Author: Eileen JoyceDonovan

Publisher: DX Varos Publishing 

ISBN: 978-1955065702

If you have sisters that sometimes drive you crazy, you will love this book. The Campbell sisters, by Eileen Joyce Donovan is about three sisters who are trying to find their way in the dog-eat-dog world of 1955 New York City. 

As the oldest of the Campbell sisters, Helen Campbell works at a school for orphans. One day, as she is letting the children play in the park, one child wanders away and is hit by a bicycle. The man riding the bike is named Charlie, a small-time boxer who, after making sure that the child is okay, eventually asks Helen on a date. Helen finds herself slowly falling for Charlie, despite her misgivings about the man's occupation. 

It is while she is on a date with Charlie one night,  she spots her sister, Carolyn, on a date with another man. And soon after, she finds out that the man happens to Carolyn’s boss and that he is married. 

Scandalized, Helen can hardly speak until she manages to see Carolyn alone that night and the two fight over the younger sister's bad mistake. But eventually, they must pull together when their parents discover Carolyn's misdeed, and punish her by throwing her out of their home. 

With the help of Peggy, the youngest, the three sisters search the city for a place that Carolyn can stay, but whether or not she intends to break up with her married beau is another matter altogether. 

This was a very enjoyable read for me and one that I cannot recommend highly enough! I loved the individual voices of the three sisters and how they each clashed and complimented each other. I also loved how Donovan brings 1955 New York City back to life.  I felt like I was there.

You could tell pretty early on in the story that Carolyn was headed down a bad path, but no one is irredeemable, and I appreciated that her sister's still stuck up for her even if they didn't agree with her decisions. 

I hope Donovan writes more books like this in the future! 

About Eileen Joyce Donovan

Eileen Joyce Donovan has been writing her entire life, in one way or another, whether it was imaginative stories for friends, or advertising copy for clients. At the persistent urging of her husband, she finally agreed to seriously edit and revise one of her stories and take the plunge.

Years later, her persistence paid off and both her debut historical fiction, Promises, and her second novel, A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma, won prestigious awards. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, and her essays have been included in various Chicken Soup for the Soul editions.

She lives in Manhattan, New York and is a member of Authors Guild, Women’s National Book Association, Women Fiction Writers Association, and The Historical Novel Society.

Follow Here To Read Bee's Interview With Joyce Donovan