From the author of the best-selling Three Junes comes an intimate new work of fiction: a tale of two sisters, together and apart, told in their alternating voices over twenty-five years. Louisa Jardine is the older one, the conscientious student, precise and careful: the one who years for a good marriage, an artistic career, a family. Clem, the archetypal youngest, is the rebel: uncontainable, iconoclastic, committed to her work but not to the men who fall for her daring nature. Louisa resents that the charismatic Clem has always been the favorite; yet as Clem puts it, “On the other side of the fence–mine–every expectation you fulfill . . . puts you one stop closer to that Grand Canyon rim from which you could one day rule the world–or plummet in very grand style.” In this vivid, heartrending story of what we can and cannot do for those we love, the sisters grow closer as they move farther apart. Louis settles in New York while Clem, a wildlife biologist, moves restlessly about until she lands in the Rocky Mountains. Their complex bond, Louisa observes, is “like a double helix, two souls coiling around a common axis, joined yet never touching.” Alive with all the sensual detail and riveting characterization that mark Glass’s previous work, I See You Everywhere is a piercingly candid story of life and death, companionship and sorrow, and the nature of sisterhood itself.
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"At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, because the relationship between the two sisters is very difficult and awkward. But I loved how the book was organized. Each chapter is told from one of the sisters' perspectives and jumps forward a particular amount of time. As each chapter started, where the characters were in their lives unfolded. I read it very quickly."
— Michelle (4 out of 5 stars)
“Rich, intricate, and alive with emotion…An honest portrait of sister-love and sister-hate—interlocking, brave, and forgiving—made whole through art.”
— New York Times Book Review“Glass is Edith Wharton for the twenty-first century…Wharton wrote more than forty-eight books in her lifetime. American literature could use a few more from Glass.”
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette“Extraordinarily good…Unusually rich [and] complex.”
— Boston Globe“A vivid tapestry of believable characters and locations from across the American landscape…Luminous and bittersweet…[Louisa and Clem] become the kind of characters who will live on in the reader’s imagination long after the book has been put back on the shelf.”
— Oregonian“I See You Everywhere manages, with subtle grace, to examine both sides of the coin, and to follow the sisters as life hands them both the good news and bad…The mother of the Jardine girls found it easy to pick a favorite. It won’t be nearly as clear a choice for the reader.”
— Denver Post“Glass writes the sort of novels that you wish would go on forever…I See You Everywhere is a lovely and heartbreaking book, and it ends far too soon.”
— Miami Herald“The elegant I See You Everywhere marks a return to the form that won Glass a National Book Award.”
— Christian Science Monitor“Lousisa and Clement…are disarming, endearing, and utterly comprehensible. Glass elegantly captures what it means to be an independent and spirited contemporary woman—full of impulses that can’t be domesticated into conventional feminine behavior.”
— Chicago Tribune“Glass proves her eye for detail and character is as sharp as ever…[Louisa and Clem’s] push/pull relationship will ring true to most siblings…Beautifully composed.”
— St. Petersburg Times“May well be [Glass’s] best yet.”
— Seattle Post-Intelligencer“Proceeds like a series of carefully planned explosions, each illuminating a period of the women’s lives with an exuberant burst.”
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch“Extraordinary…A thoughtful and amiable story.”
— Rocky Mountain News“A sometimes stinging, always affecting tale of siblings who can’t quite make it as friends.”
— Marie Claire“A story of the exacting, often painful toll of familial love.”
— More“Glass treats Louisa and Clem’s careers with a particularly fine eye for detail and the gravity they deserve.”
— Onion’s A.V. Club“[Glass] writes with a bracing emotional and intellectual intensity…Glass so accurately depicts the complexities of the sororal bond that it’s no surprise to find that she hails from a sisterhood of two as well.”
— Elle“An arresting story that is both thorny and complex…[Glass’s] eye takes in the blind spots and makes them mesmerizing.”
— New York Daily News“Nowhere are the ebbs and flows, the complex and often ugly nuances, the bonds and the breaks between sisters more achingly or more piercingly explored.”
— USA Today“One doesn’t read so much as sink into a Julia Glass novel…A haunting dissection of human fragility.”
— People“So heartbreakingly luminous that you’d swear Glass had access to your own most secret thoughts.”
— Redbook“Glass has mastered the novel of manners, American-style.”
— Contra Costa Times“Glass is a wisely questioning, ardent, and artful novelist.”
