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The Girls
Book by Lansens, Lori
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
523 people are currently reading
17918 people want to read
About the author
Lori Lansens
7 books1,229 followers Lori Lansens was born and raised in Chatham, Ontario, a small Canadian town with a remarkable history as a terminus on the Underground Railroad, which became the setting for her first three bestselling novels. After living in downtown Toronto most of her adult life, she moved with her family to the Santa Monica mountains near Los Angeles in 2006. A couple of years ago she relocated with her family to Calabasas, California, home of the Kardashians. Her new novel "This Little Light" is set there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,448 reviews
December 27, 2022
Rose has been diagnosed with a terminal condition. She's Canadian, a librarian, 29 years old and has a twin, Ruby. Ruby will die when Rose does, as they are Craniopagus conjoined twins! This is the girls' autobiography, inspired by their upcoming end they seek to share their life story.
An emotional and heartrending book, but also a highly interesting, educational and most of all enlightening read. Lansens using the girls' as narrator pains a story of their life solely from their perspective, the story that they would want to tell, so it's extremely sparse on operational procedures, personal abuse and discomforts and laden with the mostly highs of their lives, the foster parents, their friends, the people that done them right, their crushes, their hobbies but above all just how different they were, and how despite their birth condition, they were individuals, the Girls. 6 out of 12, just a standard Three Star read from me, as even though I enjoyed the core message, overall it was all pretty moderate for me, but I can also see how this book could be easily Five Starred.
2022 read
An emotional and heartrending book, but also a highly interesting, educational and most of all enlightening read. Lansens using the girls' as narrator pains a story of their life solely from their perspective, the story that they would want to tell, so it's extremely sparse on operational procedures, personal abuse and discomforts and laden with the mostly highs of their lives, the foster parents, their friends, the people that done them right, their crushes, their hobbies but above all just how different they were, and how despite their birth condition, they were individuals, the Girls. 6 out of 12, just a standard Three Star read from me, as even though I enjoyed the core message, overall it was all pretty moderate for me, but I can also see how this book could be easily Five Starred.
2022 read
August 27, 2007
“I have never looked into my sisters eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to the beguiling moon. I’ve never used an airplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that. I’ve never driven a car. Or slept through the night. Never a private talk. Or a solo walk. I’ve never climbed a tree. Or faded into a crowd. So many things I’ve never done, but oh, how I’ve been loved. And, if such things were to be, I’d live a thousand lives as me, to be loved so exponentially.”
“I think her sacrifice showed a lot of courage and love. But you don’t get over a loss like that. Maybe there are no losses you really get over. No matter how things play out in the end.”
This was an amazing story, about conjoined twins, Rose and Ruby.
I don’t really know what to say about it, I am not a book reviewer, or a writer. I feel like I can’t do it justice by a quick synopsis, or giving my thoughts as I read the last word (it was “gosh” and a sigh).
This book, which I came by accidentally, it reminds me why I read. It’s a perfect example of ideas, of a story, of characters, of writing that is worth more than bubble bath entertainment. Coming across novels like this is why I love books, is why I keep reading.
“I think her sacrifice showed a lot of courage and love. But you don’t get over a loss like that. Maybe there are no losses you really get over. No matter how things play out in the end.”
This was an amazing story, about conjoined twins, Rose and Ruby.
I don’t really know what to say about it, I am not a book reviewer, or a writer. I feel like I can’t do it justice by a quick synopsis, or giving my thoughts as I read the last word (it was “gosh” and a sigh).
This book, which I came by accidentally, it reminds me why I read. It’s a perfect example of ideas, of a story, of characters, of writing that is worth more than bubble bath entertainment. Coming across novels like this is why I love books, is why I keep reading.
December 28, 2008
Ugh. I had to force myself to finish this book. This is a book about twin girls conjoined at the head, written alternately by each girl in autobiographical form. Here are the things that made me not like this book:
1. Way too much emphasis on the intended publication, or hope thereof, of the finished product. I cannot believe a real editor would not edit all that out.
2. I did not understand why it took them 30 years to figure out that some sort of wheeled assistive device would drastically improve their lives- so Rose wouldn't be carrying Ruby ALL the time. The "we wanted to be strong" story seems ridiculous.
3. I found the concept of one twin getting pregnant and having a baby extremely far-fetched.
4. If the twins could not be separated because they share an essential vein, to me that means they share all their blood because blood circulates. So I don't understand how one twin is not affected by drugs that the other twin is taking.
5. In terms of writing style, it seemed wasted. It could have been a beautifully-written story, but instead it seemed like two diaries published with no editing except maybe spell-check.
