Een buitengewoon leven: Twee zussen. Een uitzonderlijke liefde. Een verscheurd land dat afstevent op een burgeroorlog.

by Christina Baker Kline, Annemarie de Vries (Translator)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline comes a boldly original reimagining of an astonishing true two sisters in nineteenth-century North Carolina—Kline’s own distant relatives—who married world-famous conjoined twins from Siam.

When Chang and Eng Bunker arrive in Wilkes County in 1839, they’re not just a curiosity—they’re a sensation. Everyone is eager to learn whether the salacious rumors about them are true. Within months, the twins have opened a general store, bought land, and begun building a plantation. Now, word has it, they’re looking for wives—and in a place that thrives on gossip and legacy, their ambitions set the community on edge.

Sarah and Adelaide Yates, daughters of a once-prominent local family brought low by scandal, are drawn into their orbit. Bold, beautiful Addie sees in the twins’ fame a chance to reclaim her future. Sallie, quiet and observant, isn’t so sure. When the twins’ lives become entangled with theirs, they must navigate loyalty, longing, and identity in a world where everything—including race, class, and gender—is rigidly defined.

Spanning five decades and unfolding against the backdrop of a fractured nation hurtling toward war, The Foursome is both intimate and a story of love and constraint, identity and reinvention. With piercing insight and emotional precision, Kline brings to life a forgotten chapter of American history and the complex, boundary-defying marriages at its center.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Adult, Family, Book Club

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2026

About the author

A #1 New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including The Exiles, Orphan Train, and A Piece of the World, Christina Baker Kline is published in 40 countries. Her novels have received the New England Prize for Fiction, the Maine Literary Award, and a Barnes & Noble Discover Award, among other prizes, and have been chosen by hundreds of communities, universities and schools as “One Book, One Read” selections. Her essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in publications such as the New York Times and the NYT Book Review, the Boston Globe, the San Francisco Chronicle, LitHub, Psychology Today, Poets & Writers, and Salon.

Born in England and raised in the American South and Maine, Kline is a graduate of Yale (B.A.), Cambridge (M.A.) and the University of Virginia (M.F.A.), where she was a Hoyns Fellow in Fiction Writing. A resident of New York City and Southwest Harbor, Maine, she serves on the advisory boards of the Center for Fiction (NY), the Jesup Library (Bar Harbor, ME), the Montclair Literary Festival (NJ), the Kauai Writers Festival (HI), and Roots & Wings (NJ), and on the gala committees of Poets & Writers (NY), The Authors Guild (NY) and Friends of Acadia (ME). She is an Artist-Mentor for StudioDuke at Duke University and the BookEnds program at Stony Brook University.

Reviews

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book begins about real-life Siamese Twins, Eng and Chung Baker. They have become a Sensation and People are So Interested in Meeting Them. This has afforded them a life of wealth and privilege. So, when they settle in Wilkes, North Carolina, they meet and want to marry Sarah and Adelaide Yates. So, on the surface this seems just an entertaining and different story, and it is, but there is so much depth beyond the surface of this book.

There is so much nuance and intimacy that Christina Baker Kline brings to this story. It examines an unusual family living life on a Plantation. The Book begins in 1839 and spans five decades. There is the beauty and struggle of family and children woven through the entire story that just was fascinating to read. Yet, always in the background is Sarah’s growing discomfort with slavery. Christina Baker Kline does such a delicate job presenting the characters reactions based on how life would have been at the time, but quietly presents the agony of this way of life.

I really loved this book. It is Excellent. Presenting such a unique story worked so well to explore so many other themes. Christina Baker Kline does a superb job that entertains, brings curiosity, love, heartache, and thinking of the choices that are made. She is in a class by herself. Highly Recommend this Book.

[Sadeqa Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline opened my eyes to a moment in history I knew little about. Centered around conjoined twins married to two sisters, the novel explores the complexities of marriage, sisterhood, and raising children in the American South in 1839—a time and place where conformity was the norm and change was just beginning to stir. Kline weaves a beautiful tapestry of love, doubt, identity, and resilience in a world that left little room for differences.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly the type of historical fiction I enjoy.

