All for a Sister by Allison Pittman

Overview: In Hollywood during the Roaring Twenties, Celeste DuFrane has it all. Her father’s work with color movie film opens doors that lead to the stardom she’s always aspired to. But after losing her mother, she discovers that half the estate has been left to a woman accused of killing Celeste’s baby sister before Celeste was even born.

Dana Lundgren arrives on the steps of the DuFrane mansion having spent most of her life imprisoned for a crime that never happened. After accusing her of murder so many years ago, why did Marguerite DuFrane leave her a sizeable inheritance?

As Celeste and Dana learn each other’s stories, they come up with more questions than answers. Then a surprising discovery begins to fill in the missing pieces: Marguerite DuFrane’s written confession, penned shortly before her death. Uncovering the treachery and deceit that changed the course of countless lives—most of all, their own—the two women find more than they ever dreamed of.

ISBN-13: 9781414366821

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Publication date: 6/20/2014

Series: All For Series , #3

Pages: 368

Read my reviews of All for a Song | All for a Story

Buy It: B&N | Amazon | CBD

My Review: I've never read a book quite like this. The story, though told from three different points of view, past and present, flows so smoothly. I give the author immense credit for being able to pull that off, as I don't think a lot of authors could have done it. 

The meat of the story was the characters.  Reading the confession of Marguerite DuFrane made me pity her and I disliked her for her choices up until almost the very end. Celeste DuFrane, while at times child-like and vain, has such a vivacious personality, it keeps her lovable. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dana Lundgren's experience in the world that grew up without her, and I sympathized with her when reading about her experience in prison. These characters come to life on the pages of the book and I could almost, at the end of the book, picture their lives and determine their next moves. I loved connecting with each character!

The message of the book, besides Marguerite's experience in the presence of Sister Aimee and Celeste's prayers with Graciala, lies mostly in the story told from Dana's point of view. Dana has to overcome a lifetime of feeling bitter, abandoned, and alone. How she learns to do that, through the small acts of kindness with some of the people she encounters in jail, is truly a miracle of God. God works in her life to show her that she is not alone, nor was she abandoned, and that while we don't understand everything that goes on in our lives, God has a plan, better than we can imagine!

With a plot full of lies, deceit, and hidden motives, set in the Roaring Twenties, this story will keep you turning pages until the very end!

*I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher through the Tyndale Blog Network program in exchange for my honest review.*

About the Author: Award-winning author Allison Pittman has penned more than twelve novels, including her series set in the Roaring Twenties—All for a Song, All For a Story, and All for a Sister. Allison resides in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, Mike, their three sons, and the canine star of the family—Stella.

Connect with Allison: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Crossroads Blog