ONE FAMILY. FOUR SISTERS.
AND A MYSTERY THAT MIGHT UNRAVEL THEM ALL.
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When Malena’s tidy, carefully planned world collapses with her father’s mysterious suicide, she finds a letter, signed with an “A,” which reveals that her mother is very much alive in San Isidro—a quaint town tucked in the Andes Mountains. Intent on meeting her, Malena arrives at Alameda Street and meets four unconventional women who couldn’t be more different from one another, but who share one thing in common: all of their names begin with an A.
To avoid a scandal, Malena assumes another woman’s identity and enters their home to discover the truth. Could her mother be Amanda, the iconoclastic widow who opens the first tango nightclub in a conservative town? Ana, the ideal housewife with a less-than-ideal past? Abigail, the sickly sister in love with a forbidden man? Or Alejandra, the artistic introvert scarred by her cousin’s murder? But living a lie will bring Malena additional problems, such as falling for the wrong man and loving a family she may lose when they learn of her deceit. Worse, her arrival threatens to expose long-buried secrets and a truth that may wreck her life forever.
Set in 1960s Ecuador, The Sisters of Alameda Street is a sweeping story of how one woman’s search for the truth of her identity forces a family to confront their own past.
REVIEWS
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"Told in alternating points of view between the sisters and Malena, this delightfully addicting read is equal parts mystery, romance, and drama. Hughes weaves a dynamic story of passion and betrayal, and the power that the past can wield." —Booklist
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"This book is great fun. Scenes involving clandestine late-night excursions, visits to a seedy motel, and Malena's unexpected tango performances demonstrate the author's skills in writing comedy—such a rare treat in historical fiction. The many threads are carefully untangled, and the strength of family wins the day. Heartily recommended to saga readers." —Historical Novel Society (FULL REVIEW)
"[A] joy to read, with delectably evil villains and gratifyingly strong female characters. When those women face marital, societal, and career limitations, they end up overcoming them with ingenuity." —Santa Fe New Mexican, PASATIEMPO (FULL REVIEW)
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"A fascinating look into the world of 1960s Ecuador, as a young woman struggles to find herself amid the clash between the old and the new—and within the family that might or might not be hers." —Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of Band of Sisters and The English Wife
"Intergenerational mysteries, hidden histories, and the richly overlapping stories of four sisters intertwine to offer a fascinating glimpse into one family living in small town 1960s Ecuador. The Sisters of Alameda Street is an absorbing, fast read that will appeal to those who enjoy their historical fiction with a splash of romance, a dash of intrigue, and plenty of intimate family secrets." —Juliet Blackwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Showroom and The Vineyards of Champagne
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"The Platas sisters are magnetic, empathetic creatures haunted by their own lives. Along with Malena, the reader is given crumbs that goad us inexorably toward the revelation of which one of them is her mother—and, more importantly, the heart-rending reason why Malena was given up for adoption in the first place. The resolution is an uncontrived, wholly credible moment toward which the histories of each sister have been hinting. THE SISTERS OF ALAMEDA STREET is a deeply-human ode to the women who have suffered heinous indignities simply for being born into a culture where their gender is their greatest liability. And Malena's equally-compelling presence—albeit initially under false pretenses—may be the only force capable of issuing in some measure of redemption." —S.Z. Salom, author of Kyle Finds Her Way
"Gripping and suspenseful, The Sisters of Alameda Street is the fascinating story of a young woman's quest to find her mother among a family she never knew she had. Hughes's cast of characters and their mysterious pasts twist and turn as mistaken identities, long-kept secrets, and long-lost loves are revealed to create a delightfully intriguing read." —Natalia Sylvester, author of Everyone Knows You Go Home and Chasing the Sun
"The Sisters of Alameda Street takes the reader through twists and turns and sudden reversals in a plot as complicated as the elaborate dance at the center of Malena's world. Readers will find themselves immersed in a family saga like no other—a story that's hard to put down." —Paula Paul, bestselling author of The Alexandra Gladstone series
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