I do think it's funny that at a pivotal point, it was PEANUT SHELLS that meant the jig was up.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so good!
I had not heard of this specific set of Siamese twins from Siam (Thailand) who were sold by their mother to the circus.. they were attached by a band of flesh at the abdomen and were told by many physicians that if they tried to separate them only one would survive.
They were Chang and Eng Bunker.
This is a fictional account of their lives, after much research by the author who just happens to be a very distant cousin of the sisters.
This story is of how they amassed their fortune and made it to North Carolina, bought land and married sisters…Sallie and Addie. They had 21 children between the two couples.
This was so interesting.. how they lived, and this time in history.. before, during, and after the civil war.
I really like that the author didn’t sensationalize the story but put much thought into each of the foursome’s emotions.
This is my third book by this author and I have loved each one.

[Lindsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 phenomenal stars!

2026 Favourites List! 🏆

A truly unforgettable story!

North Carolina, 1839. Eng and Chang Bunker are adult conjoined twins who arrive in a small town causing public shock and outrage. They hope to settle down and start a regular life after being on the road for years. They had spent the previous decade in the public eye, traveling in various shows as live entertainment where crowds pay to catch a glimpse of them. In the new town, they settle, begin a successful farm and marry sisters. This causes a local scandal for the sisters father who is a successful plantation owner. This story follows their lives, the marriages interconnected at every phase.

This is loosely based on a true story — two sisters did in fact marry conjoined twins and the family grew to 21 children between both marriages. These brothers were from Siam (now referred to as Thailand). Their personal story inspired the term “Siamese twins” which is more commonly referred to as conjoined twins in present day. The author did a phenomenal job researching and writing this story to show the real, raw, humanness of the twins rather than sharing them as a spectacle for shock factor. She wrote this with a loving hand and a lot of empathy.

This unconventional family saga was complex and absolutely fascinating. I was engrossed from the first page to the very last sentence. The twins were confident, hard-working men that built successful farms and homes for their families. Their uniqueness didn’t make them hide away and feel less-than. They were determined to have wives, families, careers and wealth.

This novel was narrated by one of the sisters who marries one of the twins. This perspective was brilliantly developed and shared a fascinating inside view to what the marriage and family might have been. Her glimpses into the complicated marriage were told with tenderness, naïveté, love and wonder. She was the perfect choice to share this story. I adored her character and all that her inner thoughts revealed.

There was a sense of awkward, gritty, tense uncomfortability as I read this novel, yet it was absolutely unputdownable. The author grasps the readers curiosity from the start and never lets go. The story was shocking, strange and uneasy, yet so very real, thought-provoking, emotional and honest. It made the reader care and feel for these characters and their unique situation.

This novel touches on many heavy themes which the author did an incredible job exploring through these characters lives. Slavery, grief, body image, familial expectations, acceptance and sexual assault are all part of this multilayered, well-researched, engaging story.

There were several stand out quotes that touched me and had me stopping to linger.

“My numbness wasn’t the absence of feeling so much as the presence of too many feelings at once.”

“Freedom’s a funny thing. Most people only want it for themselves.”

“There are sins of action and sins of inaction. I cannot forgive myself for the times I saw the wrong and turned away.”

“People speak of getting over grief as if it were an illness, something time and patience might cure. But that is not how it works. Grief does not end. It shifts, settling into the crevices of your days.”

This book made a huge impact on me and I will never forget reading it. This novel easily earned a spot on my 2026 Favourites Shelf! I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy and try it out for yourself!

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FOURSOME
By Christina Baker Kline

An Intimate Look at an Unconventional Marriage

Christina Baker Kline’s The Foursome draws on the real-life story of the famous conjoined twins Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker, who first rose to fame touring before eventually settling in North Carolina. It was there that they met and married the Yates sisters, Adelaide and Sallie, going on to build an unconventional life together and raise a combined 21 children.

Told from Sallie’s point of view—the more hesitant sister, shaped by limited choices after a teenage scandal—the novel spans five decades and offers an intimate look at this unusual marriage and the bond between the sisters. It explores what it meant to step into a life that would always draw attention, and how four strong personalities navigated marriage, privacy, and family within such a complicated arrangement.

