Author Katie Sise is a successful Young Adult writer, and there is a definite twinge of YA angst and drama threaded in and out of this story line ... The author writes from various points of view in alternating chapters, which is an excellent way to show depth of character. But these chapters are so short the story seems to jump around abruptly, which may distract some readers and confuse others. The characters get shortchanged, as well. And speaking of showing, the story could have benefited from more of it. There are long passages of internal dialogue in some chapters with a minimum of action and plot-moving conversation between characters. Which is not to say this is not a readable book. It is very readable if you take your time and read it slowly ... Don't rush it. The finished product is superbly satisfying, and you'll surely look forward to this author's next domestic suspense.
...While the suspense is thin, Sise offers an astute glimpse into tragic loss, the innermost lives of women, and the highs and lows and societal expectations of motherhood ... Though melodramatic, this compelling character study will resonate.
What starts as an exhausting birthday party for Cora’s 2-year-old twins ends with a missing woman, a possible affair and an ever-growing list of secrets. Katie Sise’s We Were Mothers expertly snaps readers to attention ... The saga unfolds through the lens of four women navigating family life in the picturesque town of Ravendale, New York. Three of the women find themselves tethered together by the death of Cora’s sister, Maggie, and the mystery shrouding the night she died ... While some conflicts seem thrown in haphazardly, and ultimately dizzy the plot rather than flesh it out, Cora’s chapters read like laugh-out-loud mom-lit. Timing, inner discourse and believable fiascos blend together producing fantastic scenes, like when Cora pretends her toddler is only joking after the child slaps her mother’s face in front of the neighbors. Her observations and vulnerability carry the read.
