Hi everyone, excited to share my conversation with award-winning audio documentary maker and author Catherine Carr about how sibling relationships shape identity, drawing on Carr’s podcast Relatively and her new book 'Who’s the Favourite?'

Carr explains that her fascination wtih sibling dynamics began during the 2020 pandemic when people began to reach out to and reconnect with their siblings, highlighting that sibling bonds can be some of the longest relationships in life.

We discuss birth order, family “roles,” and how siblings influence development, including Carr’s experience as a middle child whose parents divorced and split the children between England and the Netherlands.

Carr also describes shifting sibling relationships from vertical to horizontal (equal adult friendship), the complications of contested memories and shared narratives, and how aging parents can be a flashpoint.

The conversation covers sibling estrangement and the stigma of it as well as glass siblings and Carr's favourite books!

Listen to the episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1452949/episodes/18891567 or wherever you get your podcasts, by simply searching for 'Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah'.

I hope you enjoy it! And if you'd like to get a copy of her book 'Who's Your Favourite?" you can do so anywhere you get books or here: https://www.waterstones.com/books/reviews/isbn/9781836431282#review-455525

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:35 Why the Focus on Sibling Relationships and Catherine's New Book

04:26 Catherine's Childhood and Own Sibling Relationships

06:13 Siblings in Literature

08:39 Family Roles and Labels

15:19 Birth Order and Influence

18:58 Shared Stories and Memory

23:43 Estrangement and Stigma

28:59 Glass Siblings Explained

35:21 Catherine's Favourite Book

37:29 Final Thoughts and Thanks

#bibliotherapy #bibliotherapypodcast #books #whosthefavourite? #catherinecar #newbook #podcasts #bookistpodcasts #newreleases #siblingpodcast #relatively

Email us at bijal@booktherapy.io

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Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and get new episodes as they are released. If you'd like access to the transcripts, do subscribe to my substack: Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah - Transcripts on Substack.

If you'd like a bibliotherapist in your pocket then you might find my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading a helpful companion.

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