This is a quiet, character-focused story that finds tension in the everyday. The characters feel nuanced, carrying the weight of their choices in a way that makes an unusual situation feel real and intimate. Sallie often seems alone in her decisions, particularly when it comes to running the household and the plantation. She comes across as more empathetic than the others, who often appear aligned. I also felt that Eng frequently deferred to Chang, rather than standing firm in his own decisions.

I’ve enjoyed other books by Christina Baker Kline, and this one continues to show her strength in exploring complex relationships. Even more interesting—the sisters are distant cousins of the author. If you’re drawn to stories about sisterhood and complicated family dynamics—woven with themes of love, marriage, intimacy, identity, race, and gender inequality—The Foursome is worth reading.

Definitely a great pick for book clubs—it has plenty of layers to spark thoughtful discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the eARC.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1843, two sisters from a North Carolina farming family climbed into bed with their husbands, the most famous men in America: the original "Siamese twins," Chang and Eng Bunker, who were joined at the chest by a band of cartilage. They lived this way for more than three decades. Between them, they had twenty-one children. Christina Baker Kline, who happens to be a distant relative of those sisters, has spent years trying to imagine what such a marriage might have actually felt like. The result is The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline, a novel that resists almost every easy framing the premise invites.

What the Novel Is About (Without the Spoilers)

Sarah and Adelaide Yates are daughters of a once-prominent Wilkes County family whose social standing has been bruised by an unnamed scandal. When Chang and Eng arrive in town with their wealth, their international fame, and their unmistakable presence, the gossip is immediate. The bold elder sister Addie sees a chance to reclaim her future; the quieter Sallie, who narrates the book, hesitates, observes, and ultimately follows. From the wedding through the Civil War and into widowhood, the foursome shares houses, a bed, children, money, and a life nobody around them quite knows what to do with.

If you arrive expecting carnival sensationalism, look elsewhere. Kline is interested in the long marriage, not the spectacle.

Why Sallie Is the Right Narrator

Kline's choice to filter the story through Sallie is the smartest call she makes. Addie is too sure of herself to be a complicated narrator. Chang and Eng have already been written about for almost two centuries. Sallie, who in real life was buried in an unmarked grave away from the family plot, is a near-blank in the historical record. Kline fills that absence with a quiet, watchful, self-questioning voice. Sallie sees what others choose not to see. She helps Grace, the enslaved woman in her household, with small chores not because she is a heroine but because it eases her own conscience, and Kline never lets her off the hook for that distinction.

The novel earns its strongest passages when Sallie sits with her own complicity. That honesty is what makes the book more than a curiosity piece.

The Writing

Kline writes with a clean, controlled lyricism that suits both the period and the temperament of her narrator. Sentences are unfussy. Metaphors are carefully rationed. A few set pieces stay with you long after the book is closed:

The wedding-night scene, written without exploitation, with a strange tenderness around the impossibility of privacy in such close quarters.
The slow domestic dread of the Civil War years, when sugar disappears, then salt, then almost everything else, and Sallie and Grace cook side by side because they have no other choice.
The Leah-at-the-well embroidery Sallie picks up and puts down across the years, watching what she stitches become something other than what she started.

You can feel the author pulling back from melodrama on almost every page. That restraint is also, occasionally, the book's limitation.

Where The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline Wobbles

Read against its reception, you can see why most readers settle around four stars rather than five. A few smaller issues add up.

The middle softens. The years between the early marriage and the war stretch out. Domestic detail piles up, sometimes in ways that feel more researched than alive.
Addie is held at arm's length. Sallie's narration is bounded by design, which means we get Addie as Sallie reads her, and Sallie often reads her ungenerously. A reader can sense the missing book where Addie would speak for herself.
The moral reckoning is uneven. Kline is clear-eyed about slavery, and Grace is one of the more carefully drawn enslaved characters in recent historical fiction by a white novelist. But the brothers' slaveholding, and the suggestion that Eng may have fathered children with an enslaved woman, sit in the book with a weight the structure does not always fully absorb.
A few period beats land flat. The dinner-table conversations about Lincoln and secession feel a little rehearsed, the dialogue closer to documentary voice-over than living talk.

None of this sinks the book. It does mean a strong novel occasionally settles for being a sturdy one.

