While My Sister Sleeps - by Barbara Delinsky (Paperback)

About the Book

Following the success of "The Secret Between Us," a book the "Boston Globe" hailed as one of her best, Delinsky returns with another moving and deeply satisfying novel, this one about the unique and emotionally complex world of siblings.

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the author of Twilight Whispers and "a first-rate storyteller" (The Boston Globe) comes a masterful family portrait, filled with thought-provoking insights into how letting go can be the hardest thing to do--and the greatest expression of love.

Molly and Robin Snow are sisters in the prime of life. So when Molly receives the news that Robin has suffered a massive heart attack, the news couldn't be more shocking. At the hospital, the Snow family receives a grim prognosis: Robin may never regain consciousness. Feelings of guilt and jealousy flare up as Robin's family struggles to cope. It's up to Molly to make the tough decisions, and she soon makes discoveries that shatter some of her most cherished beliefs about the sister she thought she knew.

Review Quotes

"Delinsky is a first-rate storyteller who creates believable, sympathetic characters who seem as familiar as your neighbors." --The Boston Globe

"Delinsky is an engaging writer who knows how to interweave several stories about complex relationships and keeps her books interesting to the end." --Newark Star-Ledger

"Delinsky treads the same domestic themes as fellow best-seller Jodi Picoult." --Entertainment Weekly

"Delinsky may be as adept at chronicling contemporary life in New England as any writer this side of John Updike." --Times Union (Albany)

"Delinsky delves deeper into the human heart and spirit with each new novel." --Cincinnati Inquirer

"Delinsky uses nuance and detail to draw realistic characters and ensure that emotion is genuine." --The Providence Journal

"Delinsky is out there with the Anita Shreves and Elizabeth Bergs, perpetually bestselling authors who wrestle with bigger themes." --Lexington Herald-Ledger

"Fast-paced entertainment... In her new family drama, Delinsky examines the roles people unconsciously play in families and how a mother's single-minded passion to have one child fulfill a dream can create resentment in the other siblings." --USA Today

"Molly Snow isn't worried when she gets a phone call notifying her that her sister is in the ER. A world-class runner, 32-year-old Robin Snow has had many injuries, and Molly arrives at the hospital expecting nothing worse than an ankle sprain. But Robin has had a massive heart attack while running, and the prognosis is not good. As the devastated Snow family holds a bedside vigil, they learn things about Robin that alternately surprise and distress them. Graced by characters readers will come to care about, this is that rare book that deserves to have the phrase "impossible to put down" attached to it. Delinsky (The Secret Between Us) does a wonderful and realistic job portraying family dynamics; the relationship between Molly and Robin, in particular, is spot-on. This touching and heartbreaking novel is highly recommended for public libraries where women's fiction is popular. Readers of Kristin Hannah and Patricia Gaffney will enjoy it." --Library Journal

"The Snow family faces a devastating crisis when oldest daughter Robin, a runner training for the Olympics, suffers a catastrophic heart attack. Molly, Robin's younger sister, gets the call from the hospital and is immediately guilt-stricken: she was supposed to accompany Robin on her run. When Molly, her older brother, Chris, and her parents, Kathryn and Charlie, gather at the hospital, they learn that Robin is in a coma and might be brain dead. While Kathryn refuses to believe the worst, Molly reaches out to David, the handsome teacher who found Robin after the heart attack, and tries to determine whether Nick, a charming reporter who once dated Robin briefly, is truly concerned about the family or just pursuing a big story. The Snows try to come to grips with the reality that Robin might never wake up, and Molly, attempting to discern what Robin would want, stumbles across Robin's diaries and learns some startling family secrets... Delinsky's popularity should ensure demand for this engaging exploration of every family's worst nightmare." --Booklist

About the Author

BARBARA DELINSKY is a New York Times bestselling author with over thirty million copies of her books in print. She lives with her family in New England.