First published 2009
Deborah Tannen examines the intricate relationship between sisters, drawing from interviews with over one hundred women. She reveals how sisters navigate between two competing forces: the desire for closeness and the pressure of constant comparison. Tannen shows how these relationships contain contradictions. Sisters can make each other laugh until they cry and return to childlike silliness together. Yet the same person can devastate you with a single misplaced comment. The author combines research findings with personal stories about her own two sisters. She demonstrates how conversations between sisters reflect this ongoing tension between connection and competition. Tannen provides practical techniques for improving these relationships and offers concrete solutions for common problems. The book builds on her previous work examining communication patterns, this time focusing specifically on the sister bond that shapes many women's lives.
Genres: psychology, contemporary, non-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-dynamics, personal-growth
256 pages · Hardcover · Random House