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The Delta Sisters
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Product Description
The Grayson family is a pillar of the African-American community in New Orleans. But Sylvia Grayson, the matriarch, has deep secrets that she represses under a veneer of keeping up appearances. She keeps a tight rein on her daughter, Olivia, and has the perfect life mapped out for her: go to college, join the Delta sorority, marry the proper boy. So when the town's "bad girl" is found murdered one summer day in 1975, Sylvia pulls Olivia even closer. But when Olivia's one last attempt at rebellion is subverted by her mother, Sylvia's relentlessly tight control shatters the ties between them.
Years later, Olivia's own daughter, Rachelle, is trying to make her way in the world. Olivia does not want to make the same mistakes as her mother, nor does she want her daughter to make the same errors Olivia made out of rebellion. Meanwhile, a killer is watching from the shadows, determined to keep the secrets of the past from coming to light. The Delta Sisters is a spellbinding, intimate portrait of what happens when these passionate women have to join together at last in the face of danger.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #457891 in Books
- Published on: 2005-04-01
- Released on: 2005-03-10
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 368 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In contrast to its well-constructed predecessor, The Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa (2001), Canadian author Perrin's second sorority-themed romantic suspense novel fails to grip. In the summer of 1975, the unsolved murder of a wayward teenage girl prompts Sylvia Grayson, matriarch of one of New Orleans' most elite old-money African-American families and one-time president of the Delta Gamma Psi sorority, to be even more protective of her lonely only child, Olivia, who loves the dark and mystery of night. Estranged from her mother, Olivia later becomes a successful horror writer and has a daughter, Rachelle. The author sensitively explores the relationships between mothers and daughters, but the action doesn't pick up until Rachelle reaches college age and considers following the family tradition by pledging for the Deltas. Strange events with voodoo overtones could have deadly consequences for Rachelle, particularly if a well-kept family secret gets out. Perrin knows her sorority politics and offers some insights into the power of love and the meaning of family, but a lack of focus and too much filler will frustrate many readers.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Three generations of Grayson family women have been a part of the New Orleans African American elite and distinguished members of the Delta Gamma Psi sorority. Sylvia is running from a past that she lies about to her society friends and daughter, Olivia. Her volunteer and charity work allow her to hide and live in denial. Olivia has achieved fame as the author she so desperately wanted to become. Her personal sorrow of never consummating the relationship with her first love, Harvey, led Olivia to a life of inebriation, bitterness, and distance. Olivia's daughter, Rachelle, has lived in a dysfunctional home with her mother and grandmother since her father's death. When she discovers that Olivia has manipulated her future, she wants more than ever to find her own course and come out from under her family's famous shadow. When all of their hurts and disappointments are finally exposed, the consequences of everyone's inability to communicate, trust, and love unconditionally cause a finale that is sure to leave the reader surprised. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
From the Back Cover
"Sensitively explores the relationships between mothers and daughters [and] insights into the power of love and the meaning of family."
---Publishers Weekly
"A mesmerizing story...will keep readers turning pages long into the night." ---Romantic Times BOOKclub
"Gripping!" ---The New Pittsburgh Courier
Customer Reviews
Buried Secrets Revealed
When I sat down to read The Delta Sisters, I was mentally prepared to read a novel about the adventures of pledging a sorority and being a part of a sisterhood. But author Kayla Perrin took me in a totally different direction with this brilliantly written novel of murder, suspense and betrayal. Sylvia Grayson is the matriarch of an affluent African-American family in New Orleans. Her family heritage includes being the daughter of one of the original founders of Delta Gamma Psi sorority. The women of this family carry down the traditions of attending Dillard University and pledging Delta.
Being of an elite heritage, Sylvia marries a jazz musician, whom is considered beneath her by her family standards. From the union, a daughter named Olivia is conceived. It is expected of her to follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother and attend Dillard and pledge Delta.
During the summer of 1975, when a stranger moves to town and a young girl is murdered, the nature of Sylvia and Olivia's relationship is changed forever. An incident from Sylvia's past comes back to haunt her. She believes that the young man she has hired to do some work around the estate knows what she would prefer to keep hidden. She pays the young man to leave town. This totally devastates Olivia, who has developed a relationship with him.
Olivia grows up to be the author of horror stories. She is an embarrassment to her mother because of her drinking and the erotic nature of her fiction. Although a Delta member, Sylvia barely acknowledges her presence and overlooks her for committees. Olivia realizes her mother still considers her a disappointment. She fails to recognize the relationship with Rachelle is failing miserably. Rachelle develops a rebellious streak after her best friend; Alette tells her she overheard Olivia admitting she deceitfully altered the path of Rachelle's future. Rachelle goes against her upbringing, even contemplating not following the tradition of becoming a Delta.
A person from Olivia's past reenters her life around the same time Sylvia is receiving threats and accusations concerning the murder of a young girl in 1975. Through a series of events, secrets are revealed that hurt and change the way Olivia sees her mother. It all culminates with dead bodies, explosive revelations of "who done it" and eventually, restored relationships.
Kayla Perrin did an outstanding job keeping me guessing and flipping pages. I thought the drama would never end. Just when you think you have it figured out, there's another plot twist. This is a really good read.
Reviewed by Paula Henderson of Loose Leaves Book Review
sisterhood vs. family
Easy and interesting book to read as I read in an evening setting as my interest had questions I wanted answered. Since I was not a part of a sorority setting I wanted to know what was so special about these groups but that was not really the storyline as much as it was about a family bonding together before they seek to go out and help the world that may seem to be less fortunate.
Secrets Never Stay Hidden
New Orleans is considered The Delta. This is a book about murder, suspense and betrayal. Lies come back to hunt mother Sylvia Grayson. Sylvia Grayson is the matriarch of an affluent family. The tradition for the women in the family is to attend Dillard University and pledge Delta sorority. Sylvia's daughter Olivia falls in love with a stranger to the dismay of Sylvia. This stranger is suspected of murdering a girl in New Orleans, and Sylvia suspects he knows secrets about her she would rather keep hidden. She pays him to leave town, upsetting Olivia. Olivia grows up still hurt about losing a man she loved and with a daughter of her own. Olivia is doing the same thing to her own daughter Rachelle that her mother has done to her.
This family is very dysfunctional. Olivia was so set against Rochelle attending any other colleges; she threw out Rachel's acceptance letters. Rachelle so wanting her own identity she considers going against family tradition to rebel against her mother. When all is said and done, secrets are revealed in an explosive ending.
This book was slow, slow, slow. Chapter 55-56 were the most exciting parts of the book. I was about to put it down when I got to that point. I really felt the story did not need to be dragged out so much. I just did not like this book by the time I finished it. Glad I borrowed this from the library.
