I loved this book, found it sensitive, eye opening and extremely interesting!

Jodie tells a great story, was definitely a page turner and I was well invested in the three main women in the story.

Would love to put this book in a Boozy Book Club Box!

I loved this read I was rooting for all three of the main characters and couldn't wait for them to find themselves.

An excellent novel which offers insights into a very different world and captivated me from the start. Highly recommended

Three women, brought together by their shared religion- and their stories were heartbreaking. They have all been psychologically imprisoned by their religion. told what they can and can't do whilst men have the freedom to do whatever they want without question. The three- Isobel, Jen and Zelda- have transgressed their church's teachings and have been pushed out of their community - this is their story.
Powerful, harrowing, gut-wrenching writing. Its a story thats going to stay with you for a long time.

I read Oh sister over a weekend on my balcony (and stayed up late in bed to finish it) it felt so good to want to forgo sleep and finish a story, that hasn’t happened to me in so long.

I am pretty sure this one came recommended by @ali_millar_writes , which makes sense because this is a thinly veiled story about the damage high demand religious groups imprint on women.

Following three women with lives interconnected by faith but vastly different in social standing, class and life stages, flitting between each of their pasts and presents. Each are at different stages of their relationship to the high demand religion they were all raised in, and we watch and they try (and fail often) to untangle their own thoughts from those of what they have been told.

Chapman’s writing was brilliant, dialogue believable and most importantly not an attempt to pass value judgment on those who are stuck in positions of powerlessness thanks to their indoctrination. It’s clear Chapman knows plenty about what it’s like to try and rebuild a life after living without choice, and cares little to try and convince the reader there is only one way to think.

The opening page will stay with me for a while longer: “out of respect for my mother, I have changed the name of the religion. Out of respect for myself I have written this book”.

A beautiful story about three women, Zelda, Isobel and Jen. They belong to the Church and their bodies and minds are not their own. Isobel’s husband leaves her and Jen challenges those in charge. This is when the Church turns their back on them because they believe they have gone against the religions belief.

This story was powerful and beautifully written. This is a theme driven book about finding freedom within organised religion. All the women have very different lives but are all living on fearfully. However, they all find strength within themselves to find out what truly makes them happy and this is so powerful.
Jodie Chapman is an exceptional writer and portrayed the way of life for these women in such a moving way.

This book and the writing definitely isn’t for everyone, but I would really recommend it. Different to what I normally read and I am glad I got the opportunity to read it!

Gosh this book was completely absorbing yet very unsettling. It was quite slow paced for me. It did have an intriguing plot and great characterisation. It didn’t quite gel for me though.

The characterisations in this book are fantastic. The story builds around several main female leads within the interesting context of the Jehovah's Witness community. This book felt original and well written whilst gently challenging some key generalisations.

I found this book very absorbing and couldn't put it down, the three women's lives were so well told. Very real insights into their religion and what is expected of women and how men can utilise this. The bravery of them all was what shone through for me, their fortuitude in managing whatever came their way. Some of their decisions I despaired at but it was clear why they had made those choices, given the circumstances in which they lived. Victor was very likeable and provided a useful view as an outsider looking in. I know several friends I will be recommending this to especially but overall I highly recommend.

Oh Sister is the story of three women, Jen, Isobel and Zelda who are or were involved in a fictional religious cult. It doesn’t take too much reading between the lines to work out this is based on Jehova’s Witnesses which also featured in Chapman’s previous book.
Each chapter is told from one of their perspectives and we go back and forth between the past and the present so we get to know them very well and their experiences over a long period of time.
All three characters are believable, I liked all three but also felt incredibly frustrated by them all at times. Chapman explores organised religion within the book but more specifically the way women are treated within such organisations. Isobel, Jen and Zelda seem to be at the mercy of different interpretations of the rules because they are women. The men they are connected to always seem to come out on top and then women are left with a huge burden of guilt, shame and judgement. I thought Chapman did a really good job of showing how the religion can envelope people, there are times where these three just blindly follow along without questioning anything they are told to believe or are asked to do.
Oh Sister is a fantastic book, it is heartbreaking in places and such an interesting read. I feel like it is one that I will think about for a long time.

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.

Story Synopsis:
Zelda is a rebel who seeks to live life on her own terms, but she’s not entirely successful in leaving her past behind.
Jen has gone through a traumatising experience, but instead of being looked upon as a victim, she is blamed for a decision she had no control over.
Isobel has spent her entire married life being the perfect wife. But now her husband wants to leave her, and she has no idea who she is without him.
All three women are connected in some way to an extremist religious cult. Will they be able to put themselves first and break free of the stranglehold the men in their lives wield over them in the name of God?
The story comes to us in the third person perspectives of the three women.

