Betsy Lerner's debut novel, SHRED SISTERS is about a Jewish middle-class family set in the 1970s-80s with two daughters: Ollie the captivating bi-polar older sis whose mental instability and antics dominate the household and Amy, the younger, petite, daughter whose diligent behavior is overlooked. Amy serves as our observant and level headed narrator. She's aware of being delegated to the back burner in the household in lieu of Ollie's charisma and increasingly troubling mental illness. We're drawn to Amy's stoicism and root for her to enjoy a rich and rewarding life. This is not always the case for Amy whose overachieving academics and work in a science lab shuts her off from others at school and at work. Amy's first sexual relations are emotionless and detached. But, Amy is unflappable in her love for her sister and her parents despite continually being consistently being shafted by both. SHRED SISTERS is both a novel about mental illness' exhausting impact on a family and about a young woman, Amy. who navigates her way in the world as someone who is used to selflessly, if not unwisely, giving more of herself to others. Amy realizes, "No one will love you more or hurt you more than a sister." When Amy's life seems to be on track with a promising career in editing and a good marriage, she sabotages her happiness with an old lover who struggles with drug addiction. We are driven through the lens of Amy's eyes which are neither rose colored or despondent. Amy contains a sense of hope for the future with an enduirng patience for the present and the understanding her sister was not the cause of all her troubles. "For a long time, I was convinced that Ollie was responsible for everything that went wrong in our family." At its core, this is a story of the relationship between two sisters. Ollie's whose erratic life weaves in and out of Amy's and their steadfast love for each other. Amy felt that "The emotional current was overpowering, and for a moment all the joy and sadness in life pooled inside and I longed for everyone I'd ever loved." I was captivated following Amy and her family's tribulations coping with the added havoc of having a loved one with mental illness while sustaining unwavering support for one another.
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