing. Their parents are killed but the bodies of the girls are never recovered. Friends of Claire and Emma’s parents are physicians Drs. Mary and William Stipp; they are never completely convinced that the girls are dead. Six weeks after their disappearance, they show up. It is obvious that they have been terribly emotionally and physically abused. Mary and her family are determined to find out who abused the children and see that he is brought to justice. This an excellent historical novel based on facts. We read about the rights of women under the law as far as rape victims are concerned and the way prostitutes are treated. We learn about society during this time and way women doctors were ridiculed and mistreated. It is also a beautiful love story. Well written. ( )

A few thoughts:
- I had no idea this was a historical mystery when I picked it up -- for some reason I thought it was either a contemporary or a flashback mystery.
- I also did not realize this was part of a series; it took me a while to pick up on the characters, and I imagine reading the previous novel would have helped me understand some of the relationships more quickly.
- There is some medically graphic description of sexual abuse of a child.
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