Bookish Yays:
✔ The theme is the strongest part of the book. Based on the real-life Jehovah’s Witnesses, the fictional ‘Last Days’ group of the story is a typical male-dominated religious cult that twists Biblical scriptures according to their own convenience and indoctrinates their followers into blind belief. Their misogynistic decisions are infuriating. I loved how some of the “worldly people” of the book were able to question some of their claims logically.
✔ The three women at the centre of the story are the primary characters throughout. Don’t assume them to be portrayed as typical victims. All three of them are grey characters, with their judgemental nature and impulsive decision-making being as much on display as their strength and courage to stand up for themselves. Isobel and Zelda were particularly impressive as their characters grow with the story. Their tracks depict how you can take a person out of the cult but that does not necessarily take the cult out of the person.
✔ Victor was the most impressive of the secondary characters. I wish he had had a greater role to play. He was one of the few sane voices in the story.
✔ The ending was somewhat realistic than picture perfect. I appreciate that choice.

Bookish Nays:
❌ Jen’s character isn’t portrayed consistently. Her arc switches between conventional to rebel back to conventional and so on.
❌ The writing is quite jumpy, especially in the initial quarter. The link between the three tracks isn’t visible at first, which is fine. But the arcs go across multiple time frames and introduce too many characters without enough background. This disjointed approach also makes the pacing quite slow.
❌ The story appeared quite literary in style at the start, but soon it revealed itself to be a typical general fiction work, trying to cover as many themes as possible. I might have respected the story far more had a romantic relationship not have been made so important a part of one of the women’s new life.
❌ While some of the secondary characters were interesting, they don’t get much to do in the story and stay somewhat flat throughout the story. Most of the men, except for Victor, come on the page only when they have to play their role, and then they disappear even from conversations. The backstories of certain essential secondary characters such as Zelda’s parents aren’t clearly developed.
❌ Minor complaint: Where is the story set? There is only mention of the religious places such as ’Worship Hall’ or the places of work or residence such as dentist’s office or apartment. But which town/city/country? This might not be a relevant point to many readers, but I like knowing the location to understand the story and characters better. Of course, skipping this info might have been a deliberate choice so as to make the plot feel universally relevant. But it became confusing for me as I know both Jehovah’s Witnesses and LDS churches originated in the USA. So I assumed the book was set there, until one character mentioned midway the book that they dreamt of going to the USA, which caught me off guard.


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. Recommended despite the flaws. Worth a one-time read.

3.5 stars, rounding up mainly for the theme.

My thanks to Penguin Random House, Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Oh, Sister”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


Content & Trigger Warnings: Miscarriage, Abortion, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting.

This is Jodie Chapman’s second novel, the follow up to her debut Another Life which I’ve heard great things about.

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.

Jodie Chapman grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness, and while she has changed the name of the religion at the centre of this novel, it was presumably inspired by her upbringing and borrows heavily from JW dogma. This makes it a really interesting read, knowing there are likely women in real-time enduring what the characters endure in this book.

The story and the writing is a little disjointed, moving around in time and from character to character, but it works. The women are on edge, their nerves frayed. They live their lives fearfully, looking over their shoulder and you feel that for them. The women’s mixed fortunes feel real - there’s no sugarcoating or Hollywood ending.

I enjoyed this tense, melancholy pageturner; I think it will stay with me. There’s a great scene towards the end featuring Zelda at a cheap, American-themed motel on the side of a British motorway and Zelda’s ephipany is a really cinematic, standout moment in the book. Recommended. 4/5⭐️

I loved Jodie Chapman's debut novel Another Life and so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read Oh Sister.
It's a powerful and unsettling novel which centres on the lives of three women- Jen, Zelda and Isobel- who are at some point, part of a strict and extreme religious sect. Women are completely subservient to men within the sect, and all three women are disfellowshipped after supposedly breaking the rules. Through the three women's stories we learn of the abuse and misogyny they have endured, the author relates this in a believable way but it is hugely shocking and outrageous and I felt so angered reading it. The author really conveys the sense of belonging gained from fellowship of the sect and the emotional toll their disfellowship takes on them.
It's a slow paced novel that took me a while to get into but once I did I found it to be a hugely compelling read that ultimately conveyed a sense of hope.
Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

The slow pace matched the reflective nature of the novel, which explored different experiences within a religious community that has been corrupted by misogyny. Each of the three protagonists was given space to pursue their traditional and rebellious thoughts, allowing each to complete a journey that was fleshed out and nuanced and provided closure by the end of the narrative. The novel was propelled by a variety of different relationships: friendships; mothers and children; marriages, old partners and new romances; and the relationship the characters had with themselves, past, present and all of the possible future versions. At times I felt like the novel could have gone further in its criticisms and explorations, but it was a portrayal of everyday sexism and the violence that can lurk unseen that was so realistic it was frustrating to read.

