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    While My Sister Sleeps
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    While My Sister Sleeps
    Unavailable
    While My Sister Sleeps
    Audiobook10 hours

    While My Sister Sleeps

    Written by Barbara Delinsky

    Narrated by Cassandra Campbell

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Molly and Robin Snow are sisters, and like all sisters they share a deep bond that sustains them through good times and bad. Their careers are flourishing-Molly is a horticulturist and Robin is a world-class runner-and they are in the prime of their lives. So when Molly receives the news that Robin has suffered a massive heart attack, she couldn't be more shocked. At the hospital, the Snow family receives a grim prognosis: Robin may never regain consciousness.

    As Robin's parents and siblings struggle to cope, the complex nature of their relationship is put to the ultimate test. Molly has always lived in Robin's shadow, and her feelings for her have run the gamut, from love to resentment and back. The last time they spoke, they argued. But now there is so much more at stake. Molly's parents fold under the devastating circumstances, and her brother retreats into the cool reserve that is shattering his own family. It's up to Molly to make the tough decisions, and she soon makes discoveries that destroy some of her most cherished beliefs about the sister she thought she knew.


    From the Compact Disc edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 17, 2009
    ISBN9781415958711
    Unavailable
    While My Sister Sleeps
    Author

    Barbara Delinsky

    Barbara Delinsky is the author of more than twenty-two New York Times bestselling novels. Her books have been published in thirty languages, with over thirty-five million copies in print worldwide. A lifelong New Englander, Delinsky currently lives in Massachusetts with her husband. She is a passionate photographer, an avid tennis player, a drop-all-when-they-call mom and Grammi, and a confidante to friends of all stripes.

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    Reviews for While My Sister Sleeps