What the Book Gets Right

That said, the things this book gets right are not small things.

Sisterhood without sentimentality. Sallie and Addie compete, wound each other, separate, reconcile, and keep failing to become the kind of close their shared circumstance would suggest.
Marriage as an enclosure. The constant, structural lack of privacy in a four-person marriage becomes a quiet horror more affecting than any plot turn.
A grown woman's slow change of mind. Sallie does not have a revelation. She has years of small, accumulating disturbances of conscience, the most honest portrait of late-blooming moral awakening I have read in a while.
A historical curiosity treated as a marriage. Chang and Eng are not freaks here. They are not saints either. They are difficult, charming, ambitious, sometimes cruel men, and the book never asks us to pity or romanticize them.

Final Word

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline is a careful, intelligent, sometimes beautiful novel that takes a story most readers would expect to be sensationalized and treats it with adult seriousness. It is also a touch long, occasionally too neat in its moral framing, and held back slightly by its narrator's habitual reserve. What it gives you, more than plot, is the texture of a marriage no one was ready for and a woman quietly becoming herself inside it. For readers who prefer historical fiction that values steadiness over surprise, this is well worth your time.

[MaryannC Victorian Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1830's, based on the true life history of Chang and Eng Bunker, the famed Siamese twins who married two sisters and their complicated intertwined lives.
This was very well written told from the viewpoint of one of the sisters Sarah as she tells the story of her mistakes as a young woman with no prospects of marriage destined to live a spinster life with her prettier sister Adelaide. One day the sisters catch the eyes of the twins at a gathering where the twins are larger than life to the local town and are intrigued by their wit and charm despite the fact that these young men are also considered "freaks of nature" in their community and the world. Adelaide falls hard for Chang and has no qualms about marriage to one of these brothers, but must convince Sarah despite her deep misgivings about how she feels being married to a man who will be always be yoked to his brother. How would intimacy occur between her and her sister in the marriage bed, would they have children and could they be born with the same condition? And of course her parents and fellow neighbors, would they be accepted? Sarah in her fears and struggles is no match for her headstrong sister who convinces her that there is no other way for them to escape the harsh reality of their impending spinsterhood and ultimately accepts Eng as husband. What follows next in this mesmerizing read are the lives of these four people who navigate love, betrayal, children and their own personal sense of independence from one another.
It was a very interesting read, truthfully I did not care for Chang and Eng, not because of their physical appearance but because of their views and arrogance. They were smart, enterprising men who used what they were given to their advantage and tried to live life as normally as possible.

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars "From #1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline comes a boldly original reimagining of an astonishing true two sisters in nineteenth-century North Carolina—Kline’s own distant relatives—who married world-famous conjoined twins from Siam."

This true story is a reimagining of sisters in the mid-1800s who are distant cousins of the author. This is the sensational story of Sarah and Adelaide Yates whose prominent North Carolina family was brought down by scandal and gossip. They meet famous conjoined twins from Siam, Chang and Eng Bunker. They are wealthy land owners who have started a plantation and are looking to marry. Salacious and viscous rumors fly around but the girls still marry them as they have limited prospects from the family scandal.

What follows is a compelling and engaging story which brings to life events leading up to and just following the Civil War. It is an intimate look at an unconventional marriage and its inner workings exploring motherhood, loyalty, racism, and slavery. I loved learning about the antebellum South through the eyes of a plantation owner's wife. Christina Baker Klein writes with detailed precision for the era and emotional intelligence. This is a tale that is tastefully told with compassion and empathy. If you love historical fiction, I highly recommend adding this to your TBR for a unique look at this time period.

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Book Club Girl for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Here's the truth: even the most extraordinary life feels ordinary when you're living it."

Christina Baker Kline is one of my favorite authors. I love how she seemlessly blends beautiful literary passages and setting with accessible prose, and creates vivid characters that seem to step out of the page and into your life as you journey with them.

I was not sure how I would like this book, however, as it's a hard subject to tackle. Would the love scenes bother me? Could I empathize with a woman who let herself fall into a triple relationship that is the poster child for dysfunction?

