Her Sister's Shadow

April 25, 2011
Shifting between present day and the late 1960s, two sisters confront their tragic past in Britton's touching debut. Successful artist and gallery owner Lilli Niles is living her dream in Hampstead, England, when her older sister, Bea, calls from White Head, Mass., their childhood home, with bad news: Bea's husband, Randall Marsh (who Lilli has secretly loved her whole life), has died unexpectedly. Although Lilli and Bea have been estranged for 40 years, Lilli returns to the states to accompany her sister to the funeral. Being back home leads her to confront events and decisions from her youth, revealing long-buried secrets and forcing everyone to reconsider not just the past but their entire lives. Britton seamlessly alternates between the two eras to unravel a tale of rivalry, tragedy, love, and the corruptibility of truth. Setting her tale against the lush beauty of coastal New England (a location that Britton tries a bit too hard to bring to life), Britton creates a touching, intricate account of painful memories that radically shape lives.