My Sister's Bones - by Cathi Hanauer (Paperback)

About the Book

Against a backdrop of malls and emerald-carpet lawns, Cassie Weinstein is slowly killing herself. And there seems to be nothing her younger sister Billie can do to stop her. In this eloquently written first novel, "(Hanauer) gives power and dignity to the subject of anorexia and presents us with a book that is funny and idiosyncratic, too" ("The Village Voice").

Book Synopsis

A touching coming-of-age novel featuring a protagonist who's the kind of girl every woman wishes she'd had as a best friend growing up

Billie Weinstein sees things most people don't see. Her sister, Cassie, has always been her touchstone, the person she turns to for advice and guidance, the person whose opinion means the most to her. But ever since Cassie left for college, she's seemed different--withdrawn, obsessed with studying, and she barely eats. Billie can't talk to her parents about it; they act as if nothing is wrong, refusing to see the changes in their older daughter.

Now Billie has become Cassie's confidante, the only one Cassie trusts enough to tell the truth to, and Billie is suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar--and disturbing--role; one that drives her to make choices that will forever change the way she looks at the world.

A poignant story of self-discovery, My Sister's Bones explores the shifting landscape of family, friendship, and love through the eyes of a young girl possessed of a wisdom far beyond her years. In Billie Weinstein we meet a character as funny, vivid, and endearing as any in recent memory, and watch her transformation as she achieves freedom from the seemingly unbreakable web of family ties.

Praise for My Sister's Bones

"A poignant but also lively and humorous novel, with characters so believable you expect them to rise up off the page."--New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg

"My Sister's Bones works a miracle. . . . Funny and idiosyncratic, elegant and simple . . . [Cathi] Hanauer gives power and dignity to the subject of anorexia."--The Village Voice

"A persuasive, well-rendered, and rich first novel about family."--Kirkus Reviews

"Beautifully written . . . Hanauer paints a disturbing picture of the horrific effects of anorexia on patient and family."--Library Journal

Review Quotes

"A poignant but also lively and humorous novel, with characters so believable you expect them to rise up off the page."--New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg

"My Sister's Bones works a miracle. . . . Funny and idiosyncratic, elegant and simple . . . [Cathi] Hanauer gives power and dignity to the subject of anorexia."--The Village Voice

"A persuasive, well-rendered, and rich first novel about family."--Kirkus Reviews

"Beautifully written . . . Hanauer paints a disturbing picture of the horrific effects of anorexia on patient and family."--Library Journal

About the Author

Cathi Hanauer is the author of three novels--My Sister's Bones, Sweet Ruin, and Gone--and is the editor of the New York Times bestselling essay collection The Bitch in the House. A former columnist for Glamour, Mademoiselle, and Seventeen, she has written for The New York Times, Elle, Self, Real Simple, and other magazines. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, with her husband, New York Times "Modern Love" editor Daniel Jones, and their daughter and son.