Frenemies in the Family: Famous Brothers and Sisters Who Butted Heads and Had Each Other’s Backs by Kathleen Krull (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- Frenemies in the Family: Famous Brothers and Sisters Who Butted Heads and Had Each Other’s Backs by Kathleen Krull
Library ed. ISBN 978-0-399-55125-3 $20.99
Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-399-55124-6 $17.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-399-55126-0 $10.99
Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-7
No matter where readers’ own sibling relationships are unflinchingly loyal or melodramatically fraught, they’re bound to recognize the dynamics among Krull’s fifteen high-profile families. They appear here in roughly chronological order, stretching as far back as Elizabeth I and half-sis “Bloody” Mary, and wrapping up appropriately with the media-empowered travails of the Gosselin family, hitting along the way such paragons of sibling cooperation as the conjoined Chang and Eng Bunker and the inventive Wilbur and Orville (and yes, sister Katharine) Wright; the hyper-competitive Kennedys and Serena and Venus Williams; the tightknit royal Romanovs and singing Jacksons. This is Krull in gossipy mode of yore, but her genuine empathy with each family’s unique circumstances shines through. Even when the outline of a story is well known, the strict focus on sibling relationship delivers [End Page 295] the promised spin, and cartoon-paneled notes at the conclusion of many chapters add commentary from the social sciences on how gender, birth order, and other factors affect sibling relationships. Suitable for browsing, classroom readalouds, or cover-to-cover immersion, this will confirm attitudes among siblings and and leave “onlies” with a sense of envy—or relief. Chapter bibliographies are included.
