The Girls

by: Lori Lansens

Published by: Little, Brown & Company

Reviewed by Laura Langer

When I started this novel, it was with concern. After all, it's a book about conjoined twins, written as their autobiography at the age of 29. The subject lends itself to the maudlin, and the format left me in some doubt. To my surprise, I was drawn into the story immediately, and I never lost interest straight through to the ending.

Ruby and Rose are joined at their heads, and their physical development has been quite dissimilar, despite their conjoined state. Ruby is small, and effectively rides on her sister Rose's hip. Ruby's interests are in the Native American artifacts found on their farm, and in observing the people around her. Rose's interests are much more wide-ranging, as are her ambitions. She wants to be a writer. At the age of 29, she sets out to write her own history, and Ruby is drawn reluctantly into participating--partly in competition, and partly because she loves her sister so completely that she can't disappoint her.

The twins were born during a tornado, immediately abandoned by their mother, raised by Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash on a farm outside a small town in Canada. Aunt Lovey is a nurse, Uncle Stash the farmer, and the girls both a medical wonder and the joy of their adoptive parents' lives.

It's a little bit Wizard of Oz mixed with The Bobbsey Twins, then seasoned with John Irving. Somehow, in spite of that, it works. Aunt Lovey is loving, but in an astringent way that makes her girls as big as they can be in the world. Uncle Stash is a doting father, but some of the things he showers on the girls are humorous--like their phallic-shaped bus shelter, lovingly made in all innocence. Rose sees all this in its fullness, and loves it for its mixture of the ordinary and the surreal.

One of the first things Rose tells us is that she and her sister have never looked in each other's eyes. Because of the way they are conjoined, they can only see each other in a mirror. Author Lansens doesn't belabor this image, but it is a central key to what makes this book more than a sappy story set in a familiar landscape. Almost everything that one wants to do conflicts with the other. Ruby doesn't like to think too much, and hates writing. Rose is not interested in archaeology but patiently hunts for and picks up the Native American artifacts that Ruby adores. They share so much physically, that it is almost a relief to learn that they are so different in personality, interests, talents, and outlook.

It is this balance that Lansens manages so well, almost to the astonishment of this reader. Despite all the traps of sentimentality, predictable plot lines, and syrupy characters that could have ambushed her, she delivers a story that is sentimental, surprising, and refreshing.

Armchair Interviews says: If you're looking for a tale well told, about characters you won't find in your ordinary life, this is a great bet.