Winter Sisters

This novel deals with a very difficult subject to read about, the sexual abuse of a young girl. Winter Sisters is historical fiction, set in Albany during the late 1800’s, when a blizzard hit the northeast in 1888. (In an author’s note, Robin Oliveira states that she moved the time frame up to 1879, to suit her narrative). Two young sisters go missing from school during the blizzard, and their aunt and uncle are led by police to believe that they had died during the storm, and in turn, give up their search for the girls. But when the ice melts in the town, it releases a flood of water that will change the lives of many, including the girls’ Aunt Mary and Uncle William. This is a heartbreaking read, but well written, and the author weaves NY state law in 1880 into the novel that will certainly shock the reader.