We wrote a whole book about sisters because we thought the sister relationship was so interesting - how you love or hate them, think of them as your best friend, your worst enemy, the pest you’re forced to put up with and sometimes all those things at once. Many are the ways we tormented each other as children (still do, as adults), then on another day our eyes might be streaming with laughter over something no one outside the family could possibly find funny. But because so many people wanted to tell us their own sister experience, we thought we’d give them an opportunity. So if you have any great stories about sisters - having one or being one - or anything else that you’d like to share, we’d love it if you added them to this page. We’ll put in a few ourselves just to get the ball rolling…
Being the third of four girls, I lost no chance to assert my superiority on Pam, eighteen months younger. As very small children my friend and I invented a game called Fairies, which basically consisted of running away screaming when the Bad Fairy (Pam) came near us. After a while Pam refused to play unless she could be a good fairy too. I had just learned to spell so I had the solution. No more Good Fairies and Bad Fairies. Instead we would be G.O.O.D. Fairies and Pam could be the very important B.A.D. Fairy. And then off we ran screaming again. It wasn’t until primary school and her first spelling lessons that she realized how she’d been duped.
My sisters and I were always fighting, pulling hair, biting, kicking. Once I lost my temper and threw a rock at my younger sister, hitting her on the head. As soon as I saw the blood, I went into hysterical sobbing, knowing that I’d done a VERY BAD THING and I was in for the spanking of my life. Hearing the commotion my parents rushed to the rescue, enfolding me, wanting to know where I was hurt while my poor dazed sister staggered round the garden, the giant bleeding lump on her head (and probable concussion) completely overlooked until, unfortunately for me, they finally got the picture.
When I was about eight, the rough boys in the park used to come up to Lorraine and ask “Hey, you, is your brother a girl?” And being a smart-alec she’d twist round the ropes of the swings and shoot back, “Don’t be silly, how can my brother be a girl? If she was a girl, she wouldn’t be my brother, would she?” In those days I always wore jeans and a jaunty leather cap, my hair cropped short by my mum. So back they’d march to me, prod me in the chest and say, “Told ya, sonny, we knew you were a boy.” I got pushed into more than one playground fight by Lorraine’s impeccable logic.
Middle of the night, just started school, I was bored and couldn’t sleep. I turned to Lorraine (we shared a bed) and told her. “I’ve a brilliant plan!” Her eyes sparkled and her mouth opened. She pulled out some gum that she’d chewed to death. “Stick this in your hair and that’ll stop the boredom setting in.” Ever trusting fool that I was, I did precisely as she suggested. Two hours later, there was my poor ma with nail scissors, tutting loudly as she snipped away at my tangled locks, leaving me with a lovely bald patch which took ages to grow back. I can still picture Lorraine’s sniggering expression as I realised I’d been had – yet again!!
Until my sister left home at 16 to go to university (yes, 16 — different educational system, long story for another time), she and I alternately bickered or ignored each other. I was a tomboy with a ‘tude and a reputation as a rebellious slob; my sister was Suzy High School, popular, prim, and proper. Bad enough when you live in the same house, but worse when you sleep in the same room. But we got better with enough practice, ha ha. I relished not having my clothes rifled through and my things staying where I’d left them when she graduated, then I went to uni myself a couple of years later. Looking back, I think my mother should have left us at an orphanage early on to save herself the aggro (our four brothers, in comparison, were angels). Even spending primary school with the nuns didn’t reform us.
But even then, I remember spending hours making a house for our dolls in our wardrobe and playing. When we were both at uni, she was the one in the family I would talk to first about problems. And even now, when I shop, I always notice things that my sister would like. Buying presents for the family for Christmas, hers are always the first ones (and the easiest) I get. And yet: she’s the first one to annoy me.
Sisters, eh? Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
Hello
I have one sister who I don’t speak to even to this day.
I enjoyed the book and it there going to be a sequel?
Hi Rachel
You’re not the only one! We’ve had quite a few people tell us they can’t stand their sisters! Glad you liked the book. We haven’t planned a sequel but we are working on a second novel about friends this time called When Good Friends Go Bad which will be out next summer (2009). Lorraine and Pam
I never had sisters but I can imagine the antics of you four through this “fictional” novel. But seriously, I loved reading this book. I laughed. I cried (teary anyhow). And I wished it wouldn’t end. Plus I was suprised at the ending which was a fun gift in itself! Thanks. Your next one has a loaded title as well…..can’t wait for it.
I am one of three sisters and happy to have grown up among 5 children. My older sister showed me the ropes in many ways but exacted the price of complete devotion for the lessons. Our younger sister was way younger and more like our doll. She turned out to be a thorn in my side always ratting me out to our mother. But in all I wouldn’t trade it for anything and love the feeling of being in a group of girls to this day. I loved the book and certainly hope there will be another.
