What do you think?
Rate this book
My Sister's Voice
Every love leaves an echo. . .What do you do when you discover your whole life was a lie? In Mary Carter's unforgettable new novel, one woman is about to find out...
At twenty-eight, Lacey Gears is exactly where she wants to be. An up-and-coming, proudly Deaf artist in Philadelphia, she's in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her difficult childhood in a home for disabled orphans. That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, "You have a sister. A twin to be exact. . ."
Learning that her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey's grief, and she angrily sets out to find Monica and her biological parents. But the truth about Monica's life, their brief shared past, and the reason for the twins' separation is far from simple. And for every one of Lacey's questions that's answered, others are raised, more baffling and profound.
Complex, moving, and beautifully told, "My Sister's Voice" is a novel about sisterhood, love of every shape, and the stories we cling to until real life comes crashing in. . .
"At once a story about love and loss, family and friends, the world of the hearing and that of the deaf, "My Sister's Voice" satisfies on many levels." --Holly Chamberlin, author of "The Family Beach House"
"Gripping, entertaining and honest. This is a unique, sincere story about the invisible, unbreakable bonds of sisterhood that sustain us no matter how far they're buried." --Cathy Lamb, author of "Henry's Sisters"
At twenty-eight, Lacey Gears is exactly where she wants to be. An up-and-coming, proudly Deaf artist in Philadelphia, she's in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her difficult childhood in a home for disabled orphans. That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, "You have a sister. A twin to be exact. . ."
Learning that her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey's grief, and she angrily sets out to find Monica and her biological parents. But the truth about Monica's life, their brief shared past, and the reason for the twins' separation is far from simple. And for every one of Lacey's questions that's answered, others are raised, more baffling and profound.
Complex, moving, and beautifully told, "My Sister's Voice" is a novel about sisterhood, love of every shape, and the stories we cling to until real life comes crashing in. . .
"At once a story about love and loss, family and friends, the world of the hearing and that of the deaf, "My Sister's Voice" satisfies on many levels." --Holly Chamberlin, author of "The Family Beach House"
"Gripping, entertaining and honest. This is a unique, sincere story about the invisible, unbreakable bonds of sisterhood that sustain us no matter how far they're buried." --Cathy Lamb, author of "Henry's Sisters"
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
109 people are currently reading
1069 people want to read
About the author
Mary Carter
63 books198 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
July 18, 2010
I wanted very much to like this book. It had the potential to be a very moving story about family and personal identity. However, it read more like an early draft than a polished final product. While I learned a lot of interesting facts about Deaf Culture, I feel Carter did this too often through exposition instead of letting the reader learn from the actions and dialogue of the characters. The flow of the story was constantly interrupted while the author took the time to explain why or how the characters communicated in the ways that they did. These explanations were usually unnecessary as the why and how could have been more efficiently explained through the context of the story. This in itself was not enough to ruin the book for me, however. What really disappointed me was the ending. The confrontation we spend the whole book waiting for is very anti-climactic and the last chapter is so chocked full of unrealistic "happily-ever-after" type of events, announcements and epiphanies that it took an otherwise decent read and made it feel very amateur. Endings are hard to do, I get that. But this felt like someone pulled a practical joke by removing the real last chapter and replacing it with this Disney-fied version. For such a messy story, this ending was too neat and tidy and realized a little to easily.
March 24, 2015
This book started out strong. I liked the characters; I was fascinated by the glimpse into the deaf world. But then the story just got strained and down-right weird. Many of the interesting mysteries in the story were explained away with unsatisfactory and unbelievable answers. I'm disappointed because I like Carter's writing style, and the title of the book is brilliant. I keep wishing that this was the rough draft and Carter could re-write the ending!
May 4, 2016
a very interesting book, well written and an insight into some of the issues important to Deaf people.
November 10, 2010
I have really enjoyed this novel. It made me laugh a couple times and it also made me sad at others. I love the heroine, Lacey. She's deaf, rides a motorcycle, has a puggle and a major attitude. She's very likable. When trying to read people's lips, she would sometimes run down a multiple choice in her head like this: He either called her a: a cyclone b: a silo or c: a psycho. I LOVED this feature cause really, that is what it is like, reading people's lips. It's half a guessing game.
The author also really understands what it's like to be Deaf. I was amazed at this spot on, wonderful quote from Lacey, "It was draining to constantly be looked at as deficient, handicapped, in need of fixing. Other people's opinions - that was the handicap she faced, not her hearing loss!"
Anyway, Lacey grew up in a home for orphans so when she discovers she may have a twin running around out there, she is really surprised. When she finds out that her twin is hearing and raised by their parents, she is shocked and hurt. Was she just thrown away like garbage? If so, why?
So... a bunch of stuff happens and she meets her twin sister, Monica and the truth is slowly revealed. BUT Lacey has gained a lot more than a sister.. she has gained a stalker. Monica is not satisfied being Lacey's sister and friend, she wants to BE Lacey. There are some psychological issues here..
The ending had a lot of surprises that I didn't see coming. I thought it was too pit pat considering the seriousness of the situation and the lies that were told, but I enjoyed the book enough not to take away a star.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the part when Lacey goes to church to be "healed." Laughed my butt off.
Highly recommend this one!
The author also really understands what it's like to be Deaf. I was amazed at this spot on, wonderful quote from Lacey, "It was draining to constantly be looked at as deficient, handicapped, in need of fixing. Other people's opinions - that was the handicap she faced, not her hearing loss!"
