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by Lori Lansens Read by Stephanie Zimbalist and Lolita Davidovich A novel about the life of conjoined twins could be sentimental, or gimmicky or just weird - somehow The Girls manages to avoid all of that. The novel is written as the "autobiography" of Rose Darlen, but since everything in Rose’s life is joined to her twin sister Ruby, so is her autobiography and Ruby contributes some wonderful counterpoints to Rose’s telling. The author does a terrific job of making the two sisters very different with Rose’s voice being rich in details (especially scent details) of their life in rural Leaford, Ontario. Ruby on the other hand speaks more briskly and often more straightforward. In this audio version, the two girls are brilliantly voiced by Stephanie Zimbalist and Lolita Davidovich. When we first hear Ruby’s voice, we’ve already listened to much of Rose’s views on her sister and her nature - but hearing from Ruby is a revelation, showing the degree to which Rose is both insightful about and blind to her sister. It is Ruby who first reveals the real reason for the story - their impending death - but there are no big death scenes here. This is a novel about life and about sharing - and those things we do not share, even with someone who is part of us in the most intimate way possible. Because this is an autobiographical voice, listening to it in an audiobook adds an intimacy that is truly riveting. The story made me laugh out loud, and cry a little, and miss the girls when it was done. An exceptional performance from two fine actresses and an exceptional story from a writer whom I hope to encounter again - soon. |
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The Girls