But I should have had more faith in her. This isn't pretty historical fiction cleaned up for the masses, it's heavily researched, approached with care and intelligence and empathy, and even if she had to imagine much of it, the little pieces she got about their lives allowed her to capture, I think, what might be close to the real story of one of the sisters, Sarah.

By the end of the book, I felt that I had journeyed with Sarah throughout her adult life. The book isn't very long, so that is a feat in itself to span 5 decades. The twin brothers, Eng and Chang, are rendered with honesty and with both a critical eye and an empathetic one. They are as real as a a fictional author can make them.

She also tackles slavery and the twins' own struggles with identity and acceptance in a white culture. As someone who is mixed, I appreciated her depiction of the children (and there are many) and their challenges as well.

Mostly, I enjoyed Sarah awakening to desire, and desire beyond the obvious physical connection: "Living like this taught us how to be intimate. How to carve out private space in plain sight."

And her growing independence from the "Foursome": "I began to recognize the pleasure of arriving at an idea or an opinion wholly on my own."

If you can read without judgement, highly rec this.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

“People decide who they want you to be, and they are disappointed when you stay who you are. I haven’t changed. I’m just doing what I want now, is all.”

I kept seeing this book around, but didn’t realize that it was written by the author who wrote one of my favorite historical fiction books, THE EXILES. CBK can really write a beautiful story about history in such a relatable way. The Foursome is a fascinating story. Growing up, I had seen pictures of the conjoined Siamese twins, Chang and Eng Bunker and was mesmerized by them. This story is a look inside their marriage to the two sisters, Sarah and Adelaide. We hear the story from Eng’s wife, Sarah. Sarah is the quieter, more reluctant of the two sisters. I loved hearing the story from her perspective. I’ll be honest because I thought this was going to be weird and how in the world could they make this work. I think you know what I’m referring to. 😉 The author handles that topic with such care. As the story moves forward through five decades that kind of falls into the background and you are really drawn into the lives of these characters and the hardships they faced. I’m so glad I had faith in one of my favorite authors and gave this book a chance. It was so well done. Also, read her note at the end. She shares her personal connection to the two sisters in this story.

”Time doesn’t heal so much as teach you how to carry your sorrow.”

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 star

Christina Baker Kline books run hot and cold with me. Some books I have liked and some I have found to be so dry I just could not get through them. But having read a few nonfiction articles about the occupants of this book, I wanted to see what she had come with in this book. I ended up really liking it. If you decide to read this book be sure to follow up with her Author Notes - she has some important things to say there.

I believe that everyone has heard of Eng and Chang the Siamese twins - joined together by a band close to their rib cages. They traveled the world as exhibitions - more than once - and coming from poverty became very rich men. This book is about the two women - sisters - that they married. It is narrated by the shyest of the two women. The book takes you through their meeting, marriage, and thirty some years of life together. It explains how they managed married life, living situations and the 21 kids that the twins sired.

There is nothing lurid or lascivious about this book. Although it is fiction, the author has a solid connection to these couples. After a lot of research, Baker Kline created the rest of the book around the facts. It is well put together and an easy and comfortable read.

[Laura Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+🌟 I was super skeptical about this book… well for obvious reasons.😳🫣 What in the world?! So hard to believe this unique novel is actually based on a true story of conjoined twins from Siam who married sisters in North Carolina in the 1800s and proceeded to have 21 children between them. Y’all… this is such a great book! Parts of it had a lyrical feel and brought out tender emotions. I was completely mesmerized from beginning to end. I had the ebook and audiobook from Libby. Both were great, but I really loved the audiobook. The narrator, Marin Ireland, was just so good. All of you historical fiction lovers are going to want to read this one. I truly loved it.

[Gail Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I was looking for something different... This was definitely different. Found the premise a little inconceivable, but interesting nonetheless. Love her clear, easy writing...

[Sharon_🌺 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Freedom’s a funny thing. Most people only want it for themselves”.

I recommend Christina Baker Kline’s, “The Foursome” and will continue to enjoy her writing!

🌺 Read what you love! 🌺

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating story of conjoined twins, the original Siamese Twins Chang and Eng Bunker, who happened to live in North Carolina during slavery.