Anyway, Lacey grew up in a home for orphans so when she discovers she may have a twin running around out there, she is really surprised. When she finds out that her twin is hearing and raised by their parents, she is shocked and hurt. Was she just thrown away like garbage? If so, why?
So... a bunch of stuff happens and she meets her twin sister, Monica and the truth is slowly revealed. BUT Lacey has gained a lot more than a sister.. she has gained a stalker. Monica is not satisfied being Lacey's sister and friend, she wants to BE Lacey. There are some psychological issues here..
The ending had a lot of surprises that I didn't see coming. I thought it was too pit pat considering the seriousness of the situation and the lies that were told, but I enjoyed the book enough not to take away a star.
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the part when Lacey goes to church to be "healed." Laughed my butt off.
Highly recommend this one!
June 12, 2011
Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com. Also posted at www.luxuryreading.com
My Sister's Voice tells the story of twin sisters, Lacey and Monica, separated early in childhood and raised as though the other doesn't exist. Lacey grows up in a children's home with a strict house mother while Monica grows up with her parents and has a wealthy lifestyle. Lacey is also deaf and Monica is hearing. The book starts when they are 28-years-old and Lacey receives an anonymous letter in the mail telling her she has a sister. She initially assumes one of her friends is playing a joke on her until she sees a picture of her sister. The rest of the story deals with Lacey deciding if she wants to meet her sister and/or her parents, why they were separated, and who wrote her the notes. The book also delves thoroughly into the deaf culture through Lacey's experiences.
The writing style in My Sister's Voice was different and difficult to get used to. In some parts the narration was normal enough, but in other parts it just didn't flow right. At one point I gave it the benefit of the doubt because I realized that the narration was literally translated from American Sign Language (that does not use the same word structure/order) but there were really only a few parts where this was the case. I felt like Lacey's behaviors in most of the book, but especially the beginning, were sort of erratic and strange. Lacey's reactions to finding out she may have a twin were, just as with many other moments in the book, contrived and unrealistic... at least, I had a difficult time believing that the characters would react the way to some situations as they did in the book. For instance, after seeing a picture for an upcoming book signing by her long lost twin, Lacey rants for pages about how she has a "face thief" and decides to get back at this person with a vengeance. She acts extremely immaturely, more than I could realistically see an adult female in this situation act. On another note, there were parts where the same issue was discussed/explored/ranted over for too long. I noticed this more in the beginning of the book but I felt like a couple paragraphs could have been removed for some of the topics. Additionally, when the characters were thinking to themselves, they would have somewhat frantic thoughts and repeat the same thing over to themselves.. over, over, over, over, over, over. It was frustrating and weird, weird, weird, weird, frustrating, weird. After a while I thought "okay, I got it"... I didn't need the character to go on more. I also felt that the dialogue was stilted in many parts.
I didn't care for these things, but the thing I mainly disliked was the characters. I despised Lacey's character for the first 3/4's of the book because she was, for one, not at all a nice character and, for two, she just seemed very immature. Monica's character was okay at first, but then her behavior became strange as well. In the end, there were also some questions I felt were unanswered completely. The reason for the girls' separation was definitely not simple, as the back of the book reads, but I had a fairly adverse reaction to that part. It was again, strange, and really only answered some of the questions I had.
While I unfortunately didn't care for this book, I do want to point out one thing I thought was good. Except for the fact that it, at times, felt as though there was an agenda, My Sister's Voice, did do a good job of revealing the internal world of Deaf culture to the reader. I found it very interesting that most Deaf (refer to the Q & A in the back to find out why it's capitalized) people consider themselves part of a different culture; a culture that shares a language and a history. I had never thought of it that way. Another interesting piece of information (which my co-worker and I learned the hard way, but that's a story for another time) is that Deaf people do NOT like to be referred to as hearing impaired... because there's nothing to fix! They do not feel as though they are missing anything -- they are just different. And all this time I'm sure most of us were so caught up with being "pc" or politically correct that I guess no one thought to ask those who are deaf what they prefer. So in this sense, I did learn a lot from reading this book. (If you do read this, I want to talk to you about a statement that's made in the end of the book because it sort of bothered me... it's related to Deaf culture).
In summary (finally, right??) this book had so many elements that could have potentially made this really good, but I just didn't care for the execution of it all.
My Sister's Voice tells the story of twin sisters, Lacey and Monica, separated early in childhood and raised as though the other doesn't exist. Lacey grows up in a children's home with a strict house mother while Monica grows up with her parents and has a wealthy lifestyle. Lacey is also deaf and Monica is hearing. The book starts when they are 28-years-old and Lacey receives an anonymous letter in the mail telling her she has a sister. She initially assumes one of her friends is playing a joke on her until she sees a picture of her sister. The rest of the story deals with Lacey deciding if she wants to meet her sister and/or her parents, why they were separated, and who wrote her the notes. The book also delves thoroughly into the deaf culture through Lacey's experiences.
The writing style in My Sister's Voice was different and difficult to get used to. In some parts the narration was normal enough, but in other parts it just didn't flow right. At one point I gave it the benefit of the doubt because I realized that the narration was literally translated from American Sign Language (that does not use the same word structure/order) but there were really only a few parts where this was the case. I felt like Lacey's behaviors in most of the book, but especially the beginning, were sort of erratic and strange. Lacey's reactions to finding out she may have a twin were, just as with many other moments in the book, contrived and unrealistic... at least, I had a difficult time believing that the characters would react the way to some situations as they did in the book. For instance, after seeing a picture for an upcoming book signing by her long lost twin, Lacey rants for pages about how she has a "face thief" and decides to get back at this person with a vengeance. She acts extremely immaturely, more than I could realistically see an adult female in this situation act. On another note, there were parts where the same issue was discussed/explored/ranted over for too long. I noticed this more in the beginning of the book but I felt like a couple paragraphs could have been removed for some of the topics. Additionally, when the characters were thinking to themselves, they would have somewhat frantic thoughts and repeat the same thing over to themselves.. over, over, over, over, over, over. It was frustrating and weird, weird, weird, weird, frustrating, weird. After a while I thought "okay, I got it"... I didn't need the character to go on more. I also felt that the dialogue was stilted in many parts.
