spanning more than 20 years, the gifted gabaldon sisters tells the story of four sisters who are bequeathed “gifts” from an old native american housekeeper who cares for them after their mother passes away.  it’s hard to give up details of the gifts without spoiling critical plot points (and i do so hate spoiler reviews), but the results of the housekeeper’s gifts become the stories of the sisters’ lives.  the characters are written incredibly well – even when the plot hits a slow point, you’ll stick it out because you’re so invested in the stories of these sisters, and in the women themselves.

i’m a die-hard fan of isabel allende, and this book carries on the tradition of her writing style:  fanciful, exaggerated fiction (almost like a fairytale), yet set in such a lifelike setting, you find yourself believing whatever comes along.  if you’ve read books like the house of the spirits (a truly amazing book that’s on my all-time top five list) and loved them, the gifted gabaldon sisters is definitely a must-read for you.  and if you love fiction but haven’t been introduced to the unique stylings of hispanic writers like allende, gabriel garcia marquez and laura esquivel, this would be a great place to start.