The twins married sisters and together they had 21 kids. They also happened to be confederate slave owners, making this story even more fascinating.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This novel offers a fascinating and unexpected look at the lives of Eng and Chang, the famous conjoined twins from Siam, set against the backdrop of North Carolina during the Civil War. While the book description suggests a focus on romance or complex familial dynamics—elements that are certainly present—the story takes a surprisingly heavy turn into historical discourse regarding slavery and class. However, despite placing itself firmly in this volatile era, the narrative struggles to meaningfully engage with the moral weight of its setting. The author includes the reality of slavery, specifically through the character of Grace (an enslaved woman), yet fails to take a meaningful stance on it, or explore deeper. Sarah, the central character, notes the class differences between herself and Grace but merely muses on them rather than making a distinct point.

This passive approach to heavy themes becomes particularly glaring toward the end of the book. Once the Civil War ends, Sarah bemoans the difficulty of her life simply because the enslaved workers have left the plantation. The narrative presents this complaining as a matter of fact without critiquing Sarah’s lack of self-awareness or acknowledging the injustice of the institution itself. It feels as though the historical context was included for accuracy rather than to say anything meaningful. Similarly, while the book acknowledges the racism faced by Eng and Chang—including the use of offensive slurs—it depicts these prejudices without exploring why they are wrong or differentiating the narrative voice from the bigotry of the time.

Despite these thematic misses, the technical aspects of the novel are undeniably strong. The writing is polished and the narrative style is engaging, making for a smooth reading experience. Sarah functions as an interesting anchor for the story; as an "outsider" within the unique family dynamic, she provides a compelling lens through which to view the struggles of those around her. Her perspective allows for a degree of empathy that enriches the character work, even if the social commentary falls flat.

A standout portion of the book involves Sarah’s time living with her Aunt Joan, who is delightfully portrayed as something of a gay icon. This section successfully fleshes out Sarah's character, teaching her the value of hard work and self-reliance. These lessons feel earned and result in a satisfying callback toward the end of the novel.

Unfortunately, the book overstays its welcome with an unnecessary epilogue. This final addition failed to establish new information or add value to the story, leaving the impression that the novel would have been stronger had it ended sooner.

Ultimately, this is a well-written historical novel held back by its reluctance to dig deeper into the serious subjects it introduces.

[Holly (hollylovesbooks1519) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Partner @marinerbooks @harpercollins and @netgalley for my gifted copy. Pub date 5/12/26.

#ChristinaBakerKline wrote an extraordinary novel inspired by her own family history. This character-driven coming-of-age novel is about two sisters who marry Siamese Twins in the 1800s. Their marriages are anything but ordinary, but they make the best of it and raise their two families together. This was a great read, especially if you love historical fiction. 4.5 stars!

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Excellent! The Foursome is based on a true story about the world-famous conjoined twins from Siam, Chang and Eng — who marry sisters Addie and Sallie Yates, the authors own distant cousins. How neat is that! This phenomenal story begins in 1843 Wilkes County, NC, as told by older sister Sallie, and spans their lives before courtship, to life on their own plantation, while parenting twenty-one children between them.
The community considered Sallie a fallen woman from an earlier tryst resulting in pregnancy, ruining her and her sister’s chance for marriage proposals. Even so she was still very reluctant to marry Eng (Addie talked her into it).. and had a hard time with their sleeping arrangement. Sallie became more assertive, and also openly questioned the morality of slavery (they owned slaves as did her parents). These thoughts/choices is what sets her apart from the three. Marrying Siamese twins shows the immense challenges they faced from a society that didn’t accept them.. prejudice + identity to name a few, just as the brothers had been exposed to their entire lives. Their marriages extraordinary, this fictional insight into their lives gives readers (to what felt true) glimpse into what that entailed in the 1800’s. It’s outstanding. Pub. 5/12/26

Much thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Amber (amberreadsitall) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical fiction novel focuses on emotional complexities and the domestic realities of being married to conjoined twins in 19th century, North Carolina. The story covers five decades leading up to the Civil War and explores the strict social rules of race, class, and gender in the South during that time period.

