Operation Sisterhood: 02/09/22

Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is about a recently blended family trying to come together after a bunch of changes. Tokunbo "Bo" and her mum are now part of a large co-parenting family in a Harlem brownstone. She now has three other sisters, a new mom, a new step-dad and a new dad. Her situation can best be described as the Lottereys meet the Vanderbeekers.

Before the marriage and move to Harlem, Bo and Mum had been planning a trip to Paris and Nigeria. Frankly, that's the book I want to read. Operation Sisterhood after the move never really found its footing. There were enough problems happening at once to each be a novel, as happens in the Vanderbeeker series.

The first problem is Bo's adjustment to no longer being an only child. She has new siblings, a new home, a house full of pets. Then she has to go from public school to home schooling. Frankly this choice in the middle of a school year surprised me the most — just because it's hard to switch gears like that (just on the paperwork alone). Then there's the goal to throw a wedding reception / block party for Bo's Mum and Bill. Following that is a financial crunch after the main income earner loses his job. Finally there is the sisters' desire to start a band.

The novel goes from problem to problem with little in the way of segue or even narrative progression. There isn't much in the way of resolution — which, sure, is a mirror of real life — but doesn't work in book form. Again, there's enough going on to make a series, whether a series of books or television series. As one solitary book, though, it doesn't work.

Five stars

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