My Sister's Bones by Cathi Hanauer

Editor of The Bitch In The House Spins a Stunning Debut Novel

Aug 5, 2008

Cathi Hanauer, author of Sweet Ruin: A Novel and The New Jerusalem Bible, writes a tale of self-discovery, dysfunction, and love in this tender and poignant first book.

My Sister’s Bones is a compelling story about both awareness and denial. Delving into the complex web of eating disorders, family dynamics, self-growth and acceptance it follows the Weinstein family in their struggles to come to terms with their realities.

15-year-old Billie Weinstein, has always looked up to and been in slight awe of her older sister Cassandra. She was the older, smarter, prettier one-according to Billie anyway. Total opposites, these sisters seem to have little in common except for genetics as the novel begins, but seamlessly switch roles as the story progresses.

It is in Cassie’s phone call home from Cornell University, when Billie begins to have suspicions that something is amiss with her “perfect” sister. She is informed that Cassie has given all of her clothes to a clothing drive in a mall parking lot. And if that isn’t unusual enough Cassie shows up for Thanksgiving break a much thinner, paler, darker version of herself.

Trouble Brews

Over the break, Billie continues to observe strange behaviors exhibited by her sister. The once cool, calm, and collected Cassie hides out in their upstairs bedroom nervously pouring herself into her schoolwork and adopting a distant and philosophical persona. Billie alerts her parents to the changes in her sister and her controlling, cardiac-surgeon father dismisses them as freshman-year stress; same as he had when he went to Cornell, and reasons that Cassie is not eating because she “doesn’t like the food.”

Cassie returns to school and life returns to normal for Billie. She spends most of her time alternating between learning from her best friend, rebellious Tiffany Zeferelli; trying to figure out her true feelings for her boyfriend Vinnie DiNardio; and studying for her PSAT’s-thanks to her father’s overbearing demands.

But when Cassie’s dorm director calls concerned about her weight loss, meal avoidance, and anti-social behavior more and more hints to Cassie’s illness unravel. Per the director’s suggestion, Cassie is asked to come home over Christmas break, which she had previously refused to do.

The Final Straw

Once home again, Cassie continues on her downward spiral and the family becomes certain (even if they’re in denial about it) there is something seriously wrong after Cassie leaves the dinner table at a family gathering, goes in the bathroom, and cuts off all of her long hair. This self-destructive behavior escalates and manifests itself in the form of panic attacks, dizziness, and finally, in a troubling scene leaves both girls stunned when Cassie passes out.

The rest of the novel Billie continues to grow closer to Tiffany and her free-spirited family, and after realizing she likes Vinnie’s letter jacket more than Vinnie, Billie breaks up with him and develops an obsession with Tiffany’s aloof older brother, Dom. Cassie is put in a Connecticut hospital for anorexia and the family travels back and forth to monitor her declining weight.

Through the younger sister’s eyes, the reader is taken on a heart-wrenching journey of learning to let go, to listen, and to understand one another better in this novel about love, loss, growth, and acceptance.

The copyright of the article My Sister's Bones by Cathi Hanauer in American Fiction is owned by Nichole Richardson. Permission to republish My Sister's Bones by Cathi Hanauer in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.