I loved this unique story. The author shared the story through the eyes of Sallie, the older sister. She shared Sallie’s story with dignity and grace. I thought it was neat that the author is actually a distant relative to the characters in this story. If you are a fan of southern historical fiction, I can’t recommend this story enough.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a 5 star read for me! This novel is a riveting look at the marriage of the famous conjoined twins, Eng and Chang Bunker. Their lives were largely lived in North Carolina from the early 1840’s through 1874. The other extremely interesting point is that the author was distantly related to the sisters who married the twins. I highly recommend this terrific piece of historical fiction!

[Alena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on actual historic figures, conjoined twins in the mid-19th century south. Check. Check. Check. Suffice it to say I needed no more encouragement to open this new historic fiction from popular author Christina Baker Kline. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Chang and Eng Bunker, better known as the famous Siamese Twins, were world famous and literally joined at the waist. We meet them through the eyes of Eng’s wife Sallie who tells the story of their courtship and unusual marriage alongside his brother and her sister and the 21 children they had between them.

It would seem far-fetched as a book premise if it weren’t, in fact, all true. These sisters married these brothers and bore all those children and lived through one of the most dramatic points in American history, the Civil War.

"It's strange how quickly my perspective changed, how fast my conception of normalcy was upended. It was like lighting a candle in a cave - suddenly, the way forward was clear. What had once been unimaginable became ordinary. What had been taboo became routine."

There is so much drama inherent in this story; I think it’s wise that Kline chooses a single, steady narrator. Sallie struggles to make sense of her own reality which allows the reader to come to terms with it as well. The strongest parts are about how hard it is to make this marriage work, the struggle to attain and maintain intimacy.

"In their own way, they understood something most people struggle to grasp: that family is both simpler and more complex than the neat lines society tries to draw around it."

Kline also tackles the conflict of slavery as the Bunkers owned multiple plantations and dozens of slaves. How could men who were owned and seen as property do the same thing to other human beings? The writing was less successful here. I know Kline has to address it, but it felt tacked on to the main story. Clearly it’s an issue that drove Sallie and Eng apart, but it deserved deeper exploration.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3

Usually I choose not to read a synopsis and it pays off. But other times I choose not to and I shoot myself in the foot. This was the latter. I did not like this book at all.

Conjoined twins getting married to sisters is an interesting news story, but reading about how they worked that out in the bedroom, is not my idea of a good time. I was wildly uncomfortable. As I didn't read the synopsis beforehand, I didn't realize this was a true story in the beginning. But then I started to wonder why anyone would choose to create such a weird tale and wondered if it was true. So I googled and I actually think that made the situation worse. Putting a face to the story I was reading almost made it less pleasant if you can believe that. There was one story that was meant to be sweet and romantic, but quite frankly I found the twins to be awful. I wasn't rooting for them at all.

Besides that, there was a lot too much telling and not enough showing. The book covers decades and the way it was written left me feeling zero emotional connection to the characters. It felt like I was reading a long winded life sketch on a Wikipedia page about these people.

I was really bored too.

Marin Ireland narrated the audiobook so at least there was that. I honestly shoulda DNF right there at the beginning. I was so so close to do so but instead I chose to crank up the speed and push through.

2.5 stars seems harsh but when I finished and I looked back at my experience with the book, I realized I didn't feel a modicum of joy or enjoyment the entire book. I know not all books need to bring you joy, but this pert-near made me miserable.

The fact that they are ancestors of the author is a cool thing though. Kudos to her for finding that tidbit of history and undertaking the task of writing about it.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

I love CBK’s writing. She has a way of bringing historical settings to life. I adored Orphan Train and The Exiles.

In The Foursome, she explores what life may have been like for two sisters who married conjoined twins in antebellum North Carolina.

You can probably imagine a salacious and uncomfortable plot line that would naturally take place. Kline handles it well even though I didn’t particularly enjoy reading about it.
Sallie’s narrative was well developed and I liked her character.

🤷‍♀️Why not five stars?
I wish this had been more focused. It switched gears around halfway through, and while I had no problem with the subject matter, it seemed like an odd shift.
Plot wise, this was very slow from around 35 percent to 70 percent.

Thank you to @netgalley for my ARC!