1. Way too much emphasis on the intended publication, or hope thereof, of the finished product. I cannot believe a real editor would not edit all that out.
2. I did not understand why it took them 30 years to figure out that some sort of wheeled assistive device would drastically improve their lives- so Rose wouldn't be carrying Ruby ALL the time. The "we wanted to be strong" story seems ridiculous.
3. I found the concept of one twin getting pregnant and having a baby extremely far-fetched.
4. If the twins could not be separated because they share an essential vein, to me that means they share all their blood because blood circulates. So I don't understand how one twin is not affected by drugs that the other twin is taking.
5. In terms of writing style, it seemed wasted. It could have been a beautifully-written story, but instead it seemed like two diaries published with no editing except maybe spell-check.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2012
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com
In what has to be the best blend of heartbreaking sadness and unbelievable joy, author Lori Lansens has managed to write a novel about two girls that you will not soon forget -- if ever. After I finished THE GIRLS, I felt many emotions, but the strongest was that I had just read the story of two of my best and dearest friends. And even though I know that this story is fiction, I can't help but think that somewhere, two girls share a life that is a lot like that of Rose and Ruby Darlen.
Rose and Ruby are twins, yes, but they are also so much more. They are craniopagus twins, born conjoined at the right side of the head. As Rose puts it, she's never looked into her sister's eyes, she's never bathed alone, and she's never taken a solo walk. But what Rose lacks in aloneness is made up for with the closeness that she shares with Ruby, her sister, best friend, confidant, and greatest admirer.
The Darlen sisters were born in the small town of Leaford on the same day that a tornado struck the town and scooped up a young boy named Larry Merkel, who was never seen again. On the day that their mother, a young, frightened woman who called herself Elizabeth Taylor, gave birth, she was attended to by a devoted nurse known as Lovey. When the girls' mother later disappeared a week after that fateful day, much as Larry Merkel had been blown into the wind, it was Lovey Darlen who chose the girls as her own -- or, rather, they chose each other.
As Rose and Ruby struggle to learn to live together and yet retain their own individuality, it is their Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash who provide the love, comfort, and stability that the girls need. Being a conjoined twin has both its benefits and detriments, as both girls learn from an early age. But with the love of their family and the help, support, and dedication of a wonderful cast of supporting characters, the Darlen girls make a name for themselves in Leaford.
THE GIRLS is written as an autobiography, started by Rose to tell the story of her life -- and, with it, the story of Ruby's life, as well. Interspersed with chapters written by Ruby herself, the story doesn't always unfold in chronological order. The things Rose deems important, of course, don't always coincide with what Ruby believes to be necessity.
I laughed while reading this novel, and many times I cried. I went through joy and sorrow, much as the characters did. This is the first story I've read in a very long time that moved me to feel what the characters felt, to feel, in the end, as if I knew them. I applaud Ms. Lansens for her wonderful writing skills, and, although I am sad to say goodbye to Rose and Ruby Darlen, I wish them the best that life has to offer.
In what has to be the best blend of heartbreaking sadness and unbelievable joy, author Lori Lansens has managed to write a novel about two girls that you will not soon forget -- if ever. After I finished THE GIRLS, I felt many emotions, but the strongest was that I had just read the story of two of my best and dearest friends. And even though I know that this story is fiction, I can't help but think that somewhere, two girls share a life that is a lot like that of Rose and Ruby Darlen.
Rose and Ruby are twins, yes, but they are also so much more. They are craniopagus twins, born conjoined at the right side of the head. As Rose puts it, she's never looked into her sister's eyes, she's never bathed alone, and she's never taken a solo walk. But what Rose lacks in aloneness is made up for with the closeness that she shares with Ruby, her sister, best friend, confidant, and greatest admirer.
The Darlen sisters were born in the small town of Leaford on the same day that a tornado struck the town and scooped up a young boy named Larry Merkel, who was never seen again. On the day that their mother, a young, frightened woman who called herself Elizabeth Taylor, gave birth, she was attended to by a devoted nurse known as Lovey. When the girls' mother later disappeared a week after that fateful day, much as Larry Merkel had been blown into the wind, it was Lovey Darlen who chose the girls as her own -- or, rather, they chose each other.
As Rose and Ruby struggle to learn to live together and yet retain their own individuality, it is their Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash who provide the love, comfort, and stability that the girls need. Being a conjoined twin has both its benefits and detriments, as both girls learn from an early age. But with the love of their family and the help, support, and dedication of a wonderful cast of supporting characters, the Darlen girls make a name for themselves in Leaford.
