Literary Afternoon: Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner

Description

The Shreds are an assimilated Jewish family living in New Haven, Connecticut, in the 1970s. They have two daughters, a thriving lumber business, dinner parties, golf, and tennis. Their carefully constructed world begins to unravel when Olivia, the eldest daughter, starts stealing, running away, and disappearing for days. Younger sister Amy immerses herself in science; she believes in facts, proof, and the empirical world. Except none of that can explain what’s happening to Ollie, whose physical beauty and charisma masks the bipolar disorder that will shatter the family. When Ollie takes off for good and her parents’ marriage ends in divorce, Amy will try to do everything right: succeed academically, and marry a lawyer. However, as she seeks to find her place, the specter of Ollie is ever-present. Told from the point of view of Amy, this is a bittersweet story that explores the impact of mental illness on a family and the fierce bonds and complexities of sisterhood, loss, and love. Betsy Lerner is the author of The Forest for the Trees, Food and Loathing, and The Bridge Ladies. She also co-authored three New York Times bestselling books with Temple Grandin including Visual Thinking. Betsy received an MFA from Columbia University in Poetry. She is a literary agent and partner at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency.