The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters

Be prepared. (for a bit of a let-down).


Ever since their mother died, the Gabaldon sisters have been taken care of by an old woman named Fermina. When the old woman dies, her promise of giving each of the girls a “special” gift is kept. Each girl is given a certain ability: the eldest Bette becomes an uncannily good liar, Loretta’s passion for animals is strengthened into an ability to help heal, Sophia can make people laugh in any situation, and Rita tends to curse people on accident. As the girls grow older, they have to learn how to deal with these gifts. But most of all, they can’t help but wonder who Fermina really was.

Let me be brutally honest and say I was a disappointed in this book. I was looking for what most readers are looking for: a fun storyline that would make me laugh and a strong plot to entice me until the end. I didn’t feel the pull of a strong plot, though I did laugh a couple times. Lopez writes from different points of view, and though it was interesting, it got a little confusing (especially with the random switch to second person, which I thought was quite awkward). Also, the pages were riddled with cussing, drinking, smoking, and sexuality. Of course, this may not bother some people, but I found it a little distracting. The climax was a bit of a let-down, and didn’t have much build-up. Otherwise, the general idea of the story was very creative, and I absolutely loved “Fermina’s stories”. Lopez’s style was fresh and exotic, and the intermittent Spanish words made it very realistic. I would generally not recommend this book, but if you are looking for something different, you may like it.