A Fascinating Novel About Sisters
Sisters may be among the most complex relationships that exist. You grow up in the same house, share a family history, often the same memories—yet your view of the world can be completely different. That’s what makes the bond between sisters so intense: they can support each other better than anyone, but also hurt each other more deeply than anyone else. In her new novel about sisters, Nanda Roep explores how these differences shape their lives.
In May The Best Sister Confess everything revolves around that bond. Hilde and Sofia both carry the weight of a family history full of secrets, but each in their own way. While one withdraws and keeps her distance from the outside world, the other seeks the spotlight as a picture book author. Two lives, formed by the same roots, but grown in very different directions.
Sisters as Friends and Rivals
The duality is what fascinates me most in this novel. Sisters can be each other’s best friends and each other’s fiercest rivals. They understand one another on a level no one else can—and precisely for that reason, they can wound each other the most. That dynamic is painful and beautiful at the same time.
Universal Themes Hidden Within
- Loyalty. How far will you go for your sister, even when you don’t understand her choices?
- Comparison. Within families, children are often compared—who is more successful, who is stronger, who is “the best sister”?
- Forgiveness. Perhaps the hardest question: can you forgive someone who has hurt you—or your shared past?
- Sexism in society. What roles are imposed on women, and to what extent are they willing to conform?
These themes make May The Best Sister Confess not only a gripping family mystery, but also a mirror for the reader. Whether you have a sister yourself, or someone else who plays that role in your life, everyone recognizes the mixture of love and rivalry, closeness and distance.
From the Book
“What does it even mean to be a good sister—or even ‘the best’? As an only child, I never thought about it… Is it because Sofia is apparently caring and takes care of her father with dementia? Do you have to take care of your family to be the best sister?
Maybe you can be ‘the best sister’ by pursuing certain ambitions and achieving success…? Can you still be the best sister if you ask critical questions, or does that make you the bad one?“
I believe this theme in the novel about sisters resonates with so many people because we all see ourselves in it—whether you have a sister or someone else in your life who takes on that role. That mixture of love and rivalry, of closeness and distance, means the bond is never simple.
In May The Best Sister Confess I wanted to show how strong, and at the same time how damaged, that bond can be. Because it is often in the tension between love and pain that the heart of a family story lies.
Talking About This Novel on Sisterhood
Precisely because the relationship between sisters has so many layers, May The Best Sister Confess is a wonderful starting point for discussions in book clubs. How do you experience the bond with your sister, brother, or best friend? Where are your similarities, and where are the differences? And above all: what does it mean to be “the best sister”—or not? How do you feel this theme is explored in this book about sisters?
My hope is that readers are not only drawn into the story of Hilde and Sofia, but also reflect on their own family ties. Because in the tension between love and pain often lies the heart of a family story—and with it, the heart of who we are.
The mystery novel about sisters, May The Best Sister Confess, will be released in the summer of 2026. Follow Nanda Roep for updates.
Tip: post your review on Goodreads and help Nanda Roep reach more readers.