- Hardcover: 848 pages
- Publisher: Macmillan; Main Market edition (31 Oct. 2019)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1509840133
- ISBN-13: 978-1509840137
Synopsis
To the outside world, Electra D’Aplièse seems to be the woman with everything: as one of the world’s top models, she is beautiful, rich and famous.
Yet beneath the veneer, Electra’s already tenuous control over her state of mind has been rocked by the death of her father, Pa Salt, the elusive billionaire who adopted his six daughters from across the globe. Struggling to cope, she turns to alcohol and drugs. As those around her fear for her health, Electra receives a letter from a complete stranger who claims to be her grandmother . . .
In 1939, Cecily Huntley-Morgan arrives in Kenya from New York to nurse a broken heart. Staying with her godmother, a member of the infamous Happy Valley set, on the shores of beautiful Lake Naivasha, she meets Bill Forsythe, a notorious bachelor and cattle farmer with close connections to the proud Maasai tribe. But after a shocking discovery and with war looming, Cecily has few options. Moving up into the Wanjohi Valley, she is isolated and alone. Until she meets a young woman in the woods and makes her a promise that will change the course of her life for ever.
Review
It is no secret Lucinda Riley is one of my favourite authors, and her Seven Sisters books are one of my favourite series. I have spent all year in anticipation for the sixth book in the series, The Sun Sister, and this epic read in both story and size, at eight hundred and forty eight pages long it is her biggest book, and I think the best do far. Electra is the youngest of the D’Aplièse sisters, all adopted by Pa Salt from different parts of the world and brought up on a beautiful Island, Atlantis in Switzerland. After their father’s death they are given clues to their true heritage to find out who they really are. Electra is twenty six and one of the worlds most famous models. At six foot, with her ebony skin and razor sharp cheek bones, she is instantly recognisable and lives a life of work, parties, drink and drugs. When she is contacted by someone claiming to be her grandmother, Electra’s life changes for the better as she learns her story and that of Cecily Huntley-Morgan. From the vast plains of Kenya to the society of Manhattan, this book will take you on a journey you will never forget.
Electra has made an appearance in the earlier books and has come across as self centred and distant from her other sisters, but reading this book made me love her character and admire her strength. Electra is the party girl, always at glamorous events but the fame and her party lifestyle are fuelled by drink and drugs. The appearance of her grandmother in her life marks a changing point, a chance to change her life for the good and help others. From her grandmother she hears about Cecily who goes to stay with her godmother, Kiki Preston in Kenya to mend her broken heart in 1938. If you are a history buff like me Kiki Preston many ring a bell as she was part of the Happy Valley Set in Kenya, known for their hedonistic parties, affairs and champagne, there was even a murder. Cecily was a wonderful character, she overcame adversity and showed courage, belief and a huge heart whilst out in Kenya. It is not surprising that her love interest was the man who saved her from being killed by a lion. Lucinda Riley seamlessly mixes her fictitious characters with those historical characters from the Valley set whose lives seem far too fanciful and shocking to be real; Countess Alice de Janze shot her lover Joss, Earl of Errol in jealousy.
Lucinda’s writing brings the vast plains of Kenya with the contrast of the hot dry months with the rainy periods, and the amazing wildlife to life with her realistic and vivid detail and descriptions. The same attention is given to her characters, who are complex, interesting and facing the challenges life puts in their path. Lucinda Riley doesn’t shy away from serious topics in her books, and through this book we see the characters deal with addiction, prejudice, racism, and suicide. The colonisation of Kenya by the English and the Civil Rights Movement are lived through by the characters and we are shown how these events were seen first hand by those involved. The historical detail combines seamlessly with the fiction to make this such an epic and breathtaking read. I have to admit that reading The Sun Sister was like a double edge sword in that I wanted to devour this book to learn more about Electra but then realising that this may well be the penultimate book, the last being about the missing seventh sister. I really didn’t want this book to end to the extent I slowed down my reading towards the end to savour it further.
The Sun Sister is amazing, brilliant and wonderful to read. The Seven Sisters Series just gets better and better and more ambitious, and I can’t wait for the next book as I have a feeling there is going to be a twist in the tale for the sisters. For fans of this series you will love this book, and if you haven’t read any of this series you really need to, you don’t know what you are missing. So get out there and treat yourself to this amazing and stunning read; a sensational sixth novel from Lucinda Riley.
I would like to thank the wonderful Rosie Wilson as Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