I didn't care for these things, but the thing I mainly disliked was the characters. I despised Lacey's character for the first 3/4's of the book because she was, for one, not at all a nice character and, for two, she just seemed very immature. Monica's character was okay at first, but then her behavior became strange as well. In the end, there were also some questions I felt were unanswered completely. The reason for the girls' separation was definitely not simple, as the back of the book reads, but I had a fairly adverse reaction to that part. It was again, strange, and really only answered some of the questions I had.
While I unfortunately didn't care for this book, I do want to point out one thing I thought was good. Except for the fact that it, at times, felt as though there was an agenda, My Sister's Voice, did do a good job of revealing the internal world of Deaf culture to the reader. I found it very interesting that most Deaf (refer to the Q & A in the back to find out why it's capitalized) people consider themselves part of a different culture; a culture that shares a language and a history. I had never thought of it that way. Another interesting piece of information (which my co-worker and I learned the hard way, but that's a story for another time) is that Deaf people do NOT like to be referred to as hearing impaired... because there's nothing to fix! They do not feel as though they are missing anything -- they are just different. And all this time I'm sure most of us were so caught up with being "pc" or politically correct that I guess no one thought to ask those who are deaf what they prefer. So in this sense, I did learn a lot from reading this book. (If you do read this, I want to talk to you about a statement that's made in the end of the book because it sort of bothered me... it's related to Deaf culture).
In summary (finally, right??) this book had so many elements that could have potentially made this really good, but I just didn't care for the execution of it all.
July 18, 2015
‘What do you do when you discover your whole life was a lie?’
Mary Carter has placed the reader right at the heart of an intense, cleverly crafted, moving and emotional storyline, replete with plenty of twists and turns.
She has created believable, well developed, inspiring characters, who absorb you into their lives, with their complex personal challenges, that made me smile and feel a little sad, both at the same time.
I asked myself how I would feel and react, if I found out that my life as I believed it to be, was nothing but a lie? There are not only parents out there, but a sister … a twin sister … a twin sister who isn’t deaf … a twin sister who isn’t deaf and who wasn’t abandoned by their parents! … How would I react if life came crashing in on me without any warning, causing chaos and bedlam, in what until then is a difficult, often challenging, yet satisfyingly independent life?
Lacey’s reactions often appeared quite extreme and ‘off the wall’, but in retrospect were completely understandable and genuinely spontaneous. Initial disbelief, excitement and joy, quickly turns to scepticism, shock and hurt, as the reality of the situation sinks in.
Her first thoughts and hopes of getting to know Monica and building a relationship with her, are quickly dashed when feelings of jealousy, self pity and loathing leave her feeling vulnerable and insecure.
Lacey finds herself unable to share either the material things in her life, or her mixed and jumbled emotions and feelings, with a sister whom she feels has taken her share of their parents love and attention. The need to retaliate and seek retribution for what she sees as the lost years of a family life, becomes overwhelming and she demands that Monica makes the supreme sacrifice, as some form of appeasement and catharsis.
Mary’s words paint a vivid image which is almost the complete antithesis of what I was expecting. Lacey comes across as the charismatic and fiercely independent one of the sisters, whilst Monica is the clingy and reliant twin, never quite sure enough of herself, to take that leap of faith into the unknown. It really made me wonder just which one of the girls had been left most damaged by past events!
The true facts of the situation surrounding Lacey’s childhood, the total destructiveness of long buried family secrets and the girls ultimate separation, pile in one after the other, until they are both forced to face up to the unpalatable truth, when they must decide whether they are able to rise to the challenge of rebuilding their lives, or stay forever bitter, angry and estranged.
The whole story is emotionally charged, with several difficult and challenging issues being put forward for debate and the attention to detail is there, in all the right places. I felt myself becoming completely immersed in the girls lives and wondering whether I felt sorry for, or angry with the extended list of characters, who seem to bring such influence to bear on what is already a difficult, complex and stressful situation.
The fact that the author is a qualified and certified sign language interpreter, means that she is eminently able to offer the reader an intimate insight into the Deaf community. This she achieves with a skill that does not labour the point, but which gets the message out there, through the character of Lacey, that Deaf people are proud to be that way and do not require pity, just the chance to live as equals in a hearing community.
I really came at this book with no preconceived ideas about the storyline but having read several reviews about it, and come away with some very mixed messages, mostly from readers worried about the content and quality of the ending.
Yes, there may have been room for some slight improvement in the length and interpretation of the final few scenes, in comparison to the in depth analysis of the earlier conversations and confrontations, although to be honest Mary could have gone on for ever, only to end up by intoducing another whole new set of questions which needed explanations and answers. I had already vaguely worked out the final twist in the plot, so was quite happy with the wrap-up pages, feeling that the quality and dedication in the writing did not diminish to any great degree.
Overall ‘My Sister’s Voice’, was an insightful, moving story, which I would not hesitate to recommend.
