The Sister Knot
New York City, 1946. German Holocaust orphans Liane and Frima are rescued by a Jewish refugee agency and relocated to New York City after five vagabond years in war-ravaged Berlin. The traumatized young girls, having survived the dangers and hardships of street life through cunning, thievery, and prostitution, find adjusting to foster care rules difficult. To overcome the loss of family, friends, and their homeland, Liane and Frima vow to be “blood sisters,” no matter what the future holds.
To escape despair, Liane, who dreams of being an artist, often forages through city debris to find metal, wood, and stone scraps that she uses to create miniature sculptures. When most are destroyed, Frima saves one unique statue, the Sister Knot, symbolizing their enduring friendship. Their paths diverge when Frima is adopted by a well-to-do Jewish family, offering her many opportunities to succeed, while Liane remains in group homes, struggling to make ends meet.
Over the span of sixty years, as Frima marries, has children, and teaches, and Liane takes on odd jobs to pursue her art career, their relationship transitions in surprising, sometimes contentious, and heartbreaking ways. But their indestructible bond holds fast, forged by their shared experiences and strengthened by the tough love, understanding, and support the two women build as they reconcile their turbulent past and internal demons.
Epstein’s poignant, haunting tale of survival, resilience, and friendship deftly employs dual narration, providing powerful, in-depth, and intriguing portrayals of Liane, rebellious and independent, counterbalanced by Frima, conservative and introverted, as they journey through the trials and triumphs of overcoming their past. A memorable, evocative novel that explores the Jewish faith and religious intolerance, the Holocaust horrors and its impact on future generations, and the fragile yet unbreakable oath of sisterhood.