⚠️Profanity: 1/5 (mild and infrequent; perhaps 3-4 total)

Sexual: 3/5 (a couple of brief cracked door scenes- not overly descriptive, but not completely closed door)
Also, sexual assault is referenced multiple times.
Other- death of a child

❓This was an unusual piece of American history. What story has enlightened your knowledge of history?

[Shannon (The Book Club Mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands down, THE FOURSOME by Christina Baker Kline is one of the most unique and fascinating pieces of historical fiction that I’ve ever read. The fact that it’s based on a true story and involves the author’s actual family truly blows my mind. Check out this brief synopsis:

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘢 𝘉𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘒𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘩-𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢 — 𝘒𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 — 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥-𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘪𝘢𝘮.

To be perfectly honest, when I noticed that it was set during the mid-1800s, I turned my nose up a little bit. Mostly because I wasn’t in the mood for something so ancient—I wanted something more current. Well, let me tell you that this most certainly does NOT read the way I was expecting it to. Once I started reading, I found it extremely difficult to stop. The storyline is super exciting, gripping, and even a tad scandalous. It’s also one of the most interesting stories about sisterhood, brotherhood, and sibling dynamics that I’ve encountered in a while. These siblings and spouses lived a lifestyle spanning five decades that many of us could not even imagine! Their unique situation makes for a very addictive read!

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Family drama and dynamics
- Sisterhood and brotherhood
- Motherhood and marriage
- North Carolina setting
- Mid-1800s timeline
- Civil war and slavery era
- Plantation lifestyle
- Character-driven novels

If you’re in the mood for a solid family saga with a good dose of American history, this is definitely it. I truly cannot recommend it enough. 4.5/5 stars for THE FOURSOME! It’s available now!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

5🌟🎧 Those of a certain generation will be familiar with the famous "Siamese Twins." Told from the perspective of Sally, Engs wife this documents well their lives together with his twin Chang and her sister Adelaide. As a former lover of historical fiction books like this easily make me remember why I used to love the genre so much! Marin Ireland is my favorite narrator for Audiobooks and so I highly recommend the audio version. Don't let the title turn you off and make sure to listen/read the authors note at the end for her personal connection to the story. I have read previous books by this author and really love her storytelling and writing.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible read!
Kline deals with delicate topics like intimacy between the sisters and their conjoined husbands with sensitivity and pragmatism, not salaciousness.
This was such a riveting read that I found myself rushing back to it when I had to break away from my reading.
The author captures the voice of Sallie so well and depicts her emotions, struggles, and evolution in a compelling manner.
I kept thinking as I read that I could never have lived with such an arrangement so it was intriguing to read about two women who did.
I’ve only scratched the surface so readers must discover this exquisite read for themselves!
Be sure to check out her website for more info on the family and her research.
Thanks NetGalley, Edelweiss, Mariner Books, and Harper Collins for the advance copy.

[Kelly's Bookish World · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐

[Aggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fascinating novel provides a deeply personal look into the post-global tour lives of conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker. While there are several fiction and non-fiction books about the world famous brothers, this novel stands out by exploring their lives on a much deeper, more personal level. By shifting the focus away from their global exhibition tours, the novel zeroes in on their adulthood as they settle down in North Carolina to build conventional families

While their lives were undeniably colorful, the story excels at exploring the human nature of living as an unconventional family. The author’s choice to use Sarah ("Sallie") as the narrator is a major strength. It brings an intimate flow to the narrative, allowing readers to feel Sarah’s initial reluctance and discomfort regarding their complex arrangement.

Through her perspective, the book beautifully illustrates the brothers' contrasting personalities: Eng was the calm, intellectual, and cooperative twin, whereas Chang was the dominant, volatile, and entrepreneurial brother who ultimately drove their financial success.

[Robin O'Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historical novel based on the true story of the author’s distant cousins, Sallie and Addie Yates, who married famous 19th-century conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker in North Carolina. The story spans five decades, from 1839 through the Civil War era.

This is a MUST READ! I’m immediately making it one of my staff picks and will be hand selling it like crazy. I started a few days ago and have alternated between the audiobook (which is fab) & reading (also fab)-- which also means that I've basically been reading it non-stop since I started. Absolutely a 5-star read! I didn’t expect any less from Christina Baker Kline, who also wrote one of my favorite novels,"The Orphan Train."