The Frederick Sisters Are Living the Dream

March 1, 2022

Diabetic and with intellectual disabilities, Maggie's sister Ginny has landed in the hospital after eating too much Jell-O, and Maggie reasons that she should not be living on her own. So she brings Ginny and her cranky dog to live near her in upstate New York, even as she struggles to deal with parenting, impending divorce, freelancing, dating opportunities, Ginny's feuding home aides, and Ginny's own lack of cooperation. Playwright and short story writer Zusy makes her full-length fiction debut; with a 75,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 25, 2022
Playwright and screenwriter Zusy explores in her powerful debut the complicated dynamics of sisterhood and disability. The title is ironic: Youngest sister Maggie Frederick is struggling to care for her intellectually challenged and volatile middle sister, Ginny, 56, while the oldest, Bets, carries on what seems a perfect life in Southern California. As the story begins, it becomes apparent that Ginny—who’s been living on her own in Maryland, but nearly dies from sepsis—needs constant care. After Maggie moves Ginny to a nursing facility near her own home in New York City, chaos reigns, as Ginny resists every rule designed to keep her healthy, and Maggie’s marriage begins to fail. As the tensions pile up, it becomes apparent that Bets’s life isn’t so great—and that Ginny has untapped wisdom. Zusy does a great job capturing Maggie’s mixed emotions about becoming a caregiver and the resentment she feels toward Bets after taking on most of the responsibility for Ginny. Zusy notes in her afterword that she herself bore responsibility for an intellectually disabled sibling, which brings a sense of authenticity to every page. This admirable story offers an excellent view into the struggles of family caregiving. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Susanna Lea Assoc.

August 1, 2022
There is nothing like family to fuel resentment, guilt, responsibility, and, of course, love. Ginny, 57, middle sister of three, intellectually disabled, with type 2 diabetes and a major sugar addiction, is being moved from her independent life in Maryland to New York by youngest sister Maggie because she can no longer care for herself. Maggie, two years separated and mother of two adult-ish sons, works from home drawing storyboards for advertisers and has found a nursing facility that will take Ginny, whose bone-deep wound will not heal. There is a trust for Ginny, so money is not a problem. Oldest sister Betsy, a professional surfer in California, opposes this. In the four or so years that the novel covers, readers encounter issues with elderly dogs, snowstorms, continuing sugar addiction, immigrant caregivers, nearly ex-spouses, computer dating, and all the other complexities of real life. Amid the chaos and the fear, there is always love. Caring for adult siblings is an under-recognized role, and this novel does a good job exploring the pluses and minuses. For most adult fiction collections.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.