Sistering

Sister stories are rare compared with images of celebrity sisters and 'sisterhood'. Based on 37 interviews, this fascinating book uncovers sisters' complex relationships. Readers will play 'mapping' games to guess where they figure in its patterns. Sisters talk passionately about how their closeness and distance affects the power-balance between them. Making parallels with friendship and caring, it explores formations of gender, identity and intimacy in family life. Sistering was nominated for the British Sociological Association's 2003 Philip Abrams Prize.