A bit of a slow tedious start setting the history of this multi cultural, multi generational book. A bit of darting backward and forward too which I found distracting. Once the story got going It was concentrated on Scottish born Jen McFadden and South African born Kemisa Mashabane.
Jen and Kemi were brought up as sisters living in Edinburgh, two very different girls growing up but as young women, their closeness leads them both to leave Edinburgh for South Africa.

Really enjoyed reading this. Loved the sisters also enjoyed reading about SA and the problems there.

An atmospheric read as always. The only thing that disappointed me was the very frequent jumps forward in time, which seemed to happen just as we were settling into a particular period of time and it left a few questions lingering in my mind.

I have always loved Lesley Lokko books - set in Africa with a frisson of glamour and danger, this is a great read. Which sister gains more empathy_ that@s for you to find out! Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this

This is one of those books I probably I wouldn't have read normally - but I'm so glad I did. Two girls, one black, one white, one from Scotland, one from South Africa, who are brought together by circumstances that had happened in the past, form a friendship that will last a lifetime, though it does have rocky patches caused by a man who is important in both their lives. I learnt a bit about the politics of South Africa through this book but ultimately it was the story of Jen and Kemi - soul sisters.

2.5 stars - a shared family history brings Kemi from South Africa to live with Jen in Edinburgh. Lovely cover, great descriptions of places but a little too much about clothes and household things etc. What really spoilt what could have been a fab book was the constant moving time forwards. So frustrating when something is going to happen and then off it goes to when it has with no more details, reactions or explanations! I liked Kemi but not Jen who was a wet lettuce who drifted from one thing to another. A fairly chunky book, great for holidays.

Jen and Kemi have grown up together as different as two sisters can be, When Jen finds out she is pregnant to Lenox boyfriend she can’t remember how it happened let alone how to explain to Kemi

This was a very intricate story of what sisterhood means and how we are perceived. It was slow and at times dull and boring and had the left to the side for a while but some aspects were delightful and insightful.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Soul Sisters by Lesley Lokko is the story of Jen and Kemi. Jen is from a wealthy Sottish family, and Kemi comes to live with them as a child. She is from a political, black South African family, at a time when it was dangerous to be. Kemi has been sent to Edinburgh for her own safety.

Jen and Kemi become ‘soul sisters’, perhaps closer than real sisters would be. Even thought their lives are very different (Kemi becomes a surgeon, Jen works in the art world), they never lose that bond. Until, that is, a man comes between them.

Solam Rhoyi. He’s a black South African financier who wants to go into politics - and he wants to be really successful.

The feelings of Kemi and Solam were conveyed really well, and their need for identity as ‘exile kids’; the political aspect was interesting and it didn’t have too much romance (which is just how I like it: some, but not an overwhelming amount!). Other themes were family, secrets, race and power.

I really enjoyed the background to this story, and the hints as to why Kemi and Jen’s family had such a close bond. I loved the South African setting, and how, as the reader, I got to see a little of what goes on in hospitals and in politics. I wish we’d got to see a little more of the consequences of some of the huge events, both personal and political. There was a bit too much of jumping years ahead for me. Perhaps it would have been better as a duology (as some other reviewers have said). I absolutely would have read it!

I enjoyed this read following 2 girls brought together by complex family circumstances throughout their lives, with Scottish and South African backdrops. I did find the sudden time jumps at crucial plot points a little frustrating and was left with a few unanswered questions but overall it was enjoyable. Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC

I have been reading Lesley Lokko’s books for a number of years and always find them a compelling read. This is a fascinating story of the political times during the apartheid era in South Africa and spans over eighty years. Kemi’s parents are both in jail in South Africa for crimes against apartheid. She goes to live in Scotland with the McFadden’s who have a daughter Jen and they become ‘soul sisters’ brought together by a shared family history from generations ago. Solam’s parents were also part of the apartheid struggle and his mother encourages him to meet up with Kemi when he is at university in England. They are instantly attracted to each other and when he persuades Kemi to return to South Africa, Jen accompanies her. The story follows the relationship over the years of the three friends and the outcome when secrets of the past are revealed. An intriguing story but a disappointing ending for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the story of Kemi and Jen and the bond they shared. It was well researched which made it a really interesting read which kept me hooked. Set across South Africa, London and Edinburgh about politics, family and ambition which made for a compelling read.

