Identical-looking triplets turn thirty-three in a year of secrets, marriages, babies and one very public argument
A year in the life of triplets
Lyn, Cat and Gemma Kettle are triplets, and they have been attracting attention all their lives. As they celebrate their thirty-third birthday at a Sydney restaurant, the evening ends in a spectacular row, an accident and a trip to the emergency department, while the other diners look on in fascination. How did three loving sisters get here? The novel goes back over the year that led to that night.
Who will enjoy it
Readers who enjoy warm, witty family stories with sharp observations about siblings, marriage and modern life.
What you will get
A warm, witty first novel about three very different triplet sisters in Sydney and the eventful year that leads to a disastrous birthday dinner.
Three Wishes Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Literary Fiction · Sisters · Family comedy · Sydney
Length
384 pages · ≈ 11 h
More about this book
Before Big Little Lies, Moriarty was already showing her talent for comedy with a dark edge, and Three Wishes is a sparkling debut. Each sister is vividly distinct. Lyn is the organized one, juggling a successful business, a stepdaughter and a perfect-looking family. Cat is fiery and competitive, and a betrayal turns her life upside down. Gemma is the dreamy, unreliable one, who never stays in a relationship for long, until she meets someone who might change that.
The structure is clever: the sisters' story is interrupted by short asides from strangers who happen to witness moments in their lives, showing how a family looks from outside. Moriarty writes about sibling rivalry, love and loyalty with humour and honesty, and the book handles some painful subjects, including infidelity and the longing for a child, with sensitivity. Some readers find the pace slower than her later thrillers, but the characters are memorable.
Fans of her later novels will recognize the warmth and wit, and anyone with a sister will recognize the arguments. Its ending is generous and hopeful. About 384 pages in the Harper paperback.
What Alice Forgot
Big Little Lies
The Husband's Secret
The Friday Night Knitting Club
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Nine Perfect Strangers
In Her Shoes
Goodbye, Columbus
The Last Anniversary
Truly Madly Guilty
On Beauty
The Correspondent