Memphis Reads Archive

Fiction/Gentle

Andrea Bledsoe reviews FANNY AND SUE by Karen Stolz (Hyperion, 2003)

It is no coincidence that I am reviewing Karen Stolz’s second novel right after reading and reviewing her first book, World of Pies. When I find an author I like, I usually try to read his or her other works. Author Karen Stolz did not disappoint me with her second novel, Fanny and Sue, either.

We are introduced to identical twins, Fanny and Sue Logan, in the novel. The twins are born in St. Louis in the year 1920, a decade before the Great Depression sweeps the nation. The girls are identical in looks and are often seen dressed alike, but their personalities are as distinct as night and day.

Fanny is the boisterous, boy-crazy twin with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, whereas Sue is reserved and compassionate. When it comes to family and especially one another, both the girls have hearts of gold.

Stolz intertwines world events and how families stick together in those times of adversity, just as she did in her first book. In Fanny and Sue, we read about the family’s compassion for strangers and one another throughout the lean Depression years, Sue’s isolated hospitalization when coping with scarlet fever, and a cousin’s bout with and eventual recovery from childhood polio.

I enjoyed this book because I could understand how important it is for families to rely upon and love another when times are hard and strained AND when times are joyful and victorious.


Andrea Bledsoe, Poplar-White Station Branch Library

Labels: Gentle Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King