In My Sister's Country (Paperback)

“A remarkable novel.”—Boston Herald

 

“A darkly comic debut novel of sibling rivalry and family dysfunction…Amanda is the domineering force in Molly’s life, and the two continually lock horns. As Molly acts out her frustrations through random sexual encounters (including a risky obsession and charade with Amanda’s boyfriend), she replays flashbacks of the twisted life with her sister and parents, in particular the tyrannical mind games their father played with the girls and his ruthless control over their weak-willed mother…There’s a sinister, dreamlike quality in the way Haines handles this material …Not for the psychologically squeamish, this inventive twist on family malaise makes the unbelievable believable and lingers creepily after the last page.”—Publishers Weekly

 

“[A] serpentine of family secrets…In [an] unraveling story, the author takes two concurrent tracks to arrive at a conclusion worthy of the best dramatic mystery… Precise targeting of language.”—The Denver Post

 

“Full of startling characters, human frailty, and poetry. An impressive debut.”—Sarah Willis, author of Some Things That Stay and The Rehearsal

 

“Few protagonists are as memorable as Molly, the sassy, passionate 17-year-old narrator of Haines’ first novel…A new writer to watch…High-powered fiction.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 

“With her adolescent alienation, her anger, and her emotional masochism, Molly is a striking character…An authoritative fictional debut.”—The Boston Globe

 

“Mary Karr meets Dave Eggers…Haines puts you into the skin of the narrator—which makes it easy to relate to, regardless of your own experience.”—Rocky Mountain News

 

“[A] provocative first novel…Even in sex, the truth is elusive. And the reader is easily hooked by the story’s pursuit of it.”—Boston Magazine

 

“Sibling rivalry carried to the max…Molly’s antagonism fuels the plot…The scenes with Molly’s mother achieve a genuine sadness and sense of loss.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

“A compelling story of family relationships, especially that of two sisters, Molly and Amanda. [Molly’s] machinations are humorous and lead unexpectedly into an important decision.”—Santa Barbara News-Press

 

“It is Molly who rivets us with this tale of sibling rivalry and a furious, and furiously keen, teenager’s search for redemption.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 

“Provocative twists and turns.”—Chicago New City

 

“Readers will be captivated by Haines’ sardonic take on the precociously jaded milieu of urban rich kids, by her ribald and yet deadly serious depiction of a teenage girl’s desperate sexuality, and by her imaginative grasp of sisterhood, secrets, and the Windy City.”—Boston Herald

 

  “Blend[s] the realistic Chicago setting with murky, almost otherworldly set pieces and the precocious Molly’s keen yet off-balance insights.”—Publishers Weekly

 

“More edges and angles than a shattered prism. Haines’ narrator Molly hits us front and center…her wild compulsions vying with the drives of her warrior heart. High-stakes sorrow plays hard for its necessary redemption. The voice is thrillingly here, a flagrant electric scrawl on a field of blue.”—Sven Birkerts

 

“A beautiful novel about a young woman’s desire to understand the mysteries of life, especially those within her own family.”—Sarah Willis

 

“Sharp writing and strong characters.”—Booklist

 

“Haines uses quick, light prose and dry humor to successfully negotiate a journey through difficult emotional terrain.”—Baltimore City Paper