The Almost Archer Sisters, Lisa Gabriele
The narrator of Lisa Gabriele’s The Almost Archer Sisters is matter-of-fact in describing the complicated, tumultuous relationship she has with her half-sister, Beth. Gabriele’s second novel is set in motion when, as Georgia Peach (“Peachy”) Archer explains, “I had walked in on my husband Beau having sex with Beth from behind, the default position, I suppose, of people who can’t bear to look each other in the eye.” Characterized by shame, love, honesty, and unexpected humour, The Almost Archer Sisters explores the vulnerability and strength of family.
The story swirls around the Archer family’s folklore. Peachy and Beth were raised by Peachy’s father, Lou (one of Gabriele’s most loveable characters). Lou, a former hippie and draft dodger, fled to Canada with the girls’ mother, Nell. Nell’s absence in the novel is conspicuous and explains much of the sisters’ co-dependent relationship. Beth left the family farm in Belle River as a teenager to pursue fashion in New York City, while Peachy remained on the farm, married Beau (Beth’s ex-boyfriend), and had two sons.
Gabriele’s novel follows Peachy as she flies to New York City and lives Beth’s life for a few days, leaving Beth to take care of her family. Gabriele’s smart depiction of Peachy as furious and heart-broken, but also a little elated and self-righteous allows the reader to root for her (without seeing her as too much of a victim).
The prose is uniformly clear, crisp, and often surprisingly hilarious (so much so that I found it difficult to select individual lines to highlight!). For instance, when Peachy arrives in New York, she explains that she can feel the difference between the States and Canada by the condition of the roads: “I could close my eyes and feel us transition from Canadian-smooth streets, the cracks practically grouted with ground-up tax money.” Though The Almost Archer Sisters ends somewhat abruptly (with brief hints of further problems and reconciliations), I appreciated and enjoyed Gabriele’s portrayal of a complicated family that remains complicated. |
