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    The Sunshine Sisters
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    The Sunshine Sisters
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    The Sunshine Sisters
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Sunshine Sisters

    Published by Penguin Random House Audio

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    "A warm, satisfying tale about the love that binds even the most dysfunctional of families."—People

    "With clear prose and a straightforward plot, Green spins a breezy story."—The Washington Post

    "All women will recognize something of themselves in one of the Sunshine sisters. Jane Green's best yet. I raced through this."—Jojo Moyes, New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You and Paris for One and Other Stories

    The New York Times bestselling author of Falling presents a warm, wise, and wonderfully vivid novel about a mother who asks her three estranged daughters to come home to help her end her life.
     
    Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters.
     
    As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother's overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother's criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London—and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother's fame, while her marriage crumbled around her.
     
    But now the Sunshine sisters are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy have never been close, their mother's illness draws them together to confront the old jealousies and secret fears that have threatened to tear these sisters apart. As they face the loss of their mother, they will discover if blood might be thicker than water after all...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 6, 2017
    ISBN9780735285620
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for The Sunshine Sisters

    4/5

    57 ratings14 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This is a quick read which doesn't require much real thinking (these are good sometimes!). The story and characters are very archetypal/predictable, but there are some nice twists. It's like eating a tasty bag of potato chips. :)
    • 4/5
      To me, this book was all about relationships and how you can make amends. It shows that families can look all rainbows and sunshine on the outside, the inside, behind closed doors might not be what it seems. This is a very dysfunctional family, but what family isn't. Ronnie is the perfect Hollywood diva who cares more about image and herself than her three daughters who can't wait to get away from her. When the veil comes off and her mood comes out, the daughters react in different ways. Nell closes off and leaves, Meri breaks down and leaves the country and Lizzy doesn't take any crap from her Mom showing that Lizzy really is like her Mom. I have four sisters so it was interesting to see how the sisters were very different yet could support each other. There were relationships happening where you just wanted to smack people on the back of the head and relationships where you wanted to stand up and cheer.

      I found this a typical Jane Green book, and I've pretty much read them all. I enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. I found myself thinking about the sisters when I wasn't reading the book.

