The Girls by Lori LansensMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - dipped in over the course of 1 week
Pages - 368
Publisher - Back Bay Books
Source - Pound shop
Blurb from Goodreads
Meet Rose and Ruby: sisters, best friends, confidantes, and conjoined twins. Since their birth, Rose and Ruby Darlen have been known simply as "the girls." They make friends, fall in love, have jobs, love their parents, and follow their dreams. But the Darlens are special. Now nearing their 30th birthday, they are history's oldest craniopagus twins, joined at the head by a spot the size of a bread plate.
When Rose, the bookish sister, sets out to write her autobiography, it inevitably becomes the story of her short but extraordinary life with Ruby, the beautiful one. From their awkward first steps--Ruby's arm curled around Rose's neck, her foreshortened legs wrapped around Rose's hips-- to the friendships they gradually build for themselves in the small town of Leaford, this is the profoundly affecting chronicle of an incomparable life journey.
As Rose and Ruby's story builds to an unforgettable conclusion, Lansens aims at the heart of human experience--the hardship of loss and struggles for independence, and the fundamental joy of simply living a life. This is a breath taking novel, one that no reader will soon forget, a heartrending story of love between sisters.
My Review
Rose and Ruby are twins, conjoined craniopagus twins and this is their life story. We are introduced to the girls then how they girls came to be with their aunt Lovey and uncle Stash. Told through their words, particularly Rose as she writes their autobiography, Ruby has some entries too. The girls take us through their life, experiences growing up, working, relationships, ideas and dreams.
This is a moving story of family, strength, love, acceptance and an opportunity to learn more about a condition we don't see very often, well I haven't. I found myself putting the book down to google cases and looking up true life cases of craniopagus, symptoms, statistics.
The bond between these two sisters and their family is beautiful, Lovey is a great character, compassionate, loyal, fierce and understanding, everyone needs an aunt Lovey. Emotive in some places, shocking, beautiful, certainly a different story, 3.5/5 for me, this is my first time reading this author, it won't be my last.
I read this book a couple of years ago and really liked it; it's a story that's stuck with me because of how memorable Rose and Ruby are. :)
ReplyDeleteLainy,
ReplyDeleteI've never read a book about conjoined twins. This sounds like a very special story about sisters. Lovely review!
This sounds like something that I should read. This condition is one of the most life changing imaginable. I think that memoirs by people who have it are rare. The book also sounds very positive.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the life the two girls live, but it sounds like a touching story. Lovely review, Lainy! :)
ReplyDelete