A Reunion of Ghosts: A Novel by Judith Claire Mitchell

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Three wickedly funny sisters.

One family’s extraordinary legacy.

A single suicide note that spans a century …

Meet the Alter sisters: Lady, Vee, and Delph. These three mordantly witty, complex women share their family’s apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. They love each other fiercely, but being an Alter isn’t easy. Bad luck is in their genes, passed down through the generations. Yet no matter what curves life throws at these siblings—and it’s hurled plenty—they always have a wisecrack, and one another.

In the waning days of 1999, the trio decides it’s time to close the circle of the Alter curse. But first, as the world counts down to the dawn of a new millennium, Lady, Vee, and Delph must write the final chapter of a saga lifetimes in the making—one that is inexorably intertwined with that of the twentieth century itself. Unspooling threads of history, personal memory, and family lore, they weave a mesmerizing account of their lives that stretches back decades to their great-grandfather, a brilliant scientist whose professional triumph became the sinister legacy that defines them.

Funny, heartbreaking, and utterly original, A Reunion of Ghosts is a magnificent novel about three unforgettable women bound to each other, and to their remarkable family, through the blessings and the burdens bestowed by blood.

my thoughts:

Quirky, smart, and unputdownable are the three words I would use to describe Judith Claire Mitchell's novel, A Reunion of Ghosts.

Lady, Vee, and Delph are sisters who have decided to commit suicide on the last day of the year in 1999.  Their lives are filled with bad luck and thanks to their family's history with death, well they know that suicide is the answer.  Its in their blood.  You see, this sisterly trio won't be the first in the family to have committed suicide.  Yep, the Alters are cursed with the misfortune of early death (by their own hand) thanks to their great grandfather - the inventor of chemical warfare!  Ack! Talk about something NOT to be proud of.  You would think that so much death would make for quite a depressing read - well, it didn't.  I actually found myself laughing out loud at times. Written with wit and humor, twists and turns, this book makes for quite a unique family saga.  I absolutely loved getting to know Lady, Vee, and Delph.  Told in alternating voices, we get to learn about each sister and their family's sad history.  The more you read, the more you begin to understand the Alter family's belief in paying for the sins of their fathers - its quite sad really.  Mitchell explores the concept of absolution through these sisters and their family's choices - its absolutely riveting.  I just loved A Reunion of Ghosts!

I would most definitely recommend this novel to fans of literary fiction - its a must-read!  To find out what other bloggers have to say about this book, here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: A Reunion of Ghosts

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!