Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited

By Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein

“Twins have been seen on sonogram images in the womb kissing, punching and embracing. Clearly, a powerful connection between twins begins even before birth. Nevertheless, having shared the womb together for nine months, when we met at age thirty-five, we were strangers…”

In the fall of 2002, Elyse Schein, an American filmmaker living in Paris, submitted an internet request for information about her birth parents at age thirty-three; it was a decision that changed her life forever. Elyse had always known that she was adopted and although her mother died when she was just 6 years old and her family was not extremely close, she loved her father and brothers very much. Soon, she received some startling information: she has an identical twin sister who was adopted by another family. Elyse was ecstatic; she always felt like she was missing something in her life and suddenly things make sense.
Paula, on the other hand, was happily living in Brooklyn with her husband and baby daughter, not even thinking about searching for her birth parents. When she was contacted by the adoption agency and told that she has a twin sister who is looking for her, she was completely stunned. Paula had lived a mostly happy life, with wealthy adoptive parents, and an Ivy league education. At first, she was overwhelmed and very apprehensive about having a twin.
The sisters nervously made plans to meet each other, each afraid of losing their individuality and seeing a stranger with the same face as theirs. Slowly, they began to get to know and trust each other, discovering many shared characteristics and interests.

Further research into their background made both women wonder why a highly respected adoption agency would separate twins and what happened to their birth parents. The further they dig, the more disturbing the results are. They later learned that their mother was bi-polar and hospitalized in a Staten Island mental hospital for a suicide attempt weeks before they were born, that she did not know who their father was, but realized that she could not care for a baby. Elyse and Paula were unknowingly part of a controversial experiment conducted by the adoption agency for a study about nature v. nurture in children with a history of mental illness in their families. Their adoptive families were never told about their twin or their mother’s schizophrenia.
This is a riveting memoir about the search for identity and family. The chapters leading up to the reunion are exciting, and so is the twins’ search for information about their birth mother. It's almost like watching a real life mystery unravel before your eyes. The sisters aren’t extremely likeable, especially Paula, who isn’t sure if she wants Elyse in her life and is hesitant at times about researching their past. There is a lot of fascinating background information about twins scattered throughout the book; I just skimmed it at times if it was too distracting. Overall though, this was an interesting and informative book.

Still Life with Elephant: A Novel

By Judy Reene Singer

I have very mixed feelings about this book. The plot centers on Neelie Sterling, a happily married horse trainer, who discovers that her veterinarian husband Matt has been cheating on her with another vet in his practice. Neelie is devastated, especially after she learns Matt's new lover is pregnant and that he has emptied their bank accounts and taken a second mortgage on their house. In a last effort to win him back, Neelie decides to tag along with Matt on dangerous trip to Africa to rescue an elephant.
Neelie’s visit to Africa changes her life forever. Suddenly, she could care less about Matt because she has fallen completely in love with the animals and the beauty of Africa. She also finds herself extremely attracted to the leader of their animal rescue group. But Matt eventually comes crawling back to beg her forgiveness and offer her a life with him and his baby girl. Neelie must choose between the life that she always thought she wanted or an adventure that she never imagined was possible.
As a HUGE animal lover, I really enjoyed all the horse and elephant aspects of this book. The author apparently trains horses and rescues elephants in Africa in real life so she brings an interesting and believable perspective to this novel. However, she has given her protagonist an extremely annoying characteristic: sometimes when she’s upset, Neelie mishears what other people say to her. I think its supposed to be humorous but to me, it's just distracting. For example, one day Matt tells her he is getting a new collie and she is happy. But it turns out that he really said a new colleague to help with his busy practice. After almost 300 pages, these misunderstandings get really annoying. Still, this is a decent book with an important message: sometimes you have to lose everything to learn what you really want.

Through Thick and Thin: A Novel

By Alison Pace

A story about two sisters growing apart as life takes them down different paths. Life seems good for Stephanie, a stay at home mother with a handsome husband, an adorable baby girl and a beautiful home in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Meredith on the other hand, is living the glamorous life of a single girl in the city, where she is a highly respected restaurant critic. Yet neither sister’s life is really a bed of roses. Stephanie’s seemingly perfect existence in the suburbs is just a façade; she is desperately trying to lose the baby weight she gained recently and her formerly happy marriage is in serious trouble. Voluptuous Meredith is tired of both her own weight issues and her endless search for a soulmate in NYC. Then one day, the sisters decide to diet together in order to not only look and feel better, but also to bring them closer. But it won't be easy; they can't even agree on a diet to follow.

Although this novel appears to be your typical chick lit story about fat girls losing weight, Alison Pace always serves up something unexpected in her books. Through Thick and Thick isn’t really about dieting; it’s about family, forgiveness, and finding happiness and love where you least expected. A fun, light read that will be especially appreciated by anyone with a sister. I'd rate this novel better than Pace's 2006 book Pug Hill, but still not as great as 2005's If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend.

All the Numbers: A Novel

by Judy Merrill Larsen

Ellen Banks is a divorced single mother raising two sons in Madison, Wisconsin. During their annual summer trip to the lake to visit friends, James, the youngest, is hit by a careless rider on a jet ski. Just hours later, he is declared brain dead and taken off life support. This is the story of how Ellen and her surviving son Daniel cope with their loss.

Although this book received rave reviews on Amazon, I found it flat and boring. There is nothing new in this novel that hasn't already been seen on tv, movies or in better books before. Feels kind of like being stuck in a very long Lifetime movie. Not worthwhile.