Wild about Henry
Henry’s Sisters by Cathy Lamb Copyright 2009 352 p.
This is an excellent book. Heartbreaking and funny at the same time. It is about three sisters, Cecilia, Isabelle and Janie and their domineering mother. Their mother, who is a holy terror, needs open heart surgery and so the two sisters who live away from their home town come home to help out and take care of Henry who is mentally challenged. As the book unfolds we see that all of the family is damaged in different ways and all face their challenges as the book progresses, from a cheating husband, to a problem with alcohol and obsessive compulsive disorder. Throughout the book, one gets the sense that Henry, while not the main character is the glue that holds the family together.
There is a note of humor with the grandmother who thinks she is Amelia Earhart. The book is wonderful and heartbreaking. I loved it. The character of Henry reminded me of my brother, Matt, who is also mentally challenged, though not the degree Henry is. The things that happened to Henry remind me that they can also happen to Matt, which is terrifying.
This is a wonderful book for fans of Jodi Picoult and anyone else who loves a gripping story with strong female characters. I strongly recommend it.