Stories That Celebrate Sisterhood
Some of Sarah's favorite stories that focus on biological and chosen family bonds
Welcome to From the Teacher’s Desk, where we take turns further reflecting on our episodes and applications to the classroom.
While The Color Purple is frequently taught in AP and dual credit literature courses to discuss many themes, our discussion about the movie musical adaptation got me thinking about sisterhood. As the oldest of four girls, sisterhood has been my life since I was three. And I’ve always been drawn to stories about filial and chosen sisterhood in both books and film. Here are some of my favorites.
Little Women
Full English teacher confession: I’ve never read Little Women. However, I’ve always loved the story and the Little Women of my adolescence was the 1994 film with Wynona Rider playing Jo March. Christian Bale stole my heart (again) as Laurie and Claire Danes shone as Beth March.
I also liked the Greta Gerwig adaptation and enjoyed taking my own daughter to see the feminist revisioning of the March sisters. Plus, I find Amy March’s speech to Laurie about being a woman to be particularly inspiring.
Anne of Green Gables
Yes, Anne Shirley is an orphan, but her relationship with her best friend Diana is an example of true sisterhood. Their friendship shows that sometimes our chosen family can be stronger than the family we were given at birth.
The Joy Luck Club
I’ve included this book on choice lists for AP students for years, but I fell in love with this book when I read it in graduate school. There are two levels of sisterhood in the novel. First, Jing-mei learns more about her dead mother’s life through the adopted aunts who were like sisters to her mother after they all immigrated to the United States from China. Second, Jing-mei learns of her own missing sisters and works to heal those bonds in her trip to China to meet the babies her mother left behind.
Lulu In the Sky
Luong Ung’s final book in the trilogy about her family being divided during Pol Pot’s reign of terror in Cambodia reunites her with the family she left behind when her older brother brought her to the United States. In Luong’s second book, Lucky Child, she writes about the sister she left behind and the hole that left in her life. In her final book, she writes about her return to Cambodia and the healing of wounds left by genocide. And for teachers, the whole trilogy serves as excellent texts for discussions about both memoir and genocide.
There are so many more stories that I could include, as this just scratches the surface. What stories about sisterhood are your favorite?
And don’t forget to check out Alicia’s post on creative ways to teach about family:
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And also in Anne's adult life she makes kindred spirits happen like Miss Cornelia and Leslie Ford.
One of my favourite sisterhood stories is Australian author Ruth Park's CALLIE'S CASTLE. Callie is the eldest in her family and she wants a place of her own.
Another good sisterly story for me is KATY GOES TO SCHOOL by Susan Coolidge. Katy and Clover become very close - and there are elements of chosen family through Rose Red and her best friend.