The full review post, with additional features, can be read here ...
http://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews/...
Mary Carter has placed the reader right at the heart of an intense, cleverly crafted, moving and emotional storyline, replete with plenty of twists and turns.
She has created believable, well developed, inspiring characters, who absorb you into their lives, with their complex personal challenges, that made me smile and feel a little sad, both at the same time.
I asked myself how I would feel and react, if I found out that my life as I believed it to be, was nothing but a lie? There are not only parents out there, but a sister … a twin sister … a twin sister who isn’t deaf … a twin sister who isn’t deaf and who wasn’t abandoned by their parents! … How would I react if life came crashing in on me without any warning, causing chaos and bedlam, in what until then is a difficult, often challenging, yet satisfyingly independent life?
Lacey’s reactions often appeared quite extreme and ‘off the wall’, but in retrospect were completely understandable and genuinely spontaneous. Initial disbelief, excitement and joy, quickly turns to scepticism, shock and hurt, as the reality of the situation sinks in.
Her first thoughts and hopes of getting to know Monica and building a relationship with her, are quickly dashed when feelings of jealousy, self pity and loathing leave her feeling vulnerable and insecure.
Lacey finds herself unable to share either the material things in her life, or her mixed and jumbled emotions and feelings, with a sister whom she feels has taken her share of their parents love and attention. The need to retaliate and seek retribution for what she sees as the lost years of a family life, becomes overwhelming and she demands that Monica makes the supreme sacrifice, as some form of appeasement and catharsis.
Mary’s words paint a vivid image which is almost the complete antithesis of what I was expecting. Lacey comes across as the charismatic and fiercely independent one of the sisters, whilst Monica is the clingy and reliant twin, never quite sure enough of herself, to take that leap of faith into the unknown. It really made me wonder just which one of the girls had been left most damaged by past events!
The true facts of the situation surrounding Lacey’s childhood, the total destructiveness of long buried family secrets and the girls ultimate separation, pile in one after the other, until they are both forced to face up to the unpalatable truth, when they must decide whether they are able to rise to the challenge of rebuilding their lives, or stay forever bitter, angry and estranged.
The whole story is emotionally charged, with several difficult and challenging issues being put forward for debate and the attention to detail is there, in all the right places. I felt myself becoming completely immersed in the girls lives and wondering whether I felt sorry for, or angry with the extended list of characters, who seem to bring such influence to bear on what is already a difficult, complex and stressful situation.
The fact that the author is a qualified and certified sign language interpreter, means that she is eminently able to offer the reader an intimate insight into the Deaf community. This she achieves with a skill that does not labour the point, but which gets the message out there, through the character of Lacey, that Deaf people are proud to be that way and do not require pity, just the chance to live as equals in a hearing community.
I really came at this book with no preconceived ideas about the storyline but having read several reviews about it, and come away with some very mixed messages, mostly from readers worried about the content and quality of the ending.
Yes, there may have been room for some slight improvement in the length and interpretation of the final few scenes, in comparison to the in depth analysis of the earlier conversations and confrontations, although to be honest Mary could have gone on for ever, only to end up by intoducing another whole new set of questions which needed explanations and answers. I had already vaguely worked out the final twist in the plot, so was quite happy with the wrap-up pages, feeling that the quality and dedication in the writing did not diminish to any great degree.
Overall ‘My Sister’s Voice’, was an insightful, moving story, which I would not hesitate to recommend.
The full review post, with additional features, can be read here ...
http://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews/...
November 3, 2010
This book has the most preposterous story line ever! I can't believe I wasted my time reading this book. When the big climax comes, it last all of about 5 pages with the most ridiculous explanation. Save your self the time and energy and read something else!!
October 10, 2012
A good premise with an astonishingly bad follow through. I'm usually able to suspend disbelief for a good story, but this tortured tale was just ridiculous.
March 18, 2012
This book started off strong, with a interesting premise - twin sisters separated at birth, seemingly because one is hearing and the other is Deaf. As 20-somethings they learn of each other's existence and the story is off and running - and then it's meandering - and then it's wandering aimlessly for a while...
It felt like this author wanted to do too many things and just couldn't keep it together. She wanted a mystery story; she wanted to share Deaf culture; she wanted to write a quasi-romance, strong-female-character, chick lit story. There were too many times when we lost the storyline and the character development because there was a pages-long rant about "face-theft" or a totally out of place sex fantasy. I don't know about you, but when I am grieving the loss of my infant twin sister and imagining that I am holding her little body and sobbing, I don't then immediately jump to thinking about the attractive artist-stranger I just met and the detailed scene that could happen. That's just one instance of the incongruity; there were more.
I think if it were not for the interesting angle that one sister is Deaf, I couldn't have even finished this one. The conclusion was underdeveloped, just like the main characters, so this turned out to be a disappointing one.
It felt like this author wanted to do too many things and just couldn't keep it together. She wanted a mystery story; she wanted to share Deaf culture; she wanted to write a quasi-romance, strong-female-character, chick lit story. There were too many times when we lost the storyline and the character development because there was a pages-long rant about "face-theft" or a totally out of place sex fantasy. I don't know about you, but when I am grieving the loss of my infant twin sister and imagining that I am holding her little body and sobbing, I don't then immediately jump to thinking about the attractive artist-stranger I just met and the detailed scene that could happen. That's just one instance of the incongruity; there were more.
I think if it were not for the interesting angle that one sister is Deaf, I couldn't have even finished this one. The conclusion was underdeveloped, just like the main characters, so this turned out to be a disappointing one.