      Thank you to Penguin Random House First to Read Program for the advanced copy.
    • 4/5
      These women are the children of a former Hollywood star. The book follows their alienation of their mom and each other and their coming together in the end when she is dying and commits suicide. They come together as a unit again as well (they have been alienated as well).
    • 4/5
      Sweet easy easy read
    • 3/5
      Jane Green is a leading author for those looking for laughter, a bit of drama, and a touch of romance. She is the Queen of women's fiction and has a loyal group of readers. I read her latest, FALLING, as well as her recent cookbook, GOOD TASTE, and enjoyed them both although I was a bit miffed by the ending in FALLING. I am always a sucker for sister stories since I am one of three and this one truly piqued my interest.Three daughters have grown up under the neglected mothering of Ronni Sunshine, the narcissistic movie star who only had time for her children when she was wanting to show them off or when she was ill and needed them to cater to her needs. As the story flashes back to some of those awful situations of neglect and poor parenting, you begin to see the reasons why all three daughters, now in adulthood, rarely speak to their mother or each other.Nell is the tomboy of the group and ends up running a farm not too far from home. Meredith ingested all of her mother's criticism as well as all the snack food in sight and ran off to London to get as far away from critical eyes as possible. Lizzy, the baby and most like her mother, is ambitious and famous in her own right as a chef, hosting New York City's popular supper clubs. All three have bitter feelings about their past and have avoided rehashing old wounds with their mom or sisters until they each receive a phone call demanding they come home immediately. As they learn of their mother's illness, each sister handles the news in different ways and begins to reconnect in pieces with each other.The development of characters is one of Green's talents and she easily gets me wrapped up in the stories of each of these women. She creates these characters with identities we love to hate, then empathize with, and eventually understand their reasons behind the choices they made in life. But, unfortunately, the storyline doesn't offer much excitement for the reader due to its predictability. I didn't have the emotional attachment to any of the characters that I normally would in a story like this. I could find parts of each character to identify with and commiserate about my own poor choices from the past, but I never felt emotionally connected to them. As you move to the final third of the book you can see their "Aha" moments appear on the page while watching these women leave the shell that has been protecting them from hurt. Each of the daughters learns something about themselves through these final moments with their mom and you leave the novel feeling happy for them. Even though most of this novel is full of family drama and sadness, there is a bit of redemption of character when Ronni shares private conversations with each of her daughters. You may not ever like her or her daughters, but you will know, behind all the anger and sadness, there was still love.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful book. Almost didn't want to read it because it deals with sisters coming home to a dying relative but it wasn't so sad at all the way Jane Green approaches the topic. The description of landscape and foodscape just goes on and on, making you want to live in a world of beautiful farms and nourishing food. Just the reason I read every single day.
    • 3/5
      The sunshine sisters by Jane GreenHave read other books by the author and have enjoyed them.This one is about 3 sisters and their mother who's sick. Starts at present day then goes back to 1970's then 2000 then back again.To me it's so mixed up and hard to keep track of who os who. There are three sisters and the best part for me is when they are summoned home from their jobs and family.Their mother is very ill and she tells them a secret she's held close for a long time.The sisters are once again together, something that's not happened since they were young.Good story and I've though of doing same thing, my husband and myself if our circumstances get to that point. It's legal in OR already.Wish each of the sisters had gotten their own book because I like to get to know my characters.Liked mixture of careers and relationships but I couldn't tell you who was who at any given point.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
    • 3/5
      Ronni Sunshine was a famous B-list actress back in the day. For Ronni, being the center of attention came first, and the needs of her three daughters came last. As the years went by, the girls - Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy - became estranged from their narcissistic and often cruel mother, and unfortunately each other, too. Now Ronni is suffering from a terminal illness, and her last wishes are to reunite her daughters and make amends before it's too late.The bright beachy cover of this book is a bit misleading. The story of the dysfunctional Sunshine family is pretty sad. The girls' lack of motherly affection in childhood shaped the troubled adults they became - one distant, one lacking self worth, and one spoiled and selfish. None of the characters where particularly likable, however, it's certainly understandable why they turned out the way they did.This is my first Jane Green book, and I'm left with mixed feelings about it. The characters felt genuine, however some of the situations weren't realistic or were just too convenient. I did enjoy the author's storytelling, and though the subject matter was sad, the book was a quick and easy read. I especially enjoyed the bucolic Connecticut setting of Nell's farm.Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      I would like to thank First to Read, Berkley, and Jane Green for the ARC of "The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green for my honest review. The genres of this novel and Women's Fiction and Drama. Jane Green writes about a truly dysfunctional family. She describes her characters as complicated and complex for starters. This is a heavy family drama. The mother, Ronni Sunshine is an actress and reminds me of a "Mommy Dearest" type person. Totally narcissistic, and unavailable as a mother to her three daughters, she has created a toxic environment for them. Ronni is very moody and takes it out on two of her daughters when she is having a dark day. She is constantly critical of her daughters and always complaining. The three daughters have very different personalities and have different ways of coping with their mother's temperament. This reflects in their relationships to one another and to to others. This also contributes to many life choices and their professions. An older Ronni calls her three daughters home, when she learns that her has a fatal illness. Upon reflection, Ronni wants to make amends to her daughters, and she wants her daughters to relate to one another and become a family. Is Ronni asking the impossible? How can three sisters who have been separated by choice,come together? Is it possible to show forgiveness to their mother. I love the way Jane Green writes the emotional story and discusses, family, mother and daughter relationships, self-worth, growth, forgiveness, love and hope? What does make a family? I would highly recommend this intriguing and dramatic family novel.
    • 4/5
      How could I have missed out on Jane Green's books all these years? This story is a mix of elements revolving around a dysfunctional family, the Sunshines. Volatile celebrity actress mother, Ronni, raises three very different daughters ending up estranged from each other as adults. Remorseful and suffering from ALS, Ronni chooses to end her life but first wishes to make things right. She brings the family together one last time to say goodbye and reweaves lasting relationships. Touching, entertaining, and relatable in many ways!(This book was given to me as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
    • 4/5
      Ronni Sunshine is a famous, wonderful, pleasant actress on stage, but at home she is anything but wonderful and pleasant. She has no time for her daughters.We follow Meredith, Nell, and Lizzy as they grow up in an unloving household with a mother who is more of a tyrant than a mother and a mother who cares only for herself.The girls flee the nest one at a time and have troubles of their own because of their childhood, but now that Ronni is dying, she wants her daughters to rally around her. Ronni also had something else in mind when she invited her daughters back to their childhood home.Each sister has a totally different personality, and it was interesting to follow them to see the path each one took. Nell seemed to be the responsible one. Meredith seemed to still be looking for happiness. Lizzy was still the fly-by-night, spoiled one.The family issues and the different lifestyles the girls led were nicely developed by Ms. Green and could be the lifestyle of any young girl growing up trying to make choices.This is my first book by Ms. Green. It was an enjoyable read and not something I normally read so I was surprised how her writing and story line pulled me in.Nell seemed like a genuine person who worked hard in her life to make up what she had missed during her childhood.Meredith kept speaking to me because of the way she put everyone before herself and kept the peace.Lizzy was self-centered like her mother, and I liked her the least.The characters did grow on me as they grew emotionally and made choices they never thought they would.Women's fiction fans will enjoy this book because of the family drama, the regrets, the healing, and how Ms. Green addressed both family and friend relationships, as well as addressing end-of-life decisions.. 4/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green is a 2017 Berkley publication. This book is the ideal beach read. Ronni Sunshine was once a famous actress, defining the narcissist personality we so often associate with that occupation. But, she also has three daughters, Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy, all of whom couldn’t wait to get away from Ronni… and each other.But, now they have all been summoned home by Ronni, who has been diagnosed with a fatal disease… for real this time. She only has a little time left to get her daughters back together in one place, and to apologize to them for being such a wretched mother, and hopefully receive their forgiveness, but she also needs their help to carry out one final, shocking request. After years of estrangement from their mother, the girls gather together with all their resentments and baggage coming along for the ride. Can they make peace with their mother and mend their broken relationship with each other?All of Ronni’s daughters bring high drama with them- Nell, a single mom, who has never been able to get over her first love, no matter how hard she tries to feel a connection and real passion with someone else. Meredith took a dull job, has a boring boyfriend, and finds great comfort in food, while trying to make everyone else happy.Lizzy, is the youngest, and the most like her mother. She’s a successful celebrity chef, with a husband and young son, but she is also having a long running affair, she can’t seem to withdraw from, having also inherited her mother's spoiled self-absorbtion. Under the same roof, the sisters become catty, with their barely contained annoyance with each other simmering just underneath the surface. But, when they find out their mother is gravely ill, they each take stock of their lives, and find the courage to take risks, embrace their sisterhood, and commonality with each other, and embark on a new chapter in their lives. The story got off to a slow start, for me, but I’m glad I stuck it out. The real turning point comes when a writer shows up at Ronni’s, hoping to do a documentary over her life. His presence allows the sisters to look back over their mother’s life, and helps them put their childhood’s in perspective. Other