Cirrus@Austlit

'As children, Ida loves looking after her younger sister, Nora, but when their beloved father dies in 1927 everything changes. The two girls move in with their grandmother, who is particularly encouraging of Nora's musical talent, seeing in her the artist she was never allowed to be. As Nora follows her dream of a brilliant musical career, Ida takes a job as a nanny. Their lives become quite separate.

'When Nora's life takes an unwelcome direction, she finds herself isolated in the Tasmanian bush saddled with a husband and children. Embittered and resentful about her lost chances, Nora welcomes Ida's help with her chaotic household. In Ida's eyes, Nora possesses everything in life that could possibly matter. Set in rural Tasmania over a span of seventy years, the strengths and flaws of motherhood are revealed through the mercurial relationship of these two very different sisters. The Sisters' Song speaks of dreams, children and family, all entwined with a musical thread that binds them together.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.