True Colors is the story of the Grey family over the course of more than two decades. The three Grey sisters - Winona (called “Win”), Aurora, and Vivi Ann - live in a small town in Washington State with their rather unpleasant father. Their mother died when they were young girls, so Win became the de facto mother of the family in many ways. It brought the sisters together and created what they thought was an unbreakable bond among them.
As adults, Winona and Aurora have stayed close to home but gone their own ways professionally; Vivi Ann still lives at home with their father and helps to run their ranch. Things begin to change quickly when Winona’s old crush, Luke, moves back into town. She realizes that her feelings for him haven’t changed, despite the fact that she believes he will never love her because she is overweight. The situation gets even more complicated for the Grey sisters when Winona hires Dallas Raintree, a loner with a dubious past, to help out at the ranch. In this family saga of betrayals, lies, forgiveness and redemption, relationships are tested and bonds are broken, leading to the realization of what it means to be sisters.
While it would be difficult to call True Colors epic, it definitely is a family saga that spans a large amount of time. Hannah writes with self-assuredness and confidence, unsurprising given that this is her 17th novel. The drama within the pages of the novel is gripping, though sometimes it is too much. In a lot of ways, True Colors fits in the “soap opera” genre of books. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for Hannah knows how to keep her readers interested in the story.
The character development in True Colors is the center of the story. Aurora is the only one of the three sisters who isn’t fully fleshed out, but that is because it isn’t really her story. Still, it would have been nice to get to know her a little better.
In many ways, Winona is the main character of here. She exhibits the most development throughout the story. At the beginning, she is a jealous and petty woman, and it’s difficult for the reader to connect with her. As the story progresses, Winona makes some difficult realizations about herself and really grows as a character.
True Colors is touching women’s fiction sure to satisfy Hannah’s devoted fans. If you’re new to the author but enjoy women’s fiction, you will likely appreciate this novel as well. While some of the drama can be over-the-top, it’s a satisfying read.