than Ronni’s illness, the story is not too heavy, and there are several comical moments along the way, but the emotional levels stay on an even keel, so you won’t have to worry about doing the ugly cry sitting poolside. But, mostly this is a story about three sisters who did not have a strong parental influence in their lives, because their mother was so caught up in her career, always trying to keep the attention on herself and was a real life drama queen, and father who chose his second family over them. They all endured some kind of side effect from their upbringing that influenced the decisions they made and the actions they took as adults, with disastrous results. They now have the rare chance to change the course of their lives, to make peace with the past and with each other and enjoy the last, but best gift their mother ever gave them… each other. Overall, this is a nice and easy read, with nice character growth, and a feel good ending.
    • 4/5
      The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green. This book wasn’t really that beachy, but it would still be the perfect book for a summer afternoon. Ronni Sunshine is a former actress who recently got a bad diagnosis/death sentence of sorts and wants to end her own life before she has to endure all the pain the disease will bring. She calls her three estranged daughters home to reveal the news and her plan. She wants to apologize for not being the mother they deserved and have them all there with her when she dies. Her diagnosis made her made her realize the damage she has done to her daughters. The one last thing she can for them is try to bring them back together. She now realizes she wasn’t a good mother, too focused on her career and disinterested with her children. “By the time they were old enough for me to want to get to know them, none of them were interested.” Dying has brought everything back into focus.Enters Ronni’s three daughters, the Sunshine Sisters:Lizzy is the youngest sister and she is the most like her mother. She is a renowned chef, in a failed marriage, driven and gorgeous. She has always been the wild child and the one who got away with the most when it came to getting in trouble with her mother.Meredith is the middle sister. She left home for London because her mother never made her feel good enough. She is engaged to a man she really doesn’t like. She is a very sweet person who lacks self-confidence and doesn’t think she can do any better than her fiancé.Nell is the oldest daughter. As soon as she was old enough she fled her mother’s home to work on a farm and has been there ever since. Nell is a loner who doesn’t expect anything from anyone. She is strong, self-sufficient, but scared to let her guard down. She is alone because of her fears.None of the sisters have ever been able to accept their mother with all her self-absorbed, dramatic flaws. They resent her for not being warm, interested, concerned and for not being maternal.” They have all endured a lot of hurt and have issues because of their mother. Will they be able to forgive their mother before she dies? Will they be able to build their relationships with each other?The book goes back to look at all their lives leading up to where they are now. A really good women’s fiction, chick-lit, beach read.Quote: “If we’re not showing other people our true selves, our weaknesses and flaws, how can we ever allow ourselves to be known?”
    • 3/5
      The Sunshine Sisters, Jane Green, authorThree sisters are summoned home by their mother with no explanation. She wants to give them some news. All three have been estranged, not only from their mother, but from each other. They have rarely returned home to Westport, CT, after they left, and they do not often communicate with each other. They wonder why their mother has reached out to them and wonder if it is just another one of her ploys to get attention.Ronni Sunshine, their mother, was a famous actress. Nell, Meredith and Lizzy have all lived in her shadow in one way or another, throughout their lives. Ronni had little time for them as they grew up, neglecting them and her marriage, devoting herself to her work in order to further her career. Each sister has a different personality which developed in response to the way in which their mother treated them and the way they reacted to her often cruel tirades and selfish needs. Lizzie is forceful and confident and would laugh, never letting her mother’s moods bother her. Nell would withdraw and show no emotion, when the moods were particularly unpleasant. Meredith would feel shame and blame herself when her mother harangued her. She lacked self confidence. She took the brunt of her mother’s rage. How each daughter reacts to the call to return home to see their mother and how they interact with each other is the substance of the novel. It explores the relationship between parent and child, sibling and sibling and husband and wife. Relationships between partners of same and opposite sex, married and unmarried are unmasked and described in detail. How will they all get along when they suddenly find themselves thrown together in their family home, confronting the anger and jealousy they each harbored toward each other and their mother? There are some humorous as well as some more serious touching moments as the story rolls out. The author presented several important issues and they were developed well. In addition, like most books today, the author seemed eager to subtly present her views on controversial issues through the types of characters she developed, the problems they faced, the careers they pursued, and the lifestyles they chose. At times, it felt a little contrived as it moved back and forth in time, revealing the family’s history and problems by exposing the memories of each character. However, it did keep me interested and was an enjoyable read. It is definitely more of the type of a book I would describe as chick lit or a companion to take with you on vacation. I especially enjoyed reading about some of the communities in the story which were suburban or bucolic and with which I am familiar.