A Review of Bufflehead Sisters by Patricia J. Delois

The book Bufflehead Sisters is one in which a child in crisis, Sophie, is taken in by her friend, Janet, and Janet’s family. The two girls meet in kindergarten. Sophie is a strong, vibrant presence, even at five. The events of her childhood will shape the woman she is to become. Janet‘s parents are welcoming to Sophie at first, when she is simply Janet‘s friend. But eventually, serious events in Sophie’s home compel John to want to bring her into their home, as a semi-permanent member of the family. It is suggested that he was not satisfied with having only one child, and so Sophie becomes a surrogate in that sense. Janet’s mother is always trying to bring Sophie to heel. She tries to enforce appropriate manners at the dinner table, wants Sophie to wear shoes, and take baths. Sophie, who appears to be mildly psychic, passively resists all endeavors to change her behavior, whether in school or at home.
This continues as she and Janet grow up. Janet is the good student, the well-behaved child, the conventional daughter. Sophie does go back to live in her father’s house, although he is rarely home. Her lack of direct parental authority contributes to her free-spirited attitude and subsequently, Sophie never gains direction in her life.
I felt the characters were very one-sided. Janet is the quintessential early sixties daughter, always doing what she’s told. Janet is a “good girl”. Sophie is a “bad girl”. She was drawn that way as a child, bucking authority in school and with Janet’s parents, and it continued into her teenage years. She sleeps around, gets into drugs and generally is an outcast, while somehow still being part of the crowd.
As this story warmed up past the introduction of the characters and the girls’ lives, it became clear that there was a “big secret” in the story. Unfortunately, the author does not do a very good job of hiding it. I was aware very quickly what the “big secret” was going to be, even before it happened, and it was intended that the audience not know what it was. The author even planted a few seeds early on, a sort of foreshadowing that wasn’t at all subtle, and it was clear exactly what took place.
In some ways, I was reminded of The Lace Reader, by Brunonia Barry. Towner Whitney, the main character in that story, has flaws similar to Sophie’s. But The Lace Reader is a well-crafted tale, more so than Bufflehead Sisters. That story, too, contains a “big secret”, but was completely surprised when I figured it out, unlike this tale.
While Patricia Delois’s writing style is fine, even lovely in parts, I was not overly impressed with the story.