I have the most wonderful sister imaginable. We may have had our ups and downs as children (for example the time she took me sledding and left me crying after I broke my arm) but perhaps that prepared her for eventual career as a Pediatrician. In any case, since we’ve been adults, she’s been my anchor, my inspiration, and my dear friend. I loved Ellie Campbell’s book—more than any other I have ever read, this book captures the feeling of being a sister, having a sister, and loving a sister who loves you, warts and all!
I was an only child until I was 16. My mother remarried & I inherited 2 older sisters, a younger sister AND a younger brother. WOW! The worst part was having to share my bedroom. (That might be why I’ve never done well with housemates.) It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either. It was more about them surviving me and all my teenage angst. They were & still are good girls. I was always the rebel. Somehow we got through it. I’ve mellowed a lot with age so the last time I saw them we enjoyed our visit. (I’m estranged from my mother & not good at keeping in touch with other family members.) I wish them all well even though we don’t see each other often.
I absolutely loved your book and in many ways it reminded me of my childhood and growing up with an older and younger sister. My sister are one year older and two years younger than me. We grew up in a small rural Wisconsin town and we fought like cats and dogs but since we lived in the country we didn’t have anyone else to play with so we were forced to get along. Luckily, I was the middle sister and I always took sides with one or the other so that I was always on the winning end and never left to play alone.
My older sister used to pull our hair to get us to tow the line. One day I had had enough so I bent her arm behind her back until she gave in. Unfortunately, I almost broke her arm and the doctor told her she couldn’t use it for two weeks. I learned my lesson. I got stuck doing all of her chores as well as mine for two weeks and she gloated about it every chance she got.
Today, we all live within 30 minutes of each other and are best friends. I would do anything for my sisters and I know they feel the same about me.
Can’t wait to read your book! My big sister was always better than me - made better grades, did what she was told, never, ever was spanked, and I was always reminded to be “more like your sister”… I (little brother) was always leaving tools out in the rain, stealing things from our parents’ bedroom, fighting with the neighbor children, was spanked daily, it seems. I do not know why I did those things, maybe just to be different, maybe the devil made me do them. I grew up and became a Christian and now my sister doesn’t speak to me, says she knows everything I am going to say. I’m going to heaven and she isn’t. End of story. (actually, written by the still-awful big sister)
My sister is three years younger than me. Over time she became convinced she was the older one, but before she knew better, she looked up to me for many years. Later, following her example, I learned to avoid housecleaning, saving a lot of time and effort. But she liked to cook which meant she had to cook for me when my parents left town. (I didn’t cook until I returned from my honeymoon; my mother had to cook our first meal.) We seldom got along — like east and west, doomed never to meet. It didn’t help our relationship to be forced to drag her to the
movies Saturdays, my one chance to be alone. We fought constantly, but she was a sneaky fighter and would goad me until I hit her in frustration. Then she’d run crying to my mother who would hit me, like a Rube Goldberg! Our relationship wasn’t as humorous as yours. We haven’t talked for twenty years. Yes, we get to choose our friends and husband, but we’re stuck until death (maybe later, according to some accounts) with our original family. Even divorce brings some relief from our mistakes. I’ll
take water over blood any day!
I am the youngest of four girls. When I was born, my oldest sister, Frances, was 17 years old and about to graduate from High School.
She often reminds me of how “horrified” she was that (a) our parents still engaged in sexual activity at such an advanced age [late 30's], (b) the activity resulted in a BABY! (c) I was so precious that she ended up endlessly parading me about in my carriage..until people began to suspect that I was in fact, her child; so she adopted an air of scornful disdain until I eventually won her over!
My second eldest sister was nurse. During my early teen years she did a monumental thing which changed my life forever.
She introduced me to a bold, new revolutionary concept (remember it’s the 1960’s) of an idea called ‘The Tampon’. Who knew? This meant that I didn’t have to stock-pile 1,000 sanitary napkins every month to keep the Crimson tide at bay. It was such a liberating experience, I am still thanking her for her sensitivity at such a delicate time.
Well, we girls might as well have gathered en masse in bridal attire and recited the vows “in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, until death do us part”, that’s how deep this sisterhood thing is.
While we were growing up, my Mother kept warning us that friends come and go, but your sisters are your sisters for the rest of your life.
So for those of you who have divorced husbands, palimonied partners, and lost lovers - you know that when you turned around, there were those blasted sisters, saying… “I told you so!”
I have an identical twin sister and no one can make me laugh the way she does. Even now, when we’re together chatting and laughing, crying with the hilarity of what we got up to, our boyfriends just sit there totally bemused. Our parents, who are used to us after 26 years, just shrug at the boyfriends. Apparently, we speak so fast to each other that no one else can understand and we appear to have our own language which might explain the whole ‘twin-talk’ thing that everyone goes on about.