I very much enjoyed this different and interesting novel. Set predominantly around the turn of the Century (2000) in both the UK and a developing and changing South Africa, it was a period of history I know well and remember. It was an interesting time. The authors knowledge and understanding came through. .
The two female characters are well portrayed and I found myself caring about them and wondering what would happen. There were flashbacks to their earlier childhood, and indeed to much further back when their families first met, making it an inter generational story. The more current part was what stayed with me however, and had the most impact. I am absolutely sure it was me, but I was a little confused by the relevance of the earlier plot.
Having said that - this is a book that I enjoyed and will stay with me.
Thank you to the author and her publishers for enabling me to read and review this book via #NetGalley

Jen and Kemi are the 'soul sisters' of the title, brought up together since they were young after Kemi arrives from South Africa where her parents are political activists in the time of apartheid.

The story takes them back to South Africa, where they meet again with Solam, a charming young man with political aspirations.

This book is about politics, ambition, love, and family, and how the search for all these things creates clashes and tensions. All the characters are fascinating, whether loveable or loathsome, yet some of the scenes did grate on me as quite cringy, particularly those involving Solam.

It is a long time since I have read a Lesley Lokko book, and I have several on my ever growing book shelves, so I was really excited to be invited to take part in the blog tour for her new book Soul Sisters This is a sweeping epic novel that covers ninety years and two continents. Jen is an only child but at nine years old her father, Robert McFadden, brings Kemi to live with them. Kemi is aslo nine, but comes from South Africa, sent by her parents who are arrested as part of apartheid. The girls become as close as sisters, and become Soul Sisters, always there for each other, and when Kemi returns to South Africa for the first time in twenty years, Jen goes with her. But whilst there, their close bond begins to fracture with an act of betrayal. Set against the political tensions in South Africa this is a book about secrets, family identity and ambition.

Soul Sisters is one of those book you can get lost in, with its sweeping time line, wonderful settings and amazing characters. When reading books I have a a thing about working out the ages of characters when books cover a long time period, and I get really annoyed if the ages and time span don’t match up ( I know, a bit obsessive of me). At the beginning of this book Lesley Lokko brilliantly includes the year, location and the ages of the main characters so you can keep track, a brilliant idea. The first few chapters of the book set the background for the main narrative of the book, and gives an insight as to why some of the characters are the way they are. The central characters are Jen and Kemi, whose lives we follow from their first meeting at the age of nine, until the end of the book when they are forty one. Jen has been brought up in Edinburgh, with a strict father, a mother who has health problems, who make her feel like a disappointment. She has had all the opportunities money can buy coming from a wealthy family but seems to drift through life. Kemi has had a more difficult start in life, her parents are both political prisoners in South Africa so she is sent to live with Jen, whose father Robert McFadden was a friend of her grandfather, to get an education and all that can offer. Through their story we see that it is not blood that necessarily makes a family, but the bonds made, the unconditional love and the loyalty to each other. Their closeness is made stronger by the fact that they both feel distant fom their family; Kemi doesn’t really remember her father and doesn’t see her mother for over ten years, and Jen has very little contact with her parents on a daily basis. The catalyst that sees the bonds frayed is Solam, an ambitious man who wants to make a name for himself in South African politics. Like Kemi his parents were political prisoners and he was educated in England before returning to South. Africa. Solam’s ambition fuels him and he will do anything to move up the ladder, not always ethically, and in the process will come between Jen and Kemi; not the most likeable character.

Lesley Lokko opens up the world of South Africa, it’s difficult history, the class divide, the poliical divide and lack of meical care in some areas. I knew a bit about apartheid but this book really opened my eyes and taught me more about this period in South Afican history. Families torn apart by the politics, children sent across the other side of the world to go to school, living with family of friends they have never met, with no idea when they will see their parents again. The theme of racial and cultural identity is also prominent in the narrative. Kemi doesn’t feel South Africa after spending the majority of her life in England or Scotland, she feels disparate from her family and country, she is not sure how she fits in, unlike Solam who has also spent most of his life in England but definitely feels his roots in South Africa, a country he wants to help change. At the start of the book there is also an insight into how British missionaries working in Africa could abuse their power without thinking of the consequences.