    3.5/5

    196 ratings25 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Everything happens for a reason according to Nana and even though some things might not make your happy, they do have to happen. Potential Olympic runner Robin Snow is out on a run and has a heart attack. This leads to a week of anguish for a family but yet each of them grows in their own way. This book is tragic from the very start to the very end yet it is bittersweet. How is the Snow family going to cope with the tragedy of Robin's heart attack and what are they going to decide. Very sad book that makes you stop and think, how would I deal with this type of tragedy? Would I be like Katheryn watching her oldest daughter in the hospital not wanting to come to terms what is happening? Would I be like the younger daughter Molly who wants to be strong, wants to do what Robin would want and thinks she has never been good enough in her Mom's eyes. Or would I be like son Chris, detached and not one to show his feelings. Very beautifully written.
    • 5/5
      A very heart-warming story. I kinda hated Robyn in the first few chapters but started liking her towards the end. Love this story and again I always like the author's slight reference towards knitting.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book about death, making impossible decisions, and learning to forgive.
    • 2/5
      More of a 2.5 for me. There was just too much that Delinsky tried to cram into this book--too many people, too many issues. I really didn't feel like I knew the main characters or understood their motives.
    • 3/5
      Interesting week long drama of a family who's oldest daughter is declared brain dead after collapsing during her run. A light read raising many issues.
    • 5/5
      The Snow sisters - Molly and Robin - are as close as two sisters can possibly be. Like most sisters, the women share a bond that has sustained them through the good times and the bad. Throughout their childhood, and now as adults, the women's love for each other and their friendship has endured, and is just as strong as ever. Their careers are flourishing - Molly is a horticulturist and Robin is a world-class runner - and they are both in the prime of their lives. So when Molly receives the news that Robin has suffered a massive heart attack, she couldn't be more shocked. At the hospital, the Snow family is given the grim prognosis: Robin may never regain consciousness.As Robin's parents and siblings struggle to cope, the complex nature of their relationship is put to the ultimate test. Molly has always lived in Robin's shadow and her feelings for her sister have run the gamut, from love to resentment and back again. In fact, the last time the sisters spoke, they argued. Now, however, there is so much more at stake. Under such devastating circumstances, Molly's parents begin to fold, and her brother retreats into a cool reserve that threatens his own family. So, it's up to Molly to make the tough decisions, and she soon makes discoveries that shatter some of her most cherished beliefs about the sister she thought she knew.Once again, New York Times bestselling author Barbara Delinsky has created a masterful family portrait, filled with thought-provoking ideas about the nature of life itself, how emotions influence the decisions we make, and how letting go can sometimes be the hardest thing to do and also the greatest expression of love all at the same time.While I will admit that a few of Barbara Delinsky's books that I've read in the past may not have been her best work - at least in my opinion - I would give While my Sister Sleeps a definite A+! I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In my opinion, Barbara Delinsky has once again created characters that are absolutely realistic and easy to relate to, people who the reader can't help but care for as they suffer through their various trials and tribulations. I'm certainly looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
    • 3/5
      I read the Secret Between Us which was good and liked this one as well. Like all sisters they share a deep bond that sustains them through good times and bad. Their careers are flourishing—Molly is a horticulturist and Robin is a world-class runner—and they are in the prime of their lives. So when Molly receives the news that Robin has suffered a massive heart attack, she couldn’t be more shocked. At the hospital, the Snow family receives a grim prognosis: Robin may never regain consciousness. Barbara Delinsky brings a masterful family portrait, filled with thought-provoking ideas about the nature of life itself, how emotions affect the decisions we make, and how letting go can be the hardest thing to do and the greatest expression of love all at the same time.
    • 2/5
      When Robin's sister suffers a heart-attack while jogging it throws the whole family dynamics in a whirl as they wait for her to awaken. Sounded like a great book from the blurb and cover (I know, I know, don't judge a book by it's cover!) but I was disappointed. Very soap-operatic and predictable.
    • 4/5
      I found this story to be very well written as well as heartbreaking. Only having a brother, I couldn't image loosing him to a heart condition. I even liked the love interest the author added to the story. This book was an easy read but had me thinking on many different levels.
    • 2/5
      I have been a Barbara Delinsky fan for years, but I truly did not care for this book.
    • 3/5
      While I enjoyed this story, I could not help but compare it to my life with my younger sister and her very similar death at the age of forty seven years. As one of the other reviewers noted, there are discrepancies between the story and what actually occurs in the true situation. It does not seem to have been well researched.I spent 3 days and nights loving my sister on her way out of this world. I sang to her, I rubbed lotion on her, I talked to her...........I loved her.In this story, Robin, the sister who is a runner, goes down with a freak heart attack at the age of thirty something. Her mother, father, brother, sister Molly, and friends must deal with all of the things that must be dealt with while mourning the fact that it is only the machines keeping their loved one alive.I have read much better by Barbara Delinsky and this one too, could have been much better. It is rather a 'pat' story for the subject matter that it covers and while a quick and easy ready it did not feel real to this reader. I expect more from a Delinsky novel.
    • 2/5
      I usually love Barbara Delinsky and she is one of my favorite authors. But I was very disappointed in her lack of research on this one. My family has been through the very hospital scenario described. This book has left me wondering if Barbara even spoke to anyone who has had to make these decisions, and if she did, did she take the time to research the EXACT scenario she describes. I wonder this because she mentions Teri Schiavo who was not in a coma or ever brain dead like the character in the book, but in a persistent vegetative state (although that has been disputed). I did not identify with any of the characters and their thoughts and actions during such a terrible tragedy within their family shocked me. I feel this book was written from Barbara's perspective of what she imagines it might be like, but she did not actually try to find out what it really IS like. Even the medical information regarding organ donation was all wrong and I couldn't even finish reading it because I was so angry that she is misinforming people. I guess it would be a good book if you hadn't been through such a terrible tragedy yourself, but I would warn readers that there are a lot of inaccuracies. If anyone has questions about the different levels of consciousness, brain death, and organ donation, read Culture of Death by Wesley J. Smith. If I had not read this book prior to what happened to my family, I would have been very confused and I would have wondered for the rest of my days if we did the right thing. PLEASE don't base any of these life and death decisions on this fictional book!
    • 4/5
      A very moving story of a family coping with a medical tragedy that requires them to pull together to make a very difficult decision. It focuses on the relationship of two sisters, one the favorite of their mother, and how love and guilt can play such important roles in family dynamics. I liked it enough that I'll read another book by this author.
    • 3/5