We attended a very nice girls school and went to a reunion a couple of years ago. Apparently, the only reason we weren’t expelled was because as we ran away we couldn’t be identified-we look the same from behind. Once, I was flicking ink at my sister, Janet, from my fountain pen. Unfortunately, the pen slipped ad went flying through the air, landing in Janet’s head! The nib was just between the skin and skull and it just stuck out. I wouldn’t let Janet take it out until she’d looked in the mirror.
Also, Janet was a bit of a tomboy and one year, whilst on holiday in the Carribbean, we must have been about 11, all the hotel staff kept calling her ’sir’. Pah!
I also have an older sister. You would have thought that my twin and I would have ‘ganged-up’ on her but not so. Janet and Lindsay told me I was adopted (I believed them-not so bright as a kid!). When we played hide and seek if I found one of them they would start moving like a robot and say they were merely a droid. I trotted off to keep looking.
Sisters are great…
hi my full name is Boe Fraya mae taylor. im 11 and i have 4 big sisters. there names are Ellie(14) Ashleigh(16) Samantha(18) and Abbie(19). i am a proffesional dancer here’s my time table:
monday’s: ballet, irish and street dance
tuesday’s: irish, break and street dance
fridsy’s: street and break dance.
i do them along with my sister abbie and samantha(sam). i am the youngest and kind of get spoilt. i get mainly everything i want and my sisters call me princess b****! i have a chauaua called Princess a pony called Ebonnie and a rabbit called Grace. ellie has a dalmatian called Pongo and a pony called Mia. Ashleigh has a labrador called Charley and a pony called Deano. Sam has a Spaniel called Mac and a Pony called Pearl. and Abbie has a chauaua called Piper and a pony called Mistchef! i was ment to be born at a hospital but my mum ended up giving birth on the living room floor! my sister abbie chose the name Boe after her teddy! Freya was chosen by my sister sam! and Mae (panounced may) was chosen by my sister Ashleigh! me abbie and sam all shre a room which we chose because we have a on-suit an walk-in wordrobe and a dance studio then! i make up dances with my sisters and they help me with my homework! i realy enjoy having older sisters cus i can annoy them!
hi im adopted along with my all my brothers and sisters! im now 21 and have two baby girls of my own Kieria (5) and Malayah(1 months) and this is my life story!
on march the 19th when i was 3 my real mum dropped me off at the adoption centre because she said i was a mistake. on my 4th birthday i had the best presant of all. i was taken to my new home by my new pearents! I call them mum and dad though still. I was welcomed by spot the dog and they took me out and baught me a hamsper called Reo! later that year they adopted again! this tim it was a little boy the same age as me at the time! his name was Todd and we became best friends. we soon realised that we would have many brothers and sisters to come because they kept adopting! when me and todd turned 5 we got a new baby sister who was called Rachel. i loved being a big family it was great! later that year when rachel turned 3 we all had a big shock. my adoptive mum(julie) was diognosed with breast cancer. she wanted us to carry on adopting even when she died. sadley just 4 months later juie lost her battle and was cremated a month later. it was a hard time for every one but soon my foster dad( Mike) met a lovley young lady her name was Kim thy soon got married and a few years later Kim fell pregnant. one day me Todd and Rachel were getting ready for school and there was a bang i was about 8 and was learning about birth at school. my step-mum’s water had broke i got towles and flannels and coverd the floor. it was a long birth and we missed the whole day at school. my step-dad was at work. soon our new baby brother’s head started apearing! a hour later and he arrived! me. Todd and Rachel got to choose his name so we chose Bobbie! My dad was estatic to come home and find his new baby son! the next year as julie would had wanted my dad adopted again. this time it was a little girl. her name is Paige and she was the cutest little thing ever! so small and pretty how could ayoe gve her up? at the age of 15 i started clubbing with all my mates and going out with my new boyfriend! his name was Mckenzie and man he is HOT! the next year we got sme shocking news. I was Preagant! i was delighted but nervous at the same time. nine long miths later and we were on hoiday in spain. my waters had broke and i was in the villa’s pool. i had my hands on the sideand he was behind me with his arms around my huge belly! he was rubbing it all i kept doing was making ohh and ahhh noises. i sat on the steps with my legs open and a tiny head apeared i screemed luckily no one heard and there i gave birth 2 my beautiful daughter Kieria which is a spanish name! when i arrived home with kieria and mckenzie Kim and Mike were so happy:)! i left home and me, Kieria and Mckenzie soon baught a little 3 bedroomed house in spain! last month i gave birth again to another baby girl! we named her malayah she is so cte and everyone is healthy and happy! yesterday i got a call from mike kim has just gave birth to a baby girl called Kelcey and they are looking to adopt a baby boy called Jamie!
Great post! Just wanted to let you know you have a new subscriber- me!