Oh, Sister: The powerful new novel from the author of Another Life

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Disciples believe that when Armageddon comes they will be the only ones saved, enter Paradise and live happily ever after.

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman publishes in the UK - Madeleine Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman publishes in the UK - Madeleine

This week I am joined by Jodie Chapman to discuss the stories that need to be told, the importance of writing truth, and her latest novel, Oh Sister. This might not be a relevant point to many readers, but I like knowing the location to understand the story and characters better. We are thrilled to extend our congratulations to Jodie Chapman whose stunning novel Oh, Sister is published today in the UK by Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House. As the pressure builds and Frankie's personal life begins to take the hit, she starts to wonder if she'll ever manage to escape the strange world of fashion unscathed. It also offers a gentle reminder to appreciate the people in our lives who accept and love us unconditionally, exactly how we are.

Instead of working through this grief with a counsellor she clings to the idea of Armageddon and the utopian afterlife. In style, Oh, Sister is certainly more commercial than literary; I was not the greatest fan of the writing on a sentence level. Will they be able to put themselves first and break free of the stranglehold the men in their lives wield over them in the name of God? The three protagonists were varied and all at different stages in their relationship with their faith.

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I loved it, and Jodie Chapman did it again, exactly like when she wrote Another Life and destroyed me. To a lot of people, it might sound like something only from a speculative fiction story, but it's very real. Whilst they all have their similarities when it comes to the religion, they are all completely separate and very well developed. Isobel has spent her life learning to be a daughter, a wife, a mother but never learning to be herself because it didn't matter. Jodie Chapman grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness, and while she has changed the name of the religion at the centre of this novel, it was presumably inspired by her upbringing and borrows heavily from JW dogma.

Reality is complicated and harsh and raw and not picture perfect, and I loved that she chose to show that side of it. I might have respected the story far more had a romantic relationship not have been made so important a part of one of the women’s new life. It’s brutal and frustrating at times but also hopeful and joyful as the women discover new sides to themselves and take surprising stands against men in their lives. We at Penguin Random House Australia acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Traditional Custodians and the first storytellers of the lands on which we live and work.

Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman | Goodreads

Once you turn that last page, you will carry Jen, Isobel, Zelda and their stories with you, forever. Yet the community that should be offering her comfort – a cause she has wholeheartedly dedicated her life to – has turned its back on her, castigating her for choosing to survive. This week Jessica Huntley joins me to discuss writing thrillers, how and why she self-publishes, the book everyone should be reading, and her new book, Jinx.The story appeared quite literary in style at the start, but soon it revealed itself to be a typical general fiction work, trying to cover as many themes as possible. There are so many layers to it, it’s so complex, and you can see how difficult it must be to put the religion above your family and friends, but also how difficult it is to put yourself above the religion.