The Sisters of Glass Ferry

by Kim Michele Richardson Narrated by Marguerite Gavin

Overview

Glass Ferry, Kentucky, is bourbon country. Whiskey has been a way of life for generations, enabling families to provide and survive even in the darkest times. Flannery Butler's daddy, Beauregard "Honey Bee" Butler, was known for making some of the best whiskey in the state, aged in barrels he'd take by boat up and down the Kentucky River until the rocking waters turned the spirits smooth and golden. Flannery is the only person Honey Bee ever entrusted with his recipes before he passed on, swearing her to secrecy as he did so.

But Flannery is harboring other secrets too, about her twin sister Patsy, older by eight minutes and pretty in a way Flannery knows she'll never be. Then comes the prom night when Patsy—wearing a yellow chiffon dress and the family pearls—disappears along with her date. Every succeeding year on the twins' birthday, Flannery's mother bakes a strawberry cake, convinced that this is the day Patsy will finally come home. But it will be two tumultuous decades until the muddy river yields a clue about what happened that night, compelling Flannery to confront the truth about her sleepy town, her family's past, and the choices she and those closest to her have made in the name of love and retribution.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

10/09/2017
Richardson (Liar’s Bench) brings to life Glass Ferry, Ky., in this multigenerational tale about the bond between sisters, family secrets, fine bourbon, and the lingering price of loss. Flannery Butler grew up in rural 1950s Kentucky under the shadow of two kinds of secrets: the secret whiskey recipes her father entrusted to her, and darker secrets about her twin sister, Patsy, who disappeared the night of their 16th birthday. Two decades have passed since then, and the Butler family is tied to their traditions—from the burning pleasures of whiskey to the sweet strawberry cake that Flannery’s mother, Jean Butler, bakes yearly and sets on the window sill for her daughters’ birthday. When the pie Jean cooks on Patsy’s birthday in 1972 finally stirs up the truth behind her disappearance, Flannery must confront her past. Told in flashbacks spanning over two decades—from 1952 to 1972—the story is strongest when it focuses on the relationship between the sisters and how it slowly becomes colored by ominous portent. Elsewhere, Richardson’s writing feels stilted—particularly the dialogue, which unsuccessfully attempts to differentiate the characters and falls flat throughout. Despite this, Richardson’s bourbon-infused saga is rich with drama and family intrigue. (Dec.)

JANUARY 2018 - AudioFile

In rural Glass Ferry, Kentucky, bourbon is king, and family secrets are maintained—until bodies are found in the river. Narrator Marguerite Gavin provides a hint of Southern charm as she recounts the story of Flannery Butler, whose twin mysteriously disappeared when they were in high school. Flannery’s teenage naïveté and submission to the old-boy network eventually concedes to a middle-aged determination to face the truth. Gavin provides stereotypical voices for Flannery’s traditional mother and her blustering, chauvinistic rival, now the sheriff who is responsible for identifying the newly discovered bodies. Gavin’s more straightforward portrayal of Flannery, who is struggling to uncover the truth about her sister’s disappearance, serves the story well. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169637410
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	11/28/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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