Blood Sisters by Valerie Miner

This isn't a self-published novel that I'm going to say a few words about, and so it's not exactly a review.  (See the post about my desire to review self-published/indie authors.) I will save my in-depth reviewing for those indie novels that are pouring in from all over the world!  So here are my thoughts about Blood Sisters by Valerie Miner and published in 1982 by St. Martin's Press:

I can't imagine that this novel would be published by St. Martin's Press today. Consider Amanda Hocking, writer of paranormal romance for young adults (and former self-published/indie author and wildly successful) who is currently published by St. Martin's. I'm probably unfairly juxtaposing Ms. Hocking's work and Ms. Miner's work. You see, Blood Sisters is political, and it's rare that I come across recently written novels that are unapologetically political. Oh, I'm sure they're out there, and I'm just not spending enough time searching for them. But Blood Sisters is refreshing because one of the protagonists is a feminist and another is a member of the Provisional IRA. The protagonists, Liz and Beth, are passionately involved in causes that are much larger than themselves.

What's interesting is that the New York Times reviewer of Blood Sisters in 1982 wasn't that impressed by the politics. This is what Annie Gottlieb said: "The problem with Valerie Miner's novel is, oddly, that its modern politics, so important to the characters, never come to life."  I say a lot has changed since 1982 (understatement of the century), and Blood Sisters has more politics in it than most of the books reviewed recently (no, I don't know how long recently is) in the New York Times. The politics come to life for me because I'm comparing it to the absolute non-existence of politics in most fiction published today, either by the Big Six or by successful (meaning those who make significant money) self-published authors.

For those who want to know what else Blood Sisters is about, it's about mothers and daughters which, of course, is a politics all of its own.