I feel like the contents of this book were not what I was expecting when I started but I was utterly sucked in. Following 4 women and their lives inside a religious group, various themes are explored - showcasing how a faith can be such a complex experience.

Wonderfully written.
Thank you for the chance to read this ARC

This is a compelling book about finding freedom after suffering trauma, rejection and hypocrisy within organised religion. This will sadly speak into the experiences of many and Chapman's sensitive handling will I hope be a cathartic read for anyone who recognises any of the events or attitudes described. Yet, despite the serious storyline and issues explored this has rich characterisation and a compelling plot driving you all the way through this enjoyable book.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This book is utterly compelling. Given the subjects explored, it doesn’t feel right to say I enjoyed it, but I was completely absorbed. It’s extremely well written and I cared so much about the three women we meet in the book.
The book centres around a religious group and what it means to be a woman within it. Given the direction of their lives is completely controlled by men, they were very much secondary in the book. I loved watching them evolve, while despairing at other points.
The subject matter is tough, abuse and grief are prominent. But it’s such a worthwhile story and it never felt heavy handed. We know what we need to know in order to understand these characters. The writing is superb.
I’d recommend this book highly. It’s challenging and interesting and I felt the ending left me satisfied and thinking more. It would be great for book groups as there’s so much to unpick.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Three women, Zelda, Isobel and Jen . They are very different women but their bodies and minds are not their own. The belong to the Church. In this case, an extreme Christian religious church. They are sisters of the church and the brothers of church wield all the power. The Church through the elder brothers make decisions on how the women live, their healthcare, who they can marry, how they should behave. The Church influences all aspects of their lives and then the Church shuns them and the consequences for each woman are devastating and life changing.

I didn't know what to expect from this book but it wasn't this. The book almost immediately drew me in. All three women are so different and each woman's story was so well crafted and each character came to life on the page. This fictional church terrified and enraged me in equal parts and yet it was so wholly believable. There are some dark and disturbing themes woven throughout the book and all are written with care and consideration. I was wholly drawn into the world of these women, a riveting read that was hard to put down. I raced through this one as I was so invested in these women's lives.

The author does a brilliant job in showing the horror side of some organised religious groups and balances the horror with lightness because there is also an abundance of hope, friendship, love and optimism within,

A really interesting and thought provoking read with characters you will care about when reading. I think this would be a great choice for a book club and I think this one will be very popular, it deserves to be widely read.

Recommend.

I don't know what I was expecting with Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman. I tried not to read too much about it. I don't think I was quite prepared for what I got.

Oh, Sister is the story of three women and their experience being part of the Jehovah's Witness faith. It is how the experience of being part of a religious community can be both a comfort but also cause a lot of pain. As someone who is not particularly religious I found it a fascinating study of a religion that I really would have no idea about if it were not for books like Oh, Sister.

What is impressive is that Jodie Chapman knows both worlds and can give both perspectives and whilst there is no way that her view isn't coloured by her experiences she doesn't force them upon her reader. She allows you to make your own decision.

The three main characters - Jen, Isobel and Zelda - show how cruel a religious group can be but also how being a part of that lifestyle can be something you covet and crave as it is the only world that they know. As a reader, you feel that you want to fight for each of these characters because whilst you can see their flaws you know that they don't deserve some of the things that happen to them.

Oh, Sister is written so beautifully and even when dealing with difficult topics (and please take this as your trigger warning) you cannot help but want to read more. The book doesn’t go out with a bang but it does give you a sense that the characters are where they are meant to be and that things panned out the right way.

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman is available now.

For more information regarding Jodie Chapman (@jodiechapman) please visit her Twitter page.

For more information regarding Penguin Books UK (@penguinUKBooks) please visit www.penguin.co.uk.

Oh, sister
An utterly brilliant book, I read it in 24 hours, didn’t want to put it down. Jen, Isobel and Zelda’s lives are all shaped by the religion they have been part of all their lives. Belittled, used and abused by the men in their congregations, often the ones they are married to, this is a book that with make you really angry. Jodie Chapman is an astonishing writer, and as this book is shaped by real events she has witnessed in the religion she was raised in, it makes for truly uncomfortable reading. How in earth women be subjected to this sort of control in this day and age?
Go get this book, it’s a such a fantastic novel and will really make you see the world in a different light.