*ABC News journalist and New York Times bestselling author Deborah Roberts has spent decades telling other people’s stories. Now, she’s turning her lens toward one of the most intimate and universal relationships of all — sisterhood.
Her new book, “Sisters Loved and Treasured: Stories of Unbreakable Bonds,” out October 21, brings together essays from an extraordinary mix of women — from Viola Davis and Shonda Rhimes to everyday sisters whose stories shine just as brightly. “I am like the authority on sisterhood,” Roberts says. “I have six sisters. I grew up alongside six sisters and two brothers in one household and one bathroom, I might add. So I have powerful memories of my sisters.”
Those memories — both joyful and complicated — planted the seeds for this project. After losing two of her sisters, Roberts says she began reflecting more deeply on the layers of their relationships. “Some of us have been closer than others. Some of us have drifted apart,” she shares. “The sister relationship is difficult, it’s complicated, but it’s also rewarding and it’s fulfilling. And most of all, it’s enduring.”
Roberts, who co-anchors “20/20” and has reported for “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight,” says her fascination with the topic began when she discovered that women with sisters often experience measurable boosts in emotional well-being. “I had read a study that said women who have sisters have a boost in their mental health, their dopamine level,” she explains. “There is something that is really fortifying about having sisters.” That realization convinced her there was a book waiting to be written — and once she began gathering stories, “I was off to the races.”
Scroll to continue reading
“What I love about the book, yes, I have a few bold face names, but I have more names that you’ve never heard of,” Roberts says. From two sisters at the New York City Ballet who cared for one another after moving away from home, to a trio of Long Island sisters who turned heartbreak into hope through surrogacy, each story reveals a new facet of sisterhood. “Shonda Rhimes saying nobody could handle my company like my sister… Viola Davis talking about bonding over trauma… there were just so many different stories that just moved me.”
Among the book’s most poignant moments are those of resilience and reconciliation. Roberts recalls one pair of sisters who went to therapy to mend their bond after their father’s death, determined not to let conflict over inheritance tear them apart. “This is something people can learn from,” Roberts reflects. “They can grow from it, they can celebrate, and maybe even repair if they have relationships that can use repairing.”
Some of the stories hit close to home for Roberts, sparking laughter, tears, and self-reflection. “I hope that readers will feel what I felt, which is deep emotion, deep joy, wonder, laughter,” she says. “Some of the stories are actually funny. Some of the stories are a little bit heartbreaking.” From twins who share an almost telepathic bond to Jenna Bush Hager and her sister Barbara Pierce Bush, who joke about being “womb mates,” the collection radiates warmth. “My assistant and I would just leave some of the interviews just smiling or a little teary or just really excited about sharing these stories with the wider world.”
One story that deeply touched Roberts was that of Behida Dolić, a Bosnian refugee who, as a teenager, spent her family’s small government allowance on shoes and later reconciled with her sister over the guilt of that decision. “It’s just a beautiful story of sisters and resilience, devotion and dedication,” Roberts says.
She also points to Octavia Spencer’s reflection on the ways her sisters supported her during her early years as an actress. “They got her to this place because she was a starving actress and her sisters would send her a little check now and again. Now she’s the one who’s the success story. So she reaches back and kind of pulls her sisters along.”
But sisterhood, Roberts reminds us, isn’t only about biology. “Carol Radziwill… says that her sisterhood really has formed with her friends. So it transcends biological lines,” she explains. After returning from a trip with close women friends, Roberts says she was reminded that sisterhood, in all its forms, can offer something rare in today’s divided world. “We had this love and this joy of being in the presence of other women who cared about you and encouraged you and want you to be something great and also want you to be able to be vulnerable.”
In a time when connection can feel scarce, “Sisters Loved and Treasured” is a call to remember and rekindle the bonds that shape us most. “Sisters are unique, are loving, are complicated, are difficult, but they are there and in your corner and can bring you the utmost joy, strength and happiness in your life if you just allow it,” Roberts says.
A follow-up to her bestselling debut, “Lessons Learned and Cherished: The Teacher Who Changed My Life,” this new collection once again underscores Roberts’s gift for finding heart and humanity in every story. With contributions from both celebrities and everyday women — and a heartfelt essay from her husband, Al Roker — Roberts reminds us that sisterhood, whether born or chosen, is a bond worth celebrating every day.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Karine Jean-Pierre Breaks with Democrats, Reveals Pain Behind Her Departure in New Memoir
Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
