After losing her husband, her career, and her home, an offer from Freya’s niece, Billie, to manage the family bistro on Magnetic Island while her parents, Pearl and Troy, are travelling, is a gift she can’t afford to refuse. Billie, recently returned from several years overseas and recovering from heartbreak, is happy when Freya accepts, even if her mother seems inexplicably wary of the two spending so much time together.

Unfolding from the perspectives of Freya and Billie, The Sister’s Gift by Barbara Hannay is a story of motherhood, secrets, and second chances.

At the heart of this novel is the secrecy surrounding the surrogacy arrangement shared by Freya and Pearl. Hannay’s portrayal of their complicated relationship is thoughtful and nuanced. The experience drove a wedge between the sisters, largely due to Pearl’s fears and insecurities about motherhood tangled with the remnants of sibling rivalry. Freya has never regretted her decision, though it came at a personal cost, but she has been disappointed by the distance between herself and her sister, and tried her best to maintain a relationship, at a distance, with Billie.

Freya’s return to Magnetic Island is inadvertently a catalyst for Billie learning the secret of her birth, but it also offers Freya a surprising opportunity for a second chance when her ex-fiancé, with whom she ended things in order to become Pearl’s surrogate, arrives at the island for the winter months. I sympathised easily with Freya and was pleased by the closeness she established with Billie, and the romance that developed between Freya and her old beau.

Billie has never understood the tension between her mother and aunt, but has always largely dismissed it as being due to her mother’s high-strung, anxious personality. It’s one of the reasons Billie keeps secrets from Pearl, though she can’t hide this latest one for long. Though somewhat impulsive and directionless, I liked Billie well enough, and thought her emotions related to events were portrayed authentically. What surprised me was the haste of her romantic relationship arc, I didn’t mind that Hannay developed one, but I didn’t think the timeline was believable given the circumstances.

In the end it’s the reveal of a secret Pearl is keeping from both Billie and Freya that leads to the sisters mending their rift. Though the plot points of the story are fairly predictable, they still offer emotional impact, with both heartwarming and poignant moments.

The Sister’s Gift is an engaging and pleasant read, and those who enjoy family drama with a happy ending will surely find it gratifying. ( )

Barbara Hannay’s books always guarantee a story that the reader can absorb themselves in. (They also guarantee a time in which little other work will be attended to, but that’s okay!) The Sister’s Gift is a lovely story that is heart-warming and calming with glimpses of a tropical paradise that 2020 citizens can only dream of.

This story has two main characters, Freya and Billie, who are aunt and niece. Neither of them have had the easiest of times lately. Freya is divorced and out of work. When her house burns down, it’s the last straw – and the last link to her old life. Billie will be looking after the family restaurant on Magnetic Island while her parents travel and needs Freya’s help. It’s the opportunity for Freya to start again and Billie to recover after a failed overseas relationship sent her back home. Billie’s mum is surprisingly negative about the whole situation, but reluctantly grants her permission to let Freya help. The island offers new opportunities for both Freya and Billie. Both find unwelcome parts of their past coming to the fore, and their relationships with each other and new and old friends grow. But the people on the island have long memories, and rumours start to surface about Freya and Billie. Will the rumours destroy all of their relationships? Or it is an opportunity to let old wounds heal?

I enjoyed The Sister’s Gift for the complexity of the relationships between the women. They aren’t your usual secrets and their effects on the family are carefully and sensitively examined. There is a lot more at play here than a first glance at the blurb reveals. There are themes of infertility, sexual assault, serious illness and relationships in older women. I felt the sexual assault plot thread was handled well, demonstrating the realities of what women can face from their employer. The illness thread I felt was a little rushed, with a very neat ending. This may be my own bias working in the field – I’d love to see a life changing problem solved so quickly and perfectly! But overall, the story was gripping and just right for a rainy weekend. The Sister’s Gift is a book that entices you to pick it up every time you tear yourself away from it. This is because the characters feel realistic. They are whole, with memorable quirks, worries and endearing traits. The interactions of the female characters are strong and accurate, from the everyday conversations to the big reveal. And finally, I couldn’t help but enjoy the setting. Warmth, sunshine and sea is just what I needed in the middle of a rainy winter. The Sister’s Gift not only added sunshine to my heart, but a great story.

Thank you to Penguin for the copy. My review is honest.

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