Ottawa Citizen

Getting to heart of sibling rivalry

Journey of sisters who want what they don’t have

- LINCEE RAY

Bestsellin­g author Emily Giffin delivers another emotionall­y honest work with the novel First Comes Love. Giffin paints a relatable picture chroniclin­g the journey of two sisters who land on opposite ends of the spectrum after tragedy strikes their family 15 years before.

According to Facebook, Meredith has a pretty good life. Even though most of her social media hashtags claim she is “blessed,” Meredith can’t seem to shake the feeling that something is missing from her marriage. Her husband is kind and attractive. He adores her and their four-year-old daughter. But it feels more like a friendship than a romance, and Meredith secretly wonders if circumstan­ces years ago forced her down a wedding aisle out of guilt.

Meredith’s sister Josie longs for her sister’s life. She would give anything to be a mother. In fact, she plans on skipping marriage in order to get to the baby carriage part. When her ex-boyfriend’s child ends up as a student in her first-grade class, Josie begins to research having a baby on her own. Since the tragedy, she’s mastered the skill of taking control of her life. Why stop now?

Meredith doesn’t understand why Josie can’t bask in the freedom of not maintainin­g a busy schedule or having other people depend on her. Josie is confused by Meredith’s inability to embrace the fact that she has it all. Neither is willing to confront the issues that divide them in order to come to terms with her own reality.

First Comes Love is a heartstirr­ing novel about the many layers of sibling rivalry. It’s a story about the past and the future, fighting and forgivenes­s. It’s a story about following your heart.

 ??  ?? First Comes Love Emily Giffin Ballantine Books
First Comes Love Emily Giffin Ballantine Books

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