The Girls tells the story of conjoined twins, Rose and Ruby Darlen. The story is told in first person, mostly from the point of view of Rose, and is designed as an autobiography. Rose's chapters are interspersed with shorter sections of Ruby's writing.
One of the more interesting things about the novel is how normal it seems. Conjoined twins are very rare, and it's likely that most people have never met a pair in their life, let alone gotten to know them well. Yet Lori Lansens manages to capture the situation almost perfectly, as far as it is possible for me to judge. Yes, conjoined twins are unusual, and it's impossible to forget that that's the situation of the people you're reading about; yet, after a time, one can put it to the back of their mind, as the characters have, and as I imagine conjoined twins would. It becomes normal.
Unlike in the 2003 film Stuck On You which dealt with a similar subject matter, The Girls doesn't attempt to poke fun at conjoined twins or even treat it in a comedic manner. The book can be funny, but it's in no way forced. The situation isn't treated as strangely; it's not in the same vein as the freak shows which existed in the last century, and served to highlight differences and exhibit the unusual. Instead, the most striking thing about the book is, if not exactly the normalcy, how believable and like people I could know the characters are.
Ruby and Rose are joined at the head; while Ruby's face is normal and even attractive, Rose's features are twisted and pulled by their conjoinment. Although their brains are completely separate, Rose and Ruby share a network of veins which makes their separation impossible. Rose's body is mostly fully formed, while Ruby's legs are stunted. Throughout their lives, Rose is forced to carry Ruby, each of them only being able to use one arm freely.
I suspect that Rose and Ruby are heavily based on real life conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, from Pennsylvania. A number of coincidences within both sets of twins' physical structure, the nature of their conjoinment, and a few similarities in the way they deal their situation with have lead me to that conclusion.
The story is told by Rose and Ruby looking back over their lives, and describes their birth during a tornado, and their upbringing. Their mother was not seen again, and did not give her real name during their birth, and this theme of lost mothers and children subtly threads its way throughout the novel. One character who has a major effect on the twins' life is Cathy Merkel, a woman who lost her only son during the same tornado Rose and Ruby were born in, and there are many other times when a mother searching for children or children searching for their mother becomes important.
The book is almost a coming of age story, and so a number of plots and storylines are combined, with the changes within the characters more important than specific events.
In summary, The Girls is a fascinating look at the life of conjoined twins, and manages to be touching, sensitive, realistic, and lifelike.
One of the more interesting things about the novel is how normal it seems. Conjoined twins are very rare, and it's likely that most people have never met a pair in their life, let alone gotten to know them well. Yet Lori Lansens manages to capture the situation almost perfectly, as far as it is possible for me to judge. Yes, conjoined twins are unusual, and it's impossible to forget that that's the situation of the people you're reading about; yet, after a time, one can put it to the back of their mind, as the characters have, and as I imagine conjoined twins would. It becomes normal.
Unlike in the 2003 film Stuck On You which dealt with a similar subject matter, The Girls doesn't attempt to poke fun at conjoined twins or even treat it in a comedic manner. The book can be funny, but it's in no way forced. The situation isn't treated as strangely; it's not in the same vein as the freak shows which existed in the last century, and served to highlight differences and exhibit the unusual. Instead, the most striking thing about the book is, if not exactly the normalcy, how believable and like people I could know the characters are.
Ruby and Rose are joined at the head; while Ruby's face is normal and even attractive, Rose's features are twisted and pulled by their conjoinment. Although their brains are completely separate, Rose and Ruby share a network of veins which makes their separation impossible. Rose's body is mostly fully formed, while Ruby's legs are stunted. Throughout their lives, Rose is forced to carry Ruby, each of them only being able to use one arm freely.
I suspect that Rose and Ruby are heavily based on real life conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, from Pennsylvania. A number of coincidences within both sets of twins' physical structure, the nature of their conjoinment, and a few similarities in the way they deal their situation with have lead me to that conclusion.
The story is told by Rose and Ruby looking back over their lives, and describes their birth during a tornado, and their upbringing. Their mother was not seen again, and did not give her real name during their birth, and this theme of lost mothers and children subtly threads its way throughout the novel. One character who has a major effect on the twins' life is Cathy Merkel, a woman who lost her only son during the same tornado Rose and Ruby were born in, and there are many other times when a mother searching for children or children searching for their mother becomes important.
The book is almost a coming of age story, and so a number of plots and storylines are combined, with the changes within the characters more important than specific events.
In summary, The Girls is a fascinating look at the life of conjoined twins, and manages to be touching, sensitive, realistic, and lifelike.
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