Name: The Promise Girls
ISBN: 9781683243779

Marie Bostwick

"Minerva Promise claimed that her three "test tube" daughters--gifted pianist Joanie, artistic Meg, and storyteller Avery--were engineered and molded to be geniuses. Now twenty years later, the sisters reluctantly agree to take part in a documentary that will reveal secrets and spur them to forge their own extraordinary lives at last"--

The Promise Girls

In an emotionally rich and captivating new novel, New York Times bestselling author Marie Bostwick reunites three sisters whose deep bond is rooted in an unconventional past. Every child prodigy grows up eventually. For the Promise sisters, escaping their mother's narcissism and the notoriety that came with her bestselling book hasn't been easy. Minerva Promise claimed that her three "test tube" daughters--gifted pianist Joanie, artistic Meg, and storyteller Avery--were engineered and molded to be geniuses. In adulthood, their modest lives fall far short of her grand ambitions. But now, twenty years after the book's release, she hopes to redeem herself by taking part in a new documentary. Meg, who hasn't picked up a paintbrush in years, adamantly refuses to participate, until a car accident leaves her with crushing medical bills. While she recuperates in Seattle, the three sisters reluctantly meet with filmmaker Hal Seeger, another former prodigy. Like them, he's familiar with the weight of failed potential. But as he digs deeper, he uncovers secrets they've hidden from each other--and a revelation that will challenge their beliefs, even as it spurs them to forge their own extraordinary lives at last. Praise for Marie Bostwick and Her Novels "Beautiful, thought-provoking, tragic and redeeming, The Second Sister is a feel-good goldmine." --USAToday.com "Fans of Debbie Macomber and Robyn Carr will enjoy this warm, witty novel of rediscovery and personal growth." --Booklist on The Second Sister "A story that touches women on many levels and yet is filled with humor and a bit of pathos." --Kirkus on Between Heaven and Texas

Southern Today Gone Tomorrow

Written by Marie Bostwick, The Promise Girls follows the three Promise girls, each engineered by their mother to become prodigies, until the day she breaks in front of the camera and their lives change forever. This novel follows their lives some twenty years after this incident, when all of the girls are grown up. What happens to brilliant children when they are adults? Do they live up to expectations?

I have mixed feelings about this novel. On one hand, the writing was good, the story engaging, and the characters so endearing. The three sisters, Joanie, Meg, and Avery, are each so very interesting and different from one another. I enjoyed reading about them, Asher, Owen, Adam, Hal, and their children, Walt and Tina.

What I didn’t like?

While the premise was interesting, I found myself bored until the accident, and then I figured out all but one of the twists for the ending by halfway through the book. And, honestly, I figured out that twist too, just not the details.

And, I don’t like that. I don’t want to see the ending coming in a book like this that is fiction without any fantasy. I want it to be a surprise. Disappointing, that’s what it was.

Who would like this book?

If you are considering reading this, do it. It is worth it. If you are one of those people who can figure out the ending of a movie in the first 10 minutes, maybe don’t read this book. Or, if you like that and still seeing the book to the end, do! The writing is great.