The Girls: A Novel
by Lori Lansens
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Book Summary Information
Author: Lori LansensEdition: Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2007-04-10
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Book Reviews of The Girls: A Novel
Book Review: Let's Hear it for The Girls
Summary: 5 Stars
I started this book with some trepidation, wondering how the author could do justice to the topic of conjoined craniopagus twins without seeming maudlin or trite. I was won over during the first chapter. This is a poignant and lovely book about Rose and Ruby, twins conjoined since birth. The chapters are written in the first person, as an autobiography, either by Rose or by Ruby. Each has a different personality which stands out in their writing and experiences.
The book begins "I have never looked into my sister's eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I've never used an airplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that." With sensitivity, humor, love and genuine concern, Ruby and Rose tell their life stories and the stories of those they love. Born on the day of a great tornado, to a young single mother who abandons them, the twins are adopted by Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash. They are raised on a family farm in Canada, not too far from Toronto or Detroit. They are raised in an atmosphere of great love and support by two wonderful and eccentric parents.
Rose is the writer. She is a book lover and has a personality that is both literate and rational. She has done well in school and takes learning seriously. Rose is more of a dreamer and not as much a book person. She loves archeology and has amassed a wealth of artifacts pertaining to the Neutral Indians that she has found on her family's farm. Both girls have these wonderful loving rituals that mean 'I love you' to each other. Rose rubs Ruby's ear and makes sure her clubbed feet (which get cold easily) are covered up at night by blankets. They also bicker and fight, sometimes pinching each other.
We learn about their childhoods, teenaged years and adulthood. At the time the book starts, Rose and Ruby at 29 years old, are the oldest living craniopagus twins in history. We learn about the lives of Aunt Lovey and uncle Stash. We travel with Rose and Ruby to Slovakia and to Toronto. We share their longings and histories. We are privy to their most intimate feelings and desires. We meet their friends and relatives and see them from Rose and Ruby's perspectives.
The book explores issues of individuation and autonomy for the twins, along with their shared universe. It examines what it's like to be different in a world where 'normal' prevails. With sensitivity and poignancy, we are allowed into the twins' inner worlds to see these issues from their perspectives.
The book is beautifully written with wonderful characterization. I was struck by the tone of the book which is written by Rose and Ruby without any self-pity, with a sense of acceptance and pride in who they are. Of course, they yearn to have experienced things that others take for granted and they get tired of stares and questions. However, they are 'the girls' and would not trade their lives for any others. I have ordered Lori Lansens first book and look forward to reading that novel soon.
Summary of The Girls: A Novel
In Lansens's second novel, readers come to know Rose and Ruby, 29-year-old conjoined twins. When one of the girls decides to write her autobiography, the distinct personalities of the two emerge to reveal their contradictory longing for independence and their unwavering togetherness.Literary Books
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