Three Sisters

Product Information

Although the ending was very clever and unexpected, I disliked most of the characters and found the plot to be quite mundane. This story has a hopeful ending though as eventually the sisters make it to Israel after the war and start a new life there. Sometimes the stars align and, by a zillion-to-one chance, you discover that dreams, every now and then, do come true. While I like the story and appreciate Morris’s efforts in relaying the Meller sisters’ experiences through each of their perspectives, I felt that the writing was bit too simplistic and oftentimes felt detached from the narrative. It takes more than a new setting though to get through the survivor’s guilt that many have and each cope with it differently.

For two years after Cibi and Livia were taken to Auschwitz, Magda remained at home but felt remorse and guilt that she was at home and her sisters had been taken away. Again, despite the writing style, the message and thrill was definitely delivered by the last couple chapters. Once Cibi, Magda and Livia are together again, they draw hope from the promise they made to their father and vow to each other that they will survive. Magda, only 17, stays with her mother and grandfather, hiding out in a neighbour’s attic or in the forest when the Nazi militia come to round up friends, neighbours and family.

Just before their father’s death, three young girls make him a promise: they will stay together no matter what. Having read Heather Morris' previous two books, I could not wait to read Three Sisters and it really did not disappoint.

Even the minor characters are pulled into the bigger stories and I think this led to a rather cluttered narrative. Cibi, only 19 herself, remembers their promise and follows Livia, determined to protect her sister, or die with her. The novel recounts the sisters’ work assignments—such as literally building the Birkenau camp block by block—illnesses, interactions with guards and kapos, and brushes with death. From international bestselling author Heather Morris comes the breathtaking conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz trilogy. Rich in vivid detail, and beautifully told, Three Sisters will break your heart, but leave you amazed and uplifted by the courage and fierce love of three sisters, whose promise to each other kept them alive.

As this story begins, it is June of 1929 and the setting is Vranov nad Topl’ou in Slovakia where three sisters, Cibi, Magda and Livi are sitting in their backyard with their father.

Having said all that, I do appreciate what Morris tried to do here, which was to relay the sisters’ courage and resilience in surviving the camps and rising above the tragedies they experienced to ultimately live full and flourishing lives. It shows the difficulties they face in coming to terms with what they had been through, each dealing with survivor’s guilt, Cibi losing her faith, unable to pray. The story is told from the perspective of the characters so I was able to get a viewpoint from the remaining two sisters, the driver of the car and what he was dealing with and also some other characters. Recommend to fans of Historical Fiction, WWII survival and anyone who wants to learn about these amazing sisters.

I absolutely adored Heather's two previous novels - The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Journey - so I was more than excited to see she'd written another book. Getting to know the characters and understanding their lives and what drives them to do the things they do becomes a story. For this reason, this entire story lacked the emotional pull that I have come to expect from this series. Three Sisters by Heather Morris tells their tale of survival and love, from Slovakia to Auschwitz to Israel.