February 27, 2017
I really liked the plot line of this book. Maybe partially because of the questions it raised for me personally (I am a twin, we were adopted together).....and the what ifs regarding if we had been separated how different our lives could have been. I liked Lacey's no-hold's barred approach to live and everyone around her, though sometimes it caused more problems especially with those she had close personal relationships with. The plot developed along the way and there were turns and twists that might not have been "expected" even towards the very end. I like the author's voice throughout the book and the writing style. It flowed and was an easy read that I kept getting sucked back into.
September 12, 2012
Not very good...author was all over the place with various story lines which seemed really unrealistic.
May 2, 2010
Lacey and Monica are two women living separate lives, in separate cities. Lacey is profoundly deaf; Monica is hearing. One day, Lacey receives a letter in the mail that changes her entire life - she has an identical twin sister - Monica. The premise of the book really drew me in. What if you got an anonymous note telling you that you have a twin sister? What if you are Deaf and you find out that this twin sister is hearing? How would you feel? What would you do?
Lacey Gears is a 28 year old portrait artist who also happens to be profoundly Deaf. Her character is very rough-around-the-edges and unsympathetic. She holds a lot of animosity from her childhood and it has shaped her into the hard-edged woman she is today. She is extremely proud of being Deaf and has formed a very close bond with others in the Deaf community.
Monica Bowman is a 28 year old author, who is currently promoting her book “The Architect of Your Soul”. Monica is a very needy woman who seems to always crave attention. I found her character to be a bit all over the place. At times she seems normal and easygoing; at other times she seems very unstable. It was a weird dichotomy for me and I didn’t quite come to a final conclusion as to who Monica really is by the end of the book.
Lacey receives a note telling her that she has a twin sister and directs her to a bookstore to learn more information. Lacey laughs it off at first, thinking it is a joke. But, curiosity gets the better of her and she goes off to investigate. What she finds at the bookstore changes everything she’s known. There really is a twin sister – and her name is Monica.
As Lacey and Monica struggle to come to terms with each other and their pasts, the narrative shifts between the two of them, and also to their mother, Katherine. The narrative also reverts back in time to what happened when the girls were separated. I found some of these chapters a bit confusing since there isn’t an introduction or a note at each chapter to let us know that the POV had shifted or that the time had shifted to 25 years in the past. The development of their relationship is interesting – with lots of give (Monica) and take (Lacey). They both seemed confused about how to act and what they should do with each other. It was intriguing, but, overall, I found their entire relationship to be very unhealthy (especially from Monica’s end).
The reason for their separation at a young age is a bit strange, in my opinion. I’m not sure I really connected everything together and came to a full understanding of WHY things happened the way they did. I don’t quite comprehend why their parents acted the way they did. It didn’t make much sense to me and I couldn’t rationalize it in my head. Yes, there were things happening at the time, but I couldn’t fathom a parent giving away one child and keeping the other. It just didn’t connect with me and I didn’t get it.
I learned a great deal about the Deaf culture from this book. Back in my college days, I had some exposure to the Deaf culture in Rochester, NY, and was able to interact with many people who are Deaf. I find the whole culture and language fascinating and this book really helped me to understand it even more.
Overall, this was an okay read for me. I was left confused and questioning some things that happened, but I would still recommend it for a fascinating look into the Deaf culture.
Jennifer
http://www.crazy-for-books.com
Lacey Gears is a 28 year old portrait artist who also happens to be profoundly Deaf. Her character is very rough-around-the-edges and unsympathetic. She holds a lot of animosity from her childhood and it has shaped her into the hard-edged woman she is today. She is extremely proud of being Deaf and has formed a very close bond with others in the Deaf community.
Monica Bowman is a 28 year old author, who is currently promoting her book “The Architect of Your Soul”. Monica is a very needy woman who seems to always crave attention. I found her character to be a bit all over the place. At times she seems normal and easygoing; at other times she seems very unstable. It was a weird dichotomy for me and I didn’t quite come to a final conclusion as to who Monica really is by the end of the book.
Lacey receives a note telling her that she has a twin sister and directs her to a bookstore to learn more information. Lacey laughs it off at first, thinking it is a joke. But, curiosity gets the better of her and she goes off to investigate. What she finds at the bookstore changes everything she’s known. There really is a twin sister – and her name is Monica.
As Lacey and Monica struggle to come to terms with each other and their pasts, the narrative shifts between the two of them, and also to their mother, Katherine. The narrative also reverts back in time to what happened when the girls were separated. I found some of these chapters a bit confusing since there isn’t an introduction or a note at each chapter to let us know that the POV had shifted or that the time had shifted to 25 years in the past. The development of their relationship is interesting – with lots of give (Monica) and take (Lacey). They both seemed confused about how to act and what they should do with each other. It was intriguing, but, overall, I found their entire relationship to be very unhealthy (especially from Monica’s end).
The reason for their separation at a young age is a bit strange, in my opinion. I’m not sure I really connected everything together and came to a full understanding of WHY things happened the way they did. I don’t quite comprehend why their parents acted the way they did. It didn’t make much sense to me and I couldn’t rationalize it in my head. Yes, there were things happening at the time, but I couldn’t fathom a parent giving away one child and keeping the other. It just didn’t connect with me and I didn’t get it.
I learned a great deal about the Deaf culture from this book. Back in my college days, I had some exposure to the Deaf culture in Rochester, NY, and was able to interact with many people who are Deaf. I find the whole culture and language fascinating and this book really helped me to understand it even more.
