01/ 12/ 2014
Since the brilliance of Harry Potter, I’ve been a sucker for book series. I first read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in college. The books are about 4 best friends (Carmen, Lena, Tibby and Bridget) who find this pair of jeans that miraculously fit all 4 of them. Since their first summer apart, they’ve mailed the pants back and forth to each other—a wearable symbol of the bond they share. It’s a coming of age story of sorts, and we get to watch this foursome grow up.
From the description, it may sound like the series is a world of fluffy bunnies and unicorns, where the sun always shines after the rain and it’s happy all the time. That’s not always the case with the sisterhood. One of the things I’ve admired most about the author — Ann Brashares — is that the characters face many hardships. Each one makes decisions that aren’t always the best ones, and you get to see them deal in a really realistic way.
Brashare’s trademark dose of reality is even more palpable in the final installment of the series, Sisterhood Everlasting. Carmen, Lena, Tibby and Bridget have grown up. They are each 29 years old, have jobs and live in different parts of the world. Carmen is on a hit television show in NYC; Lena teaches art in Rhode Island; Bridget lives in California with her boyfriend and Tibby lives in Australia. The thing is, they miss the special bond of their friendship, having become so lost in their own lives, that they’ve forgotten what really matters most. One day, they each receive a letter (out of the blue) from Tibby, which includes a plane ticket to Greece. Carmen, Lena and Bridget arrive in Greece eager to reunite. But this is when they face the biggest test of their friendship and their lives change forever.
I’m sure the fact that I read the previous 4 books has something to do with me enjoying this 1. The difference is that we see them as grow-ups, with another set of insecurities, having to navigate the complexities of friendship. Brashares does this in a honest way. We see the girls struggle with adulthood, not always understanding what they’re angry about or how they’ve changed since those summers with the traveling pants. I think any young adult can relate to this familiar kind of struggle.
I don’t think I’d recommend reading Sisterhood Everlasting without finishing the previous installments. There is a lot of back story that informs much of what happens in this book. I do think that any fan of the series will like Sisterhood Everlasting, but I warn you, the first half is unbelievably depressing.
—Jaime
I wasn’t a huge fan of the last book in this series. I think I would have rather finished with them as younger.
I definitely hear that. For me, it felt like I got to see the characters come full circle with this last installment. I found this satisfying… perhaps because I’m in my late twenties too and could relate? Hmm… something to think about. Thanks for reading!