They Were Sisters

By: Dorothy Whipple

Narrated by: Sara Poyzer

When three sisters marry very different men, the choices they make determine whether they will flourish, be tamed or be repressed. Set in 1930’s middle-class England, the classic domestic drama, They Were Sisters, is a compelling but harrowing novel by Dorothy Whipple.

Meet three women with contrasting partners: Lucy's husband is her beloved companion; Vera's husband bores her and she turns elsewhere; and Charlotte's husband is a horrifying bully who turns a high-spirited naive young girl into a deeply unhappy woman. This is the story of how those marriages shape the sister’s lives, the consequences of their decisions, and the sisterly love that hopes to save them from tragedy.

They Were Sisters is part of the Persephone Audiobook Collection, a series of forgotten classics that includes neglected fiction and non-fiction by women writers. This audiobook of a novel first published in 1943 breathes new life into Whipple's work; with a fascinating introduction by novelist Celia Brayfield.

Critic reviews

It is the most extraordinary and brilliantly subtle but moving look at three sisters, and the interplay between them as they grow into adulthood . . . such a wonderful character study (Elizabeth Day)

Exerts a menacing tone from start to finish. I eavesdropped on the lives of Lucy, Charlotte and Vera, compelled to go on but with a sense of simmering dread (journalist Charlie Lee-Potter)

The sparkling achievements of this accomplished novelist, not the least of which is the ability - rarer today than it should be - is simply to entertain (novelist Sally Vickers)

characters who step out of the novel into your life

deeply moving portrayal of women in mid 20th century England; their marriages, their children, their husbands, their lovers. The management of families, households, houses and even servants is done with unmatched thoughtfulness.

Wonderful Whipple

Another compelling story by Dorothy Whipple - marriages, siblings, parents and children - family life, human relationships and the choices we make. A book about ordinary lives and its living.

Plot and characters engaging

I very much enjoyed this book by Dorothy Whipple. The plot and characters were engaging.

Depressing story, unrelatable characters

Narration is fine, but unexceptional. Story line is choppy. Characters are not realistic with the exceptions of Jeffrey and some of the background characters. It's a depressing saga with no one to root for or really take an interest. And some of the emotional abuse segments go on too long. I felt like I was being abused. Cannot recommend, very surprised that it was widely praised in its day.

Characterizations and mastery of complex plot lines

Whipple captures accurately the variety and complexity of being human. She creates pathos without sentimentality There is a richness and depth to her characters