Two Thirds of a Whole – Small World by Laura Zigman

I found this novel very moving: a story of two middle-aged sisters, both recently divorced, who also carry the pain of a sad childhood which they shared with another sister who was seriously disabled by cerebral palsy and died at just ten years old, along with their parents' divorce, and their father's decline into depression.

Joyce, the narrator and younger surviving sister, is an archivist who works on projects for a company that creates family histories from documents, photographs, videos, and other materials. Sometimes the family histories are to celebrate an event like a wedding, bar mitzvah, or anniversary, but sometimes there are other purposes involved. Since the divorce she lives alone in an apartment in Cambridge, MA where she works from the home office she has created in the second bedroom.

Lydia, the older sister, a graphic designer and fine artist, has been living in California for thirty years, but now that her marriage is over, she's decided to come home to New England. Joyce invites her to move in, at least temporarily, and take over the other bedroom.

The sisters work out a companionable, though not very communicative life together, and things seem smooth enough for a few months, until their quiet, never-there upstairs neighbor moves out and a couple moves in, bringing an array of belongings and unusual equipment. Then the noise and disruption begins...

Joyce participates in a neighborhood web group called Small World, but she also writes poems that are inspired both by what she sees posted there, along with her observations. She keeps this to herself. The poetry is an interesting and often very touching adjunct to the narrative flow of the book, and I found it very expressive as a way of understanding Joyce's character.

The sisters have a lot of secrets, about their shared childhood trauma, and about their present. Their communication difficulties are one of main drivers of the narrative, and it isn't until many of those are revealed, that there can be an examination of their bond and a resolution to their conflicts.

All in all, a very contemporary look at how childhood and family dynamics make us who we are, and how we view ourselves and those closest to us. Highly recommend.