Oh, Sister: The powerful new novel from the author of Another Life

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How even in the outside world, the patriarchal paradigm they had spent their lives in arrests them - and they are constantly looking for it or trying to find a way back in because sometimes what’s comfortable is not what’s best for us but at least we know what to expect. It would have been helpful to have more insight into the positives of the religion, as it feels a bit one-sided at times; there is also one chapter that could be removed, as it adds nothing to the story, merely more unnecessary sadness. It is the age old story of the women being excessively punished for ‘their’ transgressions whilst the men act with impunity.

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman - Penguin Books New Zealand Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman - Penguin Books New Zealand

After selling her agency in 2007, Natalie consulted on a freelance basis with a range of high-profile clients, including Bella Freud, Robbie Williams and Claudia Schiffer. I think Will, Isobel's husband, Zelda's parents, and potentially Jen's sister would have benefitted from more time spent on them. Based on the real-life Jehovah’s Witnesses, the fictional ‘Last Days’ group of the story is a typical male-dominated religious cult that twists Biblical scriptures according to their own convenience and indoctrinates their followers into blind belief. Sadly, her decision to leave the religion has meant she is cult off by several members of her family, as they put the religion first, but Jodie wanted to put herself and her own family above everything. As someone who is not particularly religious I found it a fascinating study of a religion that I really would have no idea about if it were not for books like Oh, Sister.This was a powerful read which at times made me angry about the injustice that’s the lot of some women and how religion normally lets men get away with things while it’s the women who have to suffer in silence. Apart from that, there is little to fault in this book, which is as claustrophobic as it is shocking. We at Penguin Random House Australia acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Traditional Custodians and the first storytellers of the lands on which we live and work. As the novel progresses there are some emotional and moving scenes and the note the author leaves the novels journey on is a hopeful one as characters find their truth.

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman | Waterstones

The decisions they have to make, or are made for them, are enormous, and I really felt for all of them. Hey, Sister is one of those rare special books that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Three women, very different lives but united by their connection to an extreme religious group known as The Disciples of the Last Days who await Armageddon. They all had very different lives, wanted different things, were indoctrinated to different extremes - but as the stories wove together you knew they were all part of something bigger just waiting to take shape.However, there are some absolutely heartwarming aspects such as friendships, new lives being forged and chrysalis characters emerging as beautiful butterflies. Despite the demands made of them, they are not flawless, soft, compliant women - they can be abrasive, sharp, strong - angry at a world that clearly isn't made for them and desperate for a way to survive. Having read a little more on her background a lot of the book is based on personal experience and public allegations (a 2015 sexual abuse scandal in Australia) against the church.