— Booklist" I'm starting to read all of this author's books, but I was a quite depressed by this one. I needed to finish it to see how it ended, but it just didn't set well with me. Perhaps the next one will. "
— Peggy, 2/14/2014" boring, hard to keep two characters apart since they keep changing who is talking "
— Janet, 2/6/2014" Not Three Junes, but still quite good. "
— Debbie, 1/6/2014" Beautifully written but boring. "
— Jodi, 12/26/2013" Just the type of thing I don't like reading - very Ibsen - very upper middle class angst. I often was confused about which sister was "speaking" during the reading because their voices were similar though their personalities were different - and maybe that's the point. So many side stories of characters were more of interest and not developed (Aunt Lucy, Tighty). "
— Colleen, 12/11/2013" I loved this book. I really enjoyed the characters from Three Junes popping up. I would have to say I enjoyed Three Junes more, but I was still happy to be immersed in the world that Glass creates. "
— Amy, 11/23/2013" I Didn't finish this book- I got over 200 pages in and then just didn't have the heart. It wasn't the worst thing I ever read... but that's about the best thing I can think of to say about it. "
— Rachel, 10/26/2013" I liked this well enough to finish listening to it, but did not love it. "
— Stephanie, 10/14/2013" Very good book. I like this author. Insightful on siblings. "
— Linda, 9/15/2013" TO my mind, this is not as good as Three Junes, but better than Whole World. I was very saddened by the plot turn, though not entirely surprised by it. Well worth reading. "
— E, 9/13/2013" I am really enjoying this Julia Glass kick I am on. This book is about two sisters and is told in an unusual and striking way, as it bounces forward by large increments and is told from only one point of view (either of the sisters) at a time. "
— Denise, 9/12/2013" The story jumped around a lot and had a very dumb ending. "
— Katie, 8/1/2013" I did not love this book. I was very excited to read this as I really enjoyed the other two books by the same author. This book dragged along and just did not hold me like the The Three Junes. "
— Dana, 7/18/2013" Story about sisters (seems to be a theme with me lately) Enjoying her writing style and this book allows alot of free thinking...your the one putting it together. A bit sad-but a good read. "
— Lidiab, 6/30/2013" Liked the 1st part, got bogged down in the middle & almost didn't finish it, but was very surprised with the ending and liked it better. "
— Wanda, 6/15/2013" Beautiful story of sisters. "
— Liz, 2/15/2013" Man, Julia Glass can write the hell out of people's saddest, darkest emotions. An excellent story. So insightful. It's tough though. You might cry. "
— Jackson, 7/30/2012" I found this a bit depressing and perhaps not quite as compelling as her other work "
— Marsha, 7/4/2012" heartbreaking... could relate to both sisters "
— Agape, 6/27/2012" I listened to this book on tape in my car. I found places to drive until it was finished. I love stories about sisters and their relationships. As someone who has two sisters, I found myself relating to this book. I read it years ago and it still stays with me. "
— Jacqueline, 4/28/2012" It's readable, but as usual, Julia Glass says very little and takes a long time to say it. "
— Holly, 12/16/2011" I couldn't finish it, I didn't like the characters, and I was disappointed in this novel,after reading "Three Junes' by the same author. "
— Lena, 8/18/2011" The book will always remember my time I spend with my Father in January when we were traveling true Germany. But most important, it makes my fell blessed to have a big sister that I call: My Best Friend. "
— Stefi, 7/17/2011" This was my first Glass book and I am not sure what all the fuss is/was about. This was time spent I won't get back....alas so goes the life of a reader..... "
— Corky, 7/13/2011" Couldn't finish - the two sisters were equally unlikable and unbelievable. "
— Moira, 6/24/2011" I really like Julia Glass - every word counts with her. I like to read her books and listen to them. "
— Beverly, 5/20/2011" I am really enjoying this Julia Glass kick I am on. This book is about two sisters and is told in an unusual and striking way, as it bounces forward by large increments and is told from only one point of view (either of the sisters) at a time. "
— Denise, 5/16/2011" The author explores the nature of sisterhood in this novel... jealousy & rivalry and the deep love. It is a complicated story and at times seemed unbelievable...It was well written and I enjoyed it ... "
— Donna, 5/2/2011" Not as good as Three Junes, but then so few books are. But a very engaging story with interesting characters. "
— Michele, 5/2/2011" I loved this book! It was very well written. It was the story of two sisters, both very different from one another. It followed their lives separately and how they intertwined together. Excellent writing! "
— Valerie, 4/10/2011" I found this book incredibly and relentlessly sad. Sibling rivalry always upsets me because I see how badly it has affected my own sister. Still it was well written and entertaining and life is not always happy I know. "
— Kristyh, 4/7/2011" Interesting character study of two very different sisters. Not a gripping book, but neither did I put it down until I was done. This probably has more to do with the characterization than the plot, which was largely nonexistent. "
— K., 4/5/2011" I'm starting to read all of this author's books, but I was a quite depressed by this one. I needed to finish it to see how it ended, but it just didn't set well with me. Perhaps the next one will. "
— Peggy, 4/3/2011" I should have stopped reading when I realized this was a character-driven book about characters I didn't like. "
— Chris, 3/10/2011" Thought thus book would never end. "
— Betty, 3/7/2011Julia Glass is the author of several books, including Three Junes, which won the National Book Award for Fiction. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Her short fiction has won several prizes, including the Tobias Wolff Award and the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society Medal for the Best Novella.
Mary Stuart Masterson is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and an accomplished screen and stage actress perhaps most recognized for her roles in films such as Fried Green Tomatoes, Benny & Joon, and Bed of Roses. She won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 1989 film Immediate Family and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for the 2003 Broadway revival of Nine.