Michelle Collins Anderson ~ The Flowers Sisters ~ REVIEW

(Book for review courtesy of NetGalley)

Kensington Books ~ 23 Apr 2024

In 1928 the town of West Plains, Missouri faced an unimaginable tragedy. During a dance, the Bond Dance Hall exploded, resulting in the death of 39 people. Author Michelle Collins Anderson grew up in West Plains but did not know of the tragedy until she was an adult. She used the explosion as the catalyst for The Flowers Sisters. The novel tells the story of Daisy Flowers, forced to live with her grandmother in a town reluctant to open old wounds.

When Daisy's mother drops her off in the town of Possum Flats, Daisy has no idea what to expect. She's never met the grandmother she is supposed to live with who happens to be the town's funeral director. Daisy is given an internship at the town newspaper. She finds an article on the explosion in the "morgue" - the paper's basement archive. Daisy wants to write about the event, but faces resistance especially from her grandmother who lost her twin sister in the explosion. Daisy is aided by Joe, whose grandfather is the town preacher and was present at the event. The novel tells the usual stuck in a small town story with a unique twist. Daisy's article exposes long buried secrets and truths, but in the end brings healing to a very injured town.