Tell Me Something Real
Morris Awards
Devlin, C. (2016). Tell me something real. NY: Simon &
Schuster.
The Babcock sisters are bonded by sadness. They are struggling to hold the family
together as they face the diagnosis of terminal cancer for their mother. Vanessa is the shy, observant middle child who
is also a gifted pianist. Adrienne is
brash, confident, artistic and extremely foul-mouthed. Marie is the youngest, she is devoutly
religious and the most beloved. Their father is a pushover and workaholic who
basically leaves the girls to fin for themselves and take care of their mother.
They spend most of their summer traveling across the border
to a clinic in Mexico for an experimental treatment that is banned in the US for
the mother. When it is revealed that the mother does not have cancer, but
Munchausen syndrome (a mental illness in which the person deliberately fakes a
terminal disease to garner attention by any means), everyone’s world is turned
upside down and they must fight to fight themselves in the madness.
Reflection
At first, I
thought this was going to be another book about a family in crisis because of a
love one dealing with cancer. I was pleasantly surprised at the twist and
turns. This novel is not only about the bond of sisters, but also betrayal,
love, and acceptance. Every character in this story had a unique way of coping
with the betrayal of the mother. The unfolding of it all was both intriguing
and well developed, a must read.
About the Author
Calla Devlin is a Pushcart nominee and winner of the Best of
Blood and Thunder Award whose stories have been included included in numerous
literary journals and anthologies. Including Because I Love Her: 34 Women
Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter bond, for which she has features in San
Francisco Chronicle. Tell Me Something
Real is her first novel.
Book by Calla Devlin
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