THE GIRLS is written as an autobiography, started by Rose to tell the story of her life -- and, with it, the story of Ruby's life, as well. Interspersed with chapters written by Ruby herself, the story doesn't always unfold in chronological order. The things Rose deems important, of course, don't always coincide with what Ruby believes to be necessity.
I laughed while reading this novel, and many times I cried. I went through joy and sorrow, much as the characters did. This is the first story I've read in a very long time that moved me to feel what the characters felt, to feel, in the end, as if I knew them. I applaud Ms. Lansens for her wonderful writing skills, and, although I am sad to say goodbye to Rose and Ruby Darlen, I wish them the best that life has to offer.
March 18, 2009
I love when I finish a book and it stays with me for days afterward as I continue to wonder about the characters and what may still be happening even though the story in the book has ended. This is going to be one of those books. I can't think of one negative thing to say about any aspect of this book. I loved the characters, ALL of them. I loved that the author told the story as if Rose and Ruby were writing an autobiography (I had to remind myself it was fiction numerous times).Simply an amazing, moving, richly written book.
October 29, 2008
One of the least engaging books I have read in a very long time. I found the main characters of Rosie and Ruby to be exceptionally boring and slightly annoying. It literally felt as though I was reading someone's mundane diary, dreary boring details that may make up a good diary for the writer however do nothing for an outside reader.
December 10, 2009
I won't be finishing this, life is too short. A character (and someone on greads) said it best - it doesn't matter if the book is well written, it will sell because it's about conjoined twins. Yep.
This story is unique in its premise - a back and forth of two conjoined twins who have learned that they are dying - but the execution was a real disappointment. The actual complicated layers of such a situation (never being alone, never being able to fully choose for you, never being perceived as your own person) remained untouched, and Lansens allowed the premise to be the only interesting factor in this work. The girls? Super dull. Instead of having them actually be interesting people in their own right, you get the sense that the only thing going for them is their freaky status. To establish individuality she attributes very superficial differences - Rose, intense, Ruby, not intense - but neither was actually interesting to read or had anything else to say for themselves. The story was told in a hodgepodge chronologically which was confusing and irritating, and went off on many tangents that I cared nothing for (like the equally boring history of their adopteds family, or how the Canadian sports teams were faring), It is actually quite surprising just how boring a book about such an original topic can be. I ended up skimming a lot, not to mention being grossed out when it got detailed about their medical complexity.
The writing itself was monotonous and annoying - there was no poetry here or anything to hold me. I kept refelecting back to Poisonwood Bible where Adah and Leah who actually did have personalities and were complicated in individual ways describe in beautiful prose how it was to be twins in their own complicated set up. This was instead a young adult novel, if anything, and a very undeveloped one at that.
This story is unique in its premise - a back and forth of two conjoined twins who have learned that they are dying - but the execution was a real disappointment. The actual complicated layers of such a situation (never being alone, never being able to fully choose for you, never being perceived as your own person) remained untouched, and Lansens allowed the premise to be the only interesting factor in this work. The girls? Super dull. Instead of having them actually be interesting people in their own right, you get the sense that the only thing going for them is their freaky status. To establish individuality she attributes very superficial differences - Rose, intense, Ruby, not intense - but neither was actually interesting to read or had anything else to say for themselves. The story was told in a hodgepodge chronologically which was confusing and irritating, and went off on many tangents that I cared nothing for (like the equally boring history of their adopteds family, or how the Canadian sports teams were faring), It is actually quite surprising just how boring a book about such an original topic can be. I ended up skimming a lot, not to mention being grossed out when it got detailed about their medical complexity.
The writing itself was monotonous and annoying - there was no poetry here or anything to hold me. I kept refelecting back to Poisonwood Bible where Adah and Leah who actually did have personalities and were complicated in individual ways describe in beautiful prose how it was to be twins in their own complicated set up. This was instead a young adult novel, if anything, and a very undeveloped one at that.
May 29, 2019
(3.5) Believe it or not, this is the third novel I’ve now read about conjoined twins, after Chang and Eng by Darin Strauss (about the Bunkers, the original “Siamese twins”) and Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Like Marion and Shiva from the latter, Rose and Ruby Darlen are craniopagus twins, joined at the head. Unlike the Stone brothers, though, they are linked by such major veins that they can never be separated. Ruby, the “parasitic” twin in old-fashioned (offensive) terminology, rests on her sister’s hip until a neighbor invents a rolling chair for her to sit on. The girls were abandoned by their young mother, who gave her name as “Elizabeth Taylor,” and raised by a hospital nurse, Lovey, and her Czech husband, Stash, in Lansens’ fictional southwestern Ontario town of