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A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. What a beautiful cover!

Cathy Lamb renders another heartfelt story of family and secrets -THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS. An engrossing family saga linked by blood, marriage, and long-held secrets and special sisterly bonds.

Meet the Kozlovskys. A huge loving family. They had survived. They have endured much hardship in Moscow.

Their father barely so, their mother only through endless grit and determination-- but they are here in Oregon-a noisy family who does not talk about what happened back in Russia, twenty-five years ago.

It is best to forget. Their parents have told them many times. The things they hide. After all, they are Americans now. Could they cover their past?

Toni Kozlovsky, (Antonia) the narrator lives on a dock in a marina in Oregon with other people who live on houseboats. She has a three story yellow tugboat with red rails and trim and a red door. She wanted to live on the water and a friend of her fathers retired and moved to Miami and her she was.

She renovated and rented a slip on the dock and settled in her thousand square feet of space. She needs her space from things going on in her life. She also keeps things in her other side of the house (a shelter with a door) which locks away her past.

She is presently a crime and justice reporter. Valerie an attorney, and Ellie is engaged to an Italian. Their parents, who own "Svetlana's Kitchen" and a group of wonderful aunts, uncles and lots of cousins.

Three sisters: Toni, Valerie, and Ellie grew up in Communist Russia. The girls have a special gift of being able to hear each other in their heads. (A gift from their mother).

It may be rare, and it comes in emotionally intense times, when they are worried, scared, in danger, falling apart, or conversely when something perfect happens to all of them.

Some say they are making it up and only think they each other since they are sisters, best friends, and are in tune with each other. They know the truth.

From the Sabonis line, like genes, through their widow’s peaks. From the Romanovs, to Lenin, Stalin, Germany’s invasion, the siege of Leningrad, the Cold War, they have heard one another.

“Passed from mother to daughter. Father to son. Sisters and brothers, we hear each other. It’s a gift. It’s a curse.”

American Russians. They had lost it all. They came here worked hard, stayed sane, and they are better people for their experience. They fight, love, drink, and laugh.

A secret keeper. For twenty-five years. Can she unburden herself?

From quirky characters, good food, wine, wit, fears, laughter, secrets, siblings, friends, a blue heron, Daisy (loved her), a DEA agent, a restaurant, and Nick. There is also the adopted brother, Dmitry- he came to live with them in Moscow.

They have shared secrets and joys and it’s the language of brothers. and the language of sisters.

What a beautifully written story told with humor and compassion! You will cry and laugh. Loved the column titled “Living on a Tugboat: and the love connection. A "must read" for lovers of family sagas.

An ideal choice for book clubs and group discussions (guide included).

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