The Whisper Sister

A Novel

By: Jennifer S. Brown

Narrated by: Helen Laser

The author of Modern Girls delivers an atmospheric coming-of-age story set in Prohibition-era New York, tracing one immigrant family’s fortunes and a young girl’s journey from the schoolyard to the speakeasy.

The streets of New York in 1920 are most certainly not paved with gold, as Minnie Soffer learns when she arrives at Ellis Island. Her father, who left Ukraine when Minnie was a toddler, feels like a stranger. She sleeps on a mattress on the kitchen floor. She understands nothing at school. They came to America for this?

As her family adjusts to this new life, Minnie and her brother work hard to learn English and make friends. When her father, Ike, opens his own soda shop, stability and citizenship seem within reach. But the soda shop is not what it seems; it’s a front for Ike’s real moneymaker: a speakeasy.

When tragedy strikes the Soffers, Minnie has no choice but to take over the bar. She’s determined to make the speakeasy a success despite the risks it brings to herself, her family, and her freedom. At what price does the American dream come true? Minnie won’t stop until she finds out.

©2024 by Jennifer S. Brown. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Full of excitement and forbidden love, Jennifer S. Brown’s novel also sensitively portrays Minnie’s deep connection with her religion and culture…If Brown’s first two novels are any indication, I eagerly look forward to more tales from this author.” —Hadassah Magazine

“The Whisper Sister by Jennifer S. Brown is the story of Minnie, a young Jewish immigrant in New York during the Prohibition era who must fight for her family and business by rewriting the rules in a game where men hold all of the cards. Readers will laugh, cry, and root for feisty Minnie, a heroine for all time! Brown’s latest dazzles!” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Sapphire

“A powerful story about the losses we endure when carving out a new life in America and the transformative force of unwavering resolve. As Minnie navigates her path of survival amidst tragedy in New York’s Prohibition era, she finds home and belonging not in a place but in her connection to those she loves. A testament to the power of one woman’s strength and the legacy and sanctuary she ends up building in her community.” —Marjan Kamali, author of The Stationery Shop and The Lion Women of Tehran

The whisper sister sent me

Such an amazing book!

The protagonist was amazing and the villains aren’t who you think they are…

Amazing narrative

Great story! Everything about this book was amazing! I was truly blown away with the writing of this! I laughed! I cried and I was amazed at how I emotionally I was. The narrative is amazing!