Lesley Lokko is a new author to me but I shall certainly be looking for more of her books after reading Soul Sisters. An interesting cast of characters and a timeline that takes the reader from the 1920s in the Prologue through to 2010. at the finish and from South Africa to Scotland and back again. I enjoyed the book but thought that the handling of the time shifts could have been better handled than another Part with the ditsturbance to the reader of big headings announcing the shift. But that's just a personal preference. And there was something that came up in the last 5% or so of the book that I felt was unnecassary to the overall plot. Overall a very good story, well written and with good character development. With thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC this title.

The novel starts in 1921 in Matabeleland, Southern Rhodesia when George McFadden is reluctantly at a mission at Marula but longs for his native Scotland. It ends approximately eighty years later with the focus on the ‘soul sisters’ Catriona Jennifer McFadden known as Jen and Kemisa (Kemi) who came to live with the family as a young girl. Intertwined in their story is Solam Rhoyi, a very politically astute and decidedly pragmatic financier turned politician.

First of all, what I like about the book is the early background to this ambitious saga. The bond between Kemi and Jen is extremely well done, they both have shadows for mothers though for entirely different reasons. Solam’s background is extremely interesting and through him we get a very good insight into the massive political changes in South Africa, both the positive and negative. The characters are well crafted and clearly depicted. The descriptions of South Africa are very good and it’s easy to visualise it. The storytelling encompasses multiple themes of love, lust, obsession as well as money and greed. One of the most thought provoking aspects is the desire for identity for the ‘exile kids’ such as Kemi and Solam. There’s also sadness, loss, betrayal as well as keeping silent and thus suppressing big secrets.

However, I think this novel is trying to be too big and too ambitious. You get invested in a timeline and it jumps to the next one. This leads to the plot becoming too much, it’s overwhelming, trying to be too dazzling and becoming blinding like the African sun. It also means that things get glossed over and becomes too much surface and not enough meat. At times the author is intent on telling us unnecessary things like what people are wearing. I don’t care! I want to know what they’re doing or thinking! I find the first half is way more enjoyable than the second and it should be the other way round with the adulthood of the soul sisters. I think there are two books here which would be way more satisfying in my opinion.

Overall, it’s very compelling in parts and too superficial in others.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan for the arc in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book in parts; I enjoyed the development of the characters and their strong sisterly bond, I enjoyed the dual settings of Scotland and South Africa and I enjoyed the insight into lives lived as exiles in another country. What frustrated me however was the unfinished development of so many scenes and characters; the opening chapter introduces people and an illegitimate child that has no bearing on the rest of the story; coltan mining is hinted at but nothing more is ever said despite it presumably being behind the power; devastating events occur but repeatedly consequences are avoided by skipping ahead to ‘three years later’, and several times characters appear to have personality transplants during those interludes. This was an easy book to read with a consuming tale to tell, I was left wanting more, just not in the right way. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

A book I liked but didn't love. The Mcfadden sisters share an interesting family history which takes the reader across across the political landscape of South Africa, London and Edinburgh looking at race, love, status, family and a whole lot more..

I read half of this book and I gave up. I was expecting a historical fiction one... This author is similar to Lucinda Riley, who I don't really enjoy, but I know many people do... but this author is not similar to Kristin Hannah, who I adore. It is well written but is just not for me. I was bored and that's why I just decided not to finish it. Thank you, NG and the publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review,

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a free advance review copy of this book.

I haven’t read this author before, and the cover, title, and blurb intrigued me.

The narrative got off to a strong start; however, the many character and time jumps spoilt the flow for me. No sooner had I become engaged and invested in the characters than yet another shift would occur. By the halfway point, I had lost much of my earlier enthusiasm. The plot, pacing, and style don’t appeal to my personal tastes, unfortunately, but that isn’t to say this isn’t a well written book, only that it’s not for me.

I tried hard to like this read, but it just didn’t gel. I’m sure readers who enjoy historical, mult-national, and relationship-based fiction will enjoy Soul Sisters. I rate this at a positive 3 stars.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

This is one of those rare conflicting stories - one that is impossible to put down but you don’t want to finish! The soul sisters are Jen and Kemi, one black one white! Their story has a long history which gradually unfolds before gathering momentum at quite a pace! The girls meet the main man, the handsome, shrewd and hugely ambitious Solam. The families are close and the political history unites them all. Obviously the author knows the country of South Africa and brings it alive in the telling, the countryside, the dwellings, the characters, the corruption,, the poverty and the power! Superbly told and a story which held me enthralled from the first page!

To be honest I had never picked up a book by this author before because the style of cover and story line sounded too 'romancey' for my taste but this looked different so gave it a go. I am very pleased I did. While I am not against romance, I prefer my books to have something more like some good history for example and this had exactly that. In many ways this reminded me of Lucinda Riley's Seven Sisters series. There is romance but along the way I learned about a facet of world history I knew nothing about.

Kemi and Jen had grown up together since children and see themselves as 'soul sisters' even though their racial history is radically different. Jen is red haired, white and Scottish while Kemi is a stunning African beauty. We follow their family stories from 1921 to 2010 and back and forward between, Scotland, England and Africa. When the handsome and driven Solam enters their lives a wedge is driven between the girls and decisions must be made. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the politics and apartheid of Africa in a such a light way and now plan on doing some more reading about that period of history so thanks to Lesley for educating me and wrapping it up in a good story.

It was years ago I read the blockbuster Sundowners which was my first read by Lesley Lokko and I’ve been a huge fan of hers ever since.
Soul Sisters is also superb, it follows the Mcfadden sisters, bought together by a shared family history, through their journey of self discovery. It’s an epic story set across the political field of South Africa, London and Edinburgh and exposes the consequences of power, race, love and a deep family secret.
It’s well written, powerful and poignant, another satisfying book by Lesley Lokko...she definitely knows how to keep readers riveted until the very last page. Highly recommended.
Big thanks to Lesley Lokko, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.