The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this release from 

the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I was so excited to receive an ARC of Lynn Cullen's latest novel, The Sisters of Summit Avenue several weeks ago but I only got around to reading it in the last few days. Isn't that how it goes sometimes? I loved Cullen's previous novel, the gothic and atmospheric "Mrs. Poe" but this is a totally different type of story. The storyline of two sisters wasn't what initially grabbed my attention though; it was the setting--the Midwest during the Great Depression. I've been personally drawn to these stories lately, wondering how families made ends meet and the details of their daily lives. Cullen masterfully presented the extreme division of wealth and the onslaught of advertising at a time when a majority of the nation did not have an expendable income. I was sad to leave the world of June, Ruth, John, and Dorothy when I turned the last page, but I also consider that to be a great trait in a storyteller. Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ novel from Lynn Cullen!

Summary:
Ruth has been single-handedly raising four young daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for eight long years, ever since her husband, John, fell into a comatose state, infected by the infamous “sleeping sickness” devastating families across the country. If only she could trade places with her older sister, June, who is the envy of everyone she meets: blonde and beautiful, married to a wealthy doctor, living in a mansion in St. Paul. And June has a coveted job, too, as one of “the Bettys,” the perky recipe developers who populate General Mills’ famous Betty Crocker test kitchens. But these gilded trappings hide sorrows: she has borne no children. And the man she used to love more than anything belongs to Ruth.

When the two sisters reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making. And their mother, Dorothy, who’s brought the two of them together, has her own dark secrets, which might blow up the fragile peace she hopes to restore between her daughters.