Title: The Harding Sisters of Sterling City Road and Me
Author: Carol E. Plimpton
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing LLC
ISBN: 978-1643613055
Genre: Memoir/History
Pages: 110
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent
Pacific Book Review
The Harding Sisters of Sterling City Road and Me is an insightful and illuminating look at a family’s history. Carol E. Plimpton has written a memoir that will enlighten readers.
Plimpton writes about her grand-aunts that lived in Lyme, Connecticut at the turn of the 20th century. Plimpton writes about her beloved aunt that Plimpton considered her grandmother, Helen. Helen, or Nana, as she calls her, raised her mother since her parents died, so she was a grandmother figure to Plimpton. Nana was a strong and vivacious woman who loved her family and neighborhood gossip. Nana is a pillar of strength, even after enduring the tragic death by suicide of her second husband, Hal.
Plimpton also writes about the other Harding sisters enduring other tragedies, such as with her other aunt Grace. The mysterious circumstances of the death of one of her children and the possible murder of another female Harding relative add to the dark secrets of the Harding family. In addition to the tragedies the family endured, the family feuds that the Hardings survived also add another dimension to the text.
In contrast to the difficulties the family endured, there are still tender and moments in the book. She also writes funny stories about her eccentric aunt, Tess, who was so frugal that she reused teabags. Plimpton also writes about the family gatherings and fun activities that brought the family together. When she writes about the family watching TV or cooking together, Plimpton captures the small-town charm of her family’s life in Lyme, Connecticut.
Harding Sisters also has genealogy charts and pictures of Plimpton’s family that add depth and details to the text. Newspaper articles from the early 1900’s also add important details to the Harding Sisters book as well. Plimpton’s book would be best for readers who like books about complicated family histories such as The Glass Castle or books about the matriarchs of families. The Harding Sisters would also be best for readers who want to read about the rich history of relations between sisters. The text could be read by people in book clubs or in genealogy clubs that are tracing their history.
The Harding Sisters of Sterling City Road and Me is a loving tribute to a group of women that lived and loved their family in their own unique ways. Plimpton has written a memoir of her family that will enlighten readers about an unforgettable family.
