The Stolen Sister (Sun-Kissed Sagas)
The Stolen Sister is a dual-timeline saga with events alternating between Crete in 1963-67 and Wales in 1984. In 1963, beautiful young artist Greta moves into a painters’ commune where she meets and falls in love with the handsome, native Cretan leader of the group, Andreas. In Wales, 1984, Zoe’s mother, Greta, has just died from cancer. Greta leaves Zoe a letter telling her she wishes for her ashes to be scattered in Crete. Astonished, Zoe then embarks on a journey to Crete to discover her mother’s hidden past and in the process stumbles upon a romance of her own.
The novel proceeds at a measured pace, slowed by incidental events and repetition, which don’t always move the story forward. The 1980s timeline in particular takes quite a while to get going: the story only really begins when Zoe gets to Crete (after several chapters detailing her preparations for the trip). The writing is light on interiority (especially for Greta’s sections) and contains a lot of filtering, so the reader does not become immersed in the characters or fully invested in what happens to them. The style of writing lacks tension (events are explained at length to the reader, rather than trusting them to join the dots) and the plot doesn’t contain any unexpected revelations (unfortunately, the title is a huge giveaway!).
Overall, The Stolen Sister is a readable saga, probably best enjoyed by fans of the genre.
