Dysfunction Junction by Robyn W. Pearson is a slow paced family story about sisters that will pull at your heartstrings but give you some healing by its conclusion. It explores sisterhood through the individual lens of each sister. It is a great reminder that siblings don't experience their parents in the same way and how unresolved trauma may inform their memories. It explores forgiveness and if it should be unconditional. It explores relationships with faith and how it can be part of one's healing journey. I also loved how the labeling of children as "half-siblings" or "step-children" can have a negative impact in how they view themselves within a family and in comparison to their other siblings. It was also good to see how social workers can be great at helping others with their mental health but still struggle with their own personal traumas. This is one you will have you sit with and process as you are reading because it is emotionally charged. It deals with themes of motherhood and neglect, abandonment, found family, sisterhood, generational trauma, religion and faith, community, marraige and memory.

Some of my favorite quotes in this one were:

• "Helping other people with their trauma is much easier than seeing your way through your own."
• "...trusting an eyewitness was like trying to catch the seeds of a dandelion."
• " I think of the past as whatever happened before now. The dinner we just ate, that's in the past. But your history? That's connected to you and it moves with you. It explains how and why you came to be. It's more than an event or the forty years of baggage I've been toting around."

I appreciate all the Miss Hatties of the world who try their best to be there for children that aren't their own and embody the spirit of "it takes a village". Thanks to @tyndalehouse and @cocoachapters for the gifted copy and opportunity to be on tour. ( )

The three girls—Annabelle, Frankie, and Charlotte—get a call out of the blue that has them spinning. They are being called home. They have to face a lifetime of memories they have tried to forget. Memories of their mother’s rejection. Their attempts to hide their pain must be dealt with. The girls soon learn they can only find their way to healing by dealing with the past. They had to be there for each other one more time.

Through her narration, I liked the depth the author brought to the story by the use of current day surroundings, and childhood flashbacks, make the reader feel as though they are there as these young women, learn that who they were in the past doesn't determine who they are now.

This is a powerful, healing, heart-felt story I could not put down. Parts of this story hit my heartstrings. It’s a story we all can learn from. If you haven’t read any of this author ‘s novels I highly recommend this one. It’s one you won’t soon forget.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/ ( )