As well as the contrast between Jen and Kemi there are the contrasting settings in the book. Kemi’s first impressions of Scotland and England are of everything being grey; the buildings, the. weather and the people. South Afica, however, is full of colour with a feeling of the exotic, but there are tensions there with the need for gated communities and body guards if you are important. Lesley Lokko captured the vastness of the country, the gap between poverty and wealth, the racial and cultural divide and the bright and exotic colours.

Soul Sisters is a fascinating read, spanning nearly a century and taking in the the changes that happened over that period. With well crafted characters whose lives I became invested in and a sweeping plot line of secrets, love, family, politics and betrayal this is a book that I was completely immersed in. At a time when race and cultural identity are at the forefront of our lives, Lesley Lokko writes with understanding and though her characters addesses many important issues. Utterly compelling and beautifully written I can’t recommend Soul Sisters highly enough.

A good read An epic story which begins in South Africa and it explains the background of where the characters originated from, it skips quite a lot of years and the rest of the story centres around Jen and Kemi who come from different backgrounds and cultures and Salam who has great political views and is a big part of the story. Loved the locations as the girls were bought up in Scotland and their journey see's the story take place in both countries which make this a very interesting novel

A wonderful fairy-tale.

Kemisa (known as Kemi) Mashabane goes to live in Scotland (from Southern Africa) when both her parents are jailed for crimes against apartheid. Her new family are the McFadden’s and have a daughter called Catriona Jennifer (Jen). Jen and Kemi become soul sisters despite their skin colour. However, Jen always feels that her father is fonder of Kemi. It’s always Kemi who gets praised for her schoolwork and when she becomes a doctor, Jen’s father couldn’t heap more praise – looking down on Jen for doing an art degree.

Solam Rhoyi also attends school and university in England. His parents were also part of the struggle in South Africa’s apartheid era. His mother encourages him to meet Kemi and there is an instant attraction. He encourages her to return to South Africa, as she’s never visited since leaving home aged seven. Jen accompanies her.

The story follows the relationship between Kemi, Jen and Solam. The political struggles and intrigue after Nelson Mandela is released from jail and the “new elite” in South Africa.

The characters were very one-dimensional and found I skimmed the pages until the end – which is where the fairy-tale happens! I think like many other South Africans I like to say, “if only!” because it’s what the country deserves but at this stage is simply that – a fairy-tale.

Lesley Lokko has authored a well-researched book, sticking to the facts and places but unfortunately, I couldn’t empathise with the characters.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

This book is about two girls, Kemi and Jen, who were brought together and treated as sisters when Kemi's mother was arrested during the apartheid era in South Africa. It is a fascinating story of the political times and the relationship between the two girls, who call themselves soul sisters, and how their lives pan out over the years. I have always loved Lesley Lokko books and normally give them five stars but with this one I found I was slightly disappointed with the ending but still a good solid 4 stars

An intriguing story which spans many years over an interesting period of history. Two girls brought up as sisters share a joint history full of secrets and lies.

This is a compelling and complex, mainly historical saga that spans continents and cultures. At its core is the sisterly bond between two women who grew up together despite having different birthplaces, cultural identities and families. The story begins in Southern Rhodesia in 1921 and concludes in 2010 in Cape Town. Short chapters and parts propel the reader through family history and political change until we reach the time when the sisterly bond is tested and family secrets revealed.

Well researched historical details and realistically crafted characters make this an absorbing read. It does move through time quickly, but the story's focus is on the sisters and how their bond is tested. Solam is a pivotal character who represents South Africa's changing political climate. His political ambition makes him manipulative and ruthless, especially in his interactions with the soul sisters.

This book takes the reader on an emotional journey filled with betrayal, love and secrets. It explores culture, family, identity and political change with rich sensory imagery and believable characters that bring the story to vibrant life.

I received a copy of this book from Pan Macmillan in return for an honest review.