Quick Synopsis

A breathtaking memoir about two sisters and a high-profile case: Nikki Addimando, incarcerated for killing her longtime abuser; and the author, Michelle Horton, left in the devastating fall-out to raise Nikki’s young children and to battle the criminal justice system.

Publisher’s Synopsis

In September 2017, a knock on the door from police upends Michelle Horton’s life forever: her sister had just shot her partner and was now in jail. Everything Michelle thought she knew about her family unraveled in that moment. During the investigation that follows, Michelle learns that Nikki had been hiding horrific abuse for years.

Stunned to find herself in a situation she’d only ever encountered on television and true crime podcasts, Michelle rearranges her life to care for Nikki’s children and simultaneously launches a fight to bring Nikki home, squaring off against a criminal justice system seemingly designed to punish the entire family. 

In this exquisite memoir, Michelle retraces the sisters’ childhood and explores how so many people, including herself, could have been blind to the abuse. An intimate look at a family surviving trauma, Dear Sister is a deeply personal story about what it takes to be believed and the danger of keeping truths hidden. Ultimately, Horton turns her family’s suffering into hard won wisdom: a profound story of resilience and the unbreakable bond between sisters.

Book Review

So far this year, I have read fewer nonfiction books than I typically do. This is partially the result of not having the opportunity to listen to audiobooks and partially because I have been looking for an escape from reality when I read. But I am so glad I finally picked up Dear Sister. It has gotten me excited about reading more nonfiction again.

Dear Sister is the memoir of Michelle Horton, whose sister Nikki Addimando murdered her abusive partner in 2017. In this book, Michelle chronicles her relationship with Nikki, beginning with childhood and continuing after her arrest. The fallout of Nikki’s arrest impacts Michelle especially hard since she is now the caregiver for Nikki’s two children as well as a much-needed advocate for Nikki to be treated as an abuse survivor by the justice system. In addition to all this, Michelle must also accept and confront that she was blind to the abuse Nikki received for years.

What immediately impressed me about Dear Sister is Horton’s clear, beautiful writing. It is not often that I read a memoir by a debut author that is so eloquent, captivating, and detailed. Prior to picking up the book, I was completely unfamiliar with Nikki’s case. Yet, Michelle provided such a strong, thorough account that all my questions were answered. 

The story itself is a harrowing, gut-wrenching tale. No one should endure the violence Nikki experienced at the hands of her partner; let alone being doubted despite an overwhelming preponderance of evidence. While you may initially think this story will not be one to which you can relate, I promise that Dear Sister will move you, whether to emotions or actions.

I read Dear Sisters partially on audio and partially in hardcover. The audiobook has soundbites from the book’s events, and the hardcover has pictures. I recommend both formats as they each added more to the book.

Overall, Dear Sister is a well-written, emotionally provocative memoir about sisterhood, love, and justice. It is also a rebuke of the way the justice system treats survivors. Although this may sound bleak, Dear Sister left me with hope for the future and a desire for strong sisterhood. I highly recommend it!

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