      I found this book compelling...it was an easy read and a page-turner. I sympathized with Molly, the protagonist, and liked her as a person, although it did get a little repetitive that she put herself down so much. It was a shame that it took the cataclysmic event of her sister's heart attack & subsequent coma for Molly to mature and see herself and others in her family in a more multidimesional light. There were a lot of issues that were well-addressed in this book: Good Samaritans & the principles that protect them, family dynamics and the maturity & individualization of siblings, end-of-life & donor issues, teaching & anorexia (how involved is too involved?), also fidelity-honesty (on an emotional level) and marital harmony. It was also about how family secrets can remain hidden only so long and not without a ripple-effect. I am reminded of a quote from Dexter: "There are no secrets only hidden truths that lie beneath the surface."The ending was rather twee...everything works out well & everyone is relatively happy...not so much like real life.I would give it a 6 1/2 out of 10. A good summer read.
    • 4/5
      I liked this for the lessons taught. Interesting details and entertaining.
    • 5/5
      I really identified with Molly & her family. The struggle of doing the right thing (whatever that may be) and the family dynamics were interesting to observe...and they felt real to me--at least the mother & Molly did.
    • 4/5
      Robin Snow is a great runner preparing for the Olympics and in the prime of her life when she is struck down on a training run by a heart attack and put on life support and declared to be brain dead. This is the start of the book.Her family, sister Molly, a horticulturist who has lived in the shadow of Robin, her brother Chris, and her parents are obviously devestated by this event. They all have their own reactions. Her mother Kathryn does not want to lose her first born child and cannot come to terms with turnning off the life support. Her father is in shock and wants to leave the decision to his wife. Molly only wants to do what Robin would want, and Chris the brother is trying to deal with problems in his own marriage. Other characters play their part in the story too to make it all more interesting but still believabale. And secrets are revealed. As the members of the family work things through to the inevitable ending they learn things about themselves and each other and about Robyn, through a diary that she has been writing. I really enjoyed this book.. I became really involved with the characters and the situation they were in. It is a story about a family coming to terms with one of the worst things that could happen to them and it gave me things to think about.
    • 5/5
      Strong book with a great story
    • 2/5
      This was my first attempt at a Barbara Delinsky titled. I thought the characters were unlikable and the dialogue was choppy. The writing is not very detailed, almost elementary. I have clearly read too much Jodi Picoult because I expect some intelligence and detail in the characters and the writing. I could not get into this one at all.
    • 5/5
      I absolutely loved this book. Molly's older sister Robin has suffered a massive heart attack while running. She was found unconscious by another runner who immediately started cpr and called 911. Robin was taken to the hospital but the prognosis was not good. This all brought Robin's family together and unleashed some deep buried secrets by their mother Kathyn. The author did a wonderful job with the characters and showing the reader what it is like when someone you love is brain dead etc. I felt for Robin and her family and cried at the end . I was glad that Robin's family could finally made peace with their decision not to continue the life support.
    • 4/5
      My review: Robin is the star athlete of the Snow family. All family activities revolve around her running. Molly is the younger sister, always feeling second best to Robin. Even as an adult, Molly continues to struggle living in Robin’s shadow. It’s not until Robin’s last run, that the Snow family will finally face the reality of their dynamics.One that fateful day, Molly was supposed to be with Robin during her long run. True to Robin’s fashion, she changed her running plans at the last minute and expected Molly to accommodate her schedule. Molly, fed up with Robin being inconsiderate, decides to not help Robin and goes about her day as planned. Later that evening, Molly receives a call from the hospital stating Robin has been in an accident and she’s needed at the hospital immediately. Molly blows off the phone call thinking Robin just had another running injury. (after all, she’s had numerous injuries in the past) and takes her time arriving at the hospital. It’s not until she speaks with the doctors, that she learns the severity of Robin’s accident.Meanwhile, their parents, Kathryn and Charlie Snow, are en route from a trip when Molly calls to tell them about the accident. Molly doesn’t go into detail, but explains to her parents that they should come straight to the hospital. Molly’s brother, Chris, is having marital problems. His wife, Erin, complains that he doesn’t talk with her and is not an active participant in their marriage.As the Snow family gathers at the hospital, they soon learn Robin’s prognosis is grim. Each has his/her own way of grieving for Robin and what her void will mean to the family.What effect do the characters in the book have on one another? Each family member has a role that he/she plays well. Charlie is the quiet father, but still has a presence in the family. He keeps Kathryn grounded and is the voice of reason. Kathryn is the overbearing, hardworking wife who wants the best for her children. It comes off that she favors Robin and pushed her far and beyond to be the best runner, however Kathryn has her reasons for doing so. Chris, the middle child, is quiet and takes life as it comes. Initially, he appears to “go with the flow”, but the reader soon learns he’s very passive in his life. Finally, there’s Molly, the youngest. Molly picks up Robin’s slack. She never feels she’s good enough in her mother’s eyes and is expected to do whatever she can to make Robin’s life easier.As the author reveals more intimate details about the Snow family, the reader quickly begins to see things aren’t as perfect as Kathryn portrays them to be. Molly discovers a family secret and confronts her parents. The reader learns more about Robin through her journal entries once this secret is revealed. My only complaint is I would have liked to have read more of her entries. So much of the family centered around Robin, so at this critical time, I would have wanted to hear more from her as she really is a silent character, with a profound presence.My thoughts on the ending: The ending doesn’t come as a surprise. The book is mainly about the process that Snow family goes through in order to reach a decision about Robin’s life. Throughout the process, each member will learn how his/her role in the family impacts the family as a whole.Recommended for readers who like: a good story about family dynamics. If you are a Barbara Delinisky fan, this novel will not disappoint. If you have never read a book by this author, this would be a good place to start.
    • 5/5
      One of the best books that I have read. The story line of relataionships between mother/daughter, sisters, father/daughter/ friends is rvieting. I couldn't put the book down.
    • 5/5
      I have been a Delinsky fan for a long time. Some of her recent books have been somewhat disappointing, though. I thought her book More Than Friends was her very best work, until I read While My Sister Sleeps. This is a touching story of a family in crisis. Secrets and hurts are exposed, without the "easy" answers that are frequently found in novels. There is a lot to think about. It will make you think about your own "game plan" for the unexpected, and want to tell those you love that you cherish them.
    • 5/5
      Another excellent book by Barbara Delinsky. What I find so refreshing about this author is that the quality of her books are consistent, she isn't an author simply writing a story for the sake of writing one- she has important, interesting and emotional topics that are very engaging to the reader.This story centers around the Snow family. This family, to the outside world, appeared put together and in control. However, tragedy strikes the family and secrets are revealed that were never meant to come out. The family relationships are put to many tests and the true strength of the family will be revealed through their reactions to the situations. This is an excellent read. The reader should be warned that there are sensitive topics in the story including end of life decisions. I highly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      Explores important questions of end of life decisions, family relationships, and love and respect.