This book arrives on the scene in timely fashion after a year of fine movies about sisters and female friends. The author is a gifted essayist ("Nature and Other Mothers") and novelist. Here she explores both the sunshine and the shadows in her complex relationship with two female siblings who bonded together while surviving a harrowing childhood. Peterson writes beautifully about what she's learned about the morality of sisterhood from dolphins, whales, and a recurring dream revolving around a secret society of women. Also included are profiles of female friends such as novelist Isabel Allende and jeweler Tabra Tunoa. Sister Stories contains a wealth of feminine wisdom dispensed with wit, cander, and elan.