Overall, this was an okay read for me. I was left confused and questioning some things that happened, but I would still recommend it for a fascinating look into the Deaf culture.
Jennifer
http://www.crazy-for-books.com
January 2, 2011
Haha, I think the cover spoof on My Sister's Keeper is funny! But that was all I liked about this book. Twins, separated at 3yrs old, find each other as adults. One twin is Deaf, the other hearing.
So many problems with this story/writing.
1) POV: first several chapters are Deaf twin's 3rd person persp. Then it shifts to the other twin. Randomly there are chapters from the mother's perspective when the twins are 2, then one or two objective 3rd person when the twins are 3. The changing POV ruins the story by giving away too much and changing the perspective.
2) Character: the twins change personalitlies or do things that seem inconsistent with their personalities. For eg, Deaf twin has a ridiculous temper and diabolical streak, but then does crazy spontaneous things like take off her underwear and throw them out of the rowboat when she and newly acquainted twin have a wonderful day together. Conservative hearing twin is suddenly have crazy fantasies about sex (repression?) and her behaviour. Inconsistent/undeveloped, and their depth is limited or forced. The boyfriends are very flat and boring. The parents are also flat.
3) Melodramatic: the story and events are not believable (this also stems with the flaws in character development). Contrived and unrealistic.
I read the book because of the Deaf character. The author really wants to educate the reader on Deaf culture, but there are better books to read if that's your goal.
So many problems with this story/writing.
1) POV: first several chapters are Deaf twin's 3rd person persp. Then it shifts to the other twin. Randomly there are chapters from the mother's perspective when the twins are 2, then one or two objective 3rd person when the twins are 3. The changing POV ruins the story by giving away too much and changing the perspective.
2) Character: the twins change personalitlies or do things that seem inconsistent with their personalities. For eg, Deaf twin has a ridiculous temper and diabolical streak, but then does crazy spontaneous things like take off her underwear and throw them out of the rowboat when she and newly acquainted twin have a wonderful day together. Conservative hearing twin is suddenly have crazy fantasies about sex (repression?) and her behaviour. Inconsistent/undeveloped, and their depth is limited or forced. The boyfriends are very flat and boring. The parents are also flat.
3) Melodramatic: the story and events are not believable (this also stems with the flaws in character development). Contrived and unrealistic.
I read the book because of the Deaf character. The author really wants to educate the reader on Deaf culture, but there are better books to read if that's your goal.
May 29, 2010
This was a touching story of family and the bonds in life that are broken and made in the course of years. It was sad and happy, and made many emotions go through the reader (me) all at one time. I connected with Lacey's character not because she was deaf but because she was deprived of knowing her family. While I know that millions of people don't get to know their fathers , mothers, brothers, or sisters, I came up with a personal connection to her character because of that loss and anger she felt. I think many others will come upon that same feeling of connection when reading this book.
Mary did an excellent job in writing this story and I think in part, that the believability comes from being immersed in the "culture" which she wrote about. (You should read the book to fully understand that statement.) They always say that writing what you know makes for the best story which I think held true for this book.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed it and found it to be an emotional and touching read.
Mary did an excellent job in writing this story and I think in part, that the believability comes from being immersed in the "culture" which she wrote about. (You should read the book to fully understand that statement.) They always say that writing what you know makes for the best story which I think held true for this book.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed it and found it to be an emotional and touching read.
January 18, 2013
This begins with an interesting premise but it just completely jumps into a far fetched, unrealistic turn of events.
I wish she had been committed to making the book filled with more believable circumstances.
When they sneak a woman, who had JUST attempted to commit suicide out of the hospital the last of my patience was gone. No thinking person would do that.
I don't know, I read it from start to finish, it wasn't the worst thing I ever read but it requires to suspend belief past a bearable point.
I have to say that the whole "face thief" idea that Lacey had at the beginning seemed too far fetched for an adult woman to really put a great deal of credence in I wanted her to quickly jump to a more plausible conclusion. When she didn't I felt that she either was more disturbed than I originally thought.
I wish she had been committed to making the book filled with more believable circumstances.
When they sneak a woman, who had JUST attempted to commit suicide out of the hospital the last of my patience was gone. No thinking person would do that.
I don't know, I read it from start to finish, it wasn't the worst thing I ever read but it requires to suspend belief past a bearable point.
I have to say that the whole "face thief" idea that Lacey had at the beginning seemed too far fetched for an adult woman to really put a great deal of credence in I wanted her to quickly jump to a more plausible conclusion. When she didn't I felt that she either was more disturbed than I originally thought.
February 10, 2012
A random person somewhere stated that this was the best book they had ever read, so I got it.
A preposterous, poorly written tale of a Deaf (capitalized, why?) artist who finds out, at the age of 27, that she has a twin. She was discarded by her parents--told by the orphanage that she was left in a basket as a babe, but turns out she was really three years old. The twins were too attached, blah blah blah, and the crazier twin, Monica, stabs her twin Lacey in the ear with a blue plastic horse rendering her deaf or should I say Deaf? They reconnect, Lacey hates her twin, her twin is still obsessed, starts stalking her sister, oh my, what twists and turns. Unfortunately there are no redeeming features to this piece of melodrama. As they say in France, c'est merde.
A preposterous, poorly written tale of a Deaf (capitalized, why?) artist who finds out, at the age of 27, that she has a twin. She was discarded by her parents--told by the orphanage that she was left in a basket as a babe, but turns out she was really three years old. The twins were too attached, blah blah blah, and the crazier twin, Monica, stabs her twin Lacey in the ear with a blue plastic horse rendering her deaf or should I say Deaf? They reconnect, Lacey hates her twin, her twin is still obsessed, starts stalking her sister, oh my, what twists and turns. Unfortunately there are no redeeming features to this piece of melodrama. As they say in France, c'est merde.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2010
This book started out a bit slow but by the fourth chapter (short chapters) I was hooked. I started reading it late last night and finished it this afternoon.
I really enjoyed the storyline and the little bit of education it offered about the deaf community. There were a few interesting twists and turns as well as the story went along.
During the first half of the book I would sometimes roll my eyes at the writing and the overuse, I would say, of similes and metaphors. They were a bit much and got in the way rather than adding to the story.
Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read and would recommend it.
I really enjoyed the storyline and the little bit of education it offered about the deaf community. There were a few interesting twists and turns as well as the story went along.
During the first half of the book I would sometimes roll my eyes at the writing and the overuse, I would say, of similes and metaphors. They were a bit much and got in the way rather than adding to the story.
Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read and would recommend it.
March 31, 2015
Ehhhh, this book was not my favorite. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't feel like anything special to me. I have my degree in ASL Interpreting and found the way the author taught readers about deaf culture to be forced and a little over the top. I would have enjoyed it more if the deaf culture information had been something to be inferred by the reader, rather than outright stated. I also wasn't a fan of the way the book ended, I found myself reading and all of the sudden I was very confused. I had to back up a few paragraphs and re-read to see what I had missed. If you are someone who is not familiar with deaf culture, this book would be great to read so that you can learn the basics!
September 1, 2015
Funny, but this book read like it was written by 2 people. The beginning and the end were like reading a soap opera, but most of the middle was very readable and interesting, but maybe that's because I always thought I was a twin when I was a kid, and so have always had an interest in twins. I tend to look for common sense in the decisions I make in life, and these parents just did not make any sense of their actions, common or otherwise. So... if you're looking for a soap opera, about twins, this is the light read for you.
November 12, 2010
I wish that I didn't waste my time reading this one. I thought that at the beginning of the book and should have put it down then. I hate to do that though. This book was just so trite. The end just wrapped it up in a neat package. Nothing was a surprise to me though.
February 14, 2015
A wonderful reading experience.
This was my first novel by Mary Carter. This was a such a awesome book. So many secrets, but the love was there the entire time, it just had to be cultivated. Fantastic book. I am a true fan.
This was my first novel by Mary Carter. This was a such a awesome book. So many secrets, but the love was there the entire time, it just had to be cultivated. Fantastic book. I am a true fan.
Read
July 20, 2013Enjoyed this book and the accuracy of the author's portrayal of the Deaf Community. If you have any connection to the deaf, I believe that you will enjoy this book.
November 12, 2013
This book was recommended to me because I work as a deaf educator and because I am a twin. A story about a strong Deaf adult finding out she has a hearing twin: perfect fit.
May 18, 2021
Imagine you live in a world of silence. For most of the hearing community that task is not possible. We can try to picture what it must feel like but small audible sounds like the ticking of a clock, the coffee machine percolating or ice cubes dropping into the container invade our consciousness and the spell is broken.
Lacey has never heard her voice (or anyone’s for that matter) since as far back as her memory extends. Her first memories are of growing up in an orphanage/girls’ school where, along with normal school lessons, she was taught to sign. For her silence is golden and she has grown to accept and like her world of quiet and solitude. She is artistic and makes a living painting portraits of animal owners and their pets. She has a large number of friends in both the deaf and hearing realm. She is happy with her life and direction until she receives a letter in the mail that directs her to a bookstore in town with the words “you have a sister” imprinted on the letter.
Lacey soon discovers she not only has a sister, but a TWIN sister. Monica has just published a self-help book and is scheduled to arrive at the store soon for a book signing party. The story line is set for a journey that had the possibility of creating a world of family, forgiveness and closure to unanswered questions.
I was enthralled with the characters and story direction for about 1/3 of the book. The middle third left me confused on attitudes and the direction of conversations. The last third of the book felt rushed with too many items meant to be “acceptable” that I didn’t think would have been the reaction to the facts and circumstances given. I’ll be honest that I didn’t want to see a less than happily ever after end to the book, it was just tied up too nicely in bows and paper - so much so that the “gift” that had been given to both sisters seemed hollow and without true purpose.
The premise of the story still has value and gives the reader food for thought but for me it served a bit too much dessert in the end and left me wondering “where’s the meat”.
Lacey has never heard her voice (or anyone’s for that matter) since as far back as her memory extends. Her first memories are of growing up in an orphanage/girls’ school where, along with normal school lessons, she was taught to sign. For her silence is golden and she has grown to accept and like her world of quiet and solitude. She is artistic and makes a living painting portraits of animal owners and their pets. She has a large number of friends in both the deaf and hearing realm. She is happy with her life and direction until she receives a letter in the mail that directs her to a bookstore in town with the words “you have a sister” imprinted on the letter.
Lacey soon discovers she not only has a sister, but a TWIN sister. Monica has just published a self-help book and is scheduled to arrive at the store soon for a book signing party. The story line is set for a journey that had the possibility of creating a world of family, forgiveness and closure to unanswered questions.
I was enthralled with the characters and story direction for about 1/3 of the book. The middle third left me confused on attitudes and the direction of conversations. The last third of the book felt rushed with too many items meant to be “acceptable” that I didn’t think would have been the reaction to the facts and circumstances given. I’ll be honest that I didn’t want to see a less than happily ever after end to the book, it was just tied up too nicely in bows and paper - so much so that the “gift” that had been given to both sisters seemed hollow and without true purpose.
The premise of the story still has value and gives the reader food for thought but for me it served a bit too much dessert in the end and left me wondering “where’s the meat”.
June 12, 2019
I really loved this story! I found it intriguing to read about twins who weren't raised together. Throughout the story you can see many differences between the sisters but there is also a similarity (a connection between the two although they may not know it). I was often thinking about genetics versus environment in the raising of these two women. I was also wondering why the parents would have separated their children and I continued to come up with my own theories throughout the novel. I was also "pulled" into this book because one of the women is deaf and used sign language (ASL) to communicate. I took a course in ASL in college and know basic sign (definitely not enough to have a conversation), but I find that the more you use the signs the easier it is to remember. I currently use basic sign with a student in my Autism class to communicate. She is non-verbal and came to school this year with no way to communicate. It's amazing how her repertoire of 20-30 words can help her to be confident and express many of her needs in a day. I fully believe in teaching sign language as an alternative way to communicate and as you can see in the story Lacey finds other ways to communicate when other people don't understand. I love how Lacey indicates many times that she doesn't need to be "fixed" and that she truly loves being deaf. She loves her life, her people (deafies), her community just as it is. This story is an incredible way to show that just because a person has a disability doesn't mean they are unable to contribute to society or live just like anyone else. I really liked how this story came together and found it difficult to put down at times (especially near the end). There was a little surprise at the end of the story and I love how it leaves you with that happy (elated) feeling. This is the first story I read from this author and look forward to reading other books she has written.
August 29, 2017
I would just like to start by saying that I love how the main character is Deaf because there are not enough books in the world that have Deaf characters. So, kudos to the author for that.
Overall, I thought the premise was interesting. I really wanted to know how Lacey ended up in an orphanage. I definitely did not expect the twist of Monica being overly attached to her twin and causing her sister's permanent deafness. I also did not expect the twist of Aunt Grace being Miss Gee in the orphanage, so the twists were all well done.
One thing that really bothered me though was the fact that the parents sent Lacey away instead of Monica. What made them choose Monica? Monica was clearly violent towards herself and others, so she should have gotten help that her parents could not provide. By sending her to a school or facility that could help her eventually not have those aggressive behaviors, they could have avoided the whole situation, and Lacey would never have had to grow up in an orphanage. I understand that Lacey was happier being away from Monica at first, but she clearly did not have as fulfilling a childhood in an orphanage than if she was at home where she belonged. No wonder she reacted the way she did to the news! I would be pissed off as well. The parents did not even visit her as time went on either. I cannot understand what would make a parent give away a child and never contact them again. That is so upsetting.
Overall, I thought the premise was interesting. I really wanted to know how Lacey ended up in an orphanage. I definitely did not expect the twist of Monica being overly attached to her twin and causing her sister's permanent deafness. I also did not expect the twist of Aunt Grace being Miss Gee in the orphanage, so the twists were all well done.
One thing that really bothered me though was the fact that the parents sent Lacey away instead of Monica. What made them choose Monica? Monica was clearly violent towards herself and others, so she should have gotten help that her parents could not provide. By sending her to a school or facility that could help her eventually not have those aggressive behaviors, they could have avoided the whole situation, and Lacey would never have had to grow up in an orphanage. I understand that Lacey was happier being away from Monica at first, but she clearly did not have as fulfilling a childhood in an orphanage than if she was at home where she belonged. No wonder she reacted the way she did to the news! I would be pissed off as well. The parents did not even visit her as time went on either. I cannot understand what would make a parent give away a child and never contact them again. That is so upsetting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2021
The premise was good. It should have been a really good read. But it was weird and didn't make sense. One of the sisters ha a manic episode and then never addressed it again. The other sister was so set in a certain way and then she was just over it and completely different. Explanations of things that were going on throughout the whole book came out in barely a page, and many answers were explained unsatisfactorily.
One review said this book was read like a rough draft and I totally agree. It's like the author put together points and characteristics and plots but forgot to go and fill in the pieces that weave together a interesting story.
So disappointing and weird.
One review said this book was read like a rough draft and I totally agree. It's like the author put together points and characteristics and plots but forgot to go and fill in the pieces that weave together a interesting story.
So disappointing and weird.
January 21, 2019
This was solidly in the “good” range until the last third. Then it veered into Single White Female territory and I wasn’t sure if this was going to turn into a psychological thriller. Suicide then turned into a very viable solution to all of one’s problems, the story wrapped up so quickly I got whiplash, and then there was a sudden twist and then threw in a teenage pregnancy, a surprise adoption, and a mother hidden in plain sight in the last three pages.
It turned into a train wreck of a book that only earned a second star because the grammar and syntax had no glaring errors.
It turned into a train wreck of a book that only earned a second star because the grammar and syntax had no glaring errors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2017
This was an intense family drama about a family with many secrets. Lacey is a deaf woman who grew up in a group home. Monica is a hearing woman who grew up in a home of privilege. But Lacey and Monica are actually identical twins. Lacey stumbles on a poster of her self help author sister and thinks the writer has “Stolen” her face for her book jacket but as she investigates, an amazing, dramatic and at times traumatic story unfolds.
December 4, 2018
This one could have been better. The premise was interesting but the characters seemed so petty and childish, handling finding out they had a twin and were separated at birth in outlandish ways. But I must admit that it kept me hooked, wanting to know why, why they were separated, why the parents kept the one twin and the end result was a great twist.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews