Oh, Sister: The powerful new novel from the author of Another Life

Product Information

This beautiful tale of love, loss and sacrifice will break your heart...With echoes of David Nicholls' One Day and Sally Rooney's novels * Daily Mail * The characters are brought to life in a way that will leave you rooting for them. A touching tale about female friendship [and] finding strength when you need it most' GRAZIA CN for this book/review: religion, miscarriage, sexual assault (including of a minor), internalised homophobia, pedophilia Isobel has spent her life learning to be a daughter, a wife, a mother but never learning to be herself because it didn't matter. Now without a husband, who could she possibly hope to be? If I could read this book again for the first time, I would. I found myself despairing, frustrated, elated and heartbroken for all three women, whilst reading.

Jodie Chapman - Penguin Books UK Jodie Chapman - Penguin Books UK

The world in this tale is rife with sexism, religious zealotry, hatred - it feels like a dystopian fairy-tale but is a reality for too many - and could be for anyone all too easily. And knowing this makes the utter realism of this story so compelling and vivid. All in all, I appreciate the novel’s attempts to highlight how much brainwashing occurs in cultish groups and how such religious leaders enforce misogynist practices and discrimination in the name of God. I wish the writing had been more streamlined so as to enhance the impact of the story. Nevertheless, it offers a hard-hitting look at a topic not commonly covered in general fiction.In a Nutshell: A powerful story about three women whose lives have been influenced by their religious group. The theme was great; the writing approach could have been better. But it’s still an interesting book. Jen almost died. And now the community that should be comfortin Distinct and so movingly told that as a reader you really root for them to thrive * Good Housekeeping * Born and raised in England, Jodie spent a decade as a photographer before returning to her first love of writing. She lives in Kent with her husband and three sons. Three women. Three lives. One chance to find themselves. Jen. My body is not my own. Others make life and death decisions on my behalf. Isobel. My place is to be secondary to the man in my life. Zelda. If I break the rules I will be sorry. 'But this is not a dystopia. This is not the future or the past or a fantasy. It is real and it is happening now. Can we break free?'

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman | Goodreads Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman | Goodreads

Will they find the courage to move forwards? Or will a lifetime of expectation prove too hard to escape... James Bailey has two books published with Penguin Michael Joseph. James's debut, The Flip Side, has been published in eleven languages and optioned for television. I’ve really enjoyed the first few episodes! Jamie is fab and she’s had some brilliant guests so far.I will say that this maybe feels a little one sided at times but to me that just made the emotion feel all the more raw. We all know I’m not an emotional person but the ending of this book got me! There’s a hell of a lot of rage and trauma in here but also so much hope and strength. It was the perfect balance for me and I adored it with all my heart. It was one of those that I wanted to race through to finish but also for it to never end! It was an absolutely fantastic read. The hypocrisy of religion, Christianity in this case, when it comes to women had me furious with the women who accept it and the men who are more than happy to dole out "punishments". Not one of these women deserved to be treated the way they were. And yet, where is the sisterhood when the rest of the women in the cult sneer and ignore them?

Oh, Sister | Jodie Chapman | 9780241456958 | NetGalley Oh, Sister | Jodie Chapman | 9780241456958 | NetGalley

They belong to the Church. Life and death decisions are taken by others on their behalf. Who they might marry. Whether they start a family.A story of hope over adversity . . . What each woman goes through will resonate with many. The characters are brought to life in a way that will leave you rooting for them. A touching tale about female friendship, finding strength when you need it most * GRAZIA * Zelda Bloom is a creature of sin and abjection according to the brotherhood she was born into, a people whose cruelty continues to haunt her after all these years of successfully having run away from it – until. She measures out what her designs and photographs reveal about herself, while there is so much of the past she cannot dare but conceal. It tells the stories of Jen, Zelda and Isobel. All three women are ruled by a stout belief in a religion where they are expected to do as they are told, and to be submissive to men. Acting outside of God’s wishes, according to the interpretation of the Bible, will not be tolerated. Each of the women face being disworshipped & ousted by their congregation, not because of the truth, but because they are not believed. Not believed by the elders who are, of course, men. The 3 main characters are incredibly fleshed out. The book switches between their perspectives (in 3rd person), but none of the women or their stories ever get boring or irritating. They're all flawed, morally grey, and aren't type-cast in any one role.

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman · OverDrive: ebooks, audiobooks Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman · OverDrive: ebooks, audiobooks

I tore through this book reading it over the course of a weekend. I felt so much grief for the women and in awe of their strength and sacrifice. If you are in anyway sceptical of male dominated religion then it’s a given that you will get angry, especially when you’re aware that the work is informed by the authors (recent) experience. But there are also beautiful love stories woven through this and I found myself rooting for certain partnerships. One woman is punished for being the one who suffers SA, yet, because she cannot provide two witnesses to the accusation, she is the one not believed.Oh Sister centres on three women, Zelda, Jen and Isobel, all of whom are “sisters” in a religious community (:cult) The Disciples of the Last Days, but have been disfellowed for different reasons for having gone against the rules. As with most (all?) organised religions, The Disciples require women to be devoted to God, subservient to their elders and brothers who run the cult, and do a steady trade in hypocrisy.