Middle Sisters

Multi-generational saga reveals women's resilience and self-determination in the face of war, poverty, infidelity, illness, tragedy and betrayal. A riveting and uplifting journey from Belgium to America, based in part on secretly kept journals.

In Middle Sisters, a poignant memoir, we delve into the compelling story of several generations of women, caught in the ebb and flow of the 20th century, amidst world wars, deprivation and sudden affluence. This family saga unfolds beginning in Belgium in 1908 and culminates in the United States today.

Lydie, a dominant mother, coerces her vulnerable middle daughter, Zilda, into a loveless marriage with a self-serving, greedy man. As they navigate their tumultuous relationship, Zilda births three daughters forced to grow up amid constant conflict and occasional absurdity.

From Zilda, the focus shifts to her own middle daughter, Marguerite, a fiercely independent spirit who marries an unfaithful, brilliant man in medical school. She emigrates to the US, practices medicine, gets divorced and single-handedly raises her daughters while battling patriarchal academia, serious illness, eventually finding solace in the companionship of a younger, caring man.

The narrative is enriched by Zilda's secretly penned journals, discovered posthumously. She paints a vivid portrait of her life - from her impoverished early years, her resentment-filled marriage, her strained relationships with her daughters and, finally, a shocking act of betrayal that leaves her shattered.

Despite favoring Marguerite's sisters during their formative years, it is Marguerite that Zilda leans on during her later years. This memoir is a complex tale of generational meddling and trauma, favoritism, abandonment, and broken relationships. It is also the story of a young mother's determination to free her own family from the chains of past mistakes, and a testimony to the resilience and power of women amidst adversity.

Middle Sisters is an unflinching exploration of women's resilience, the search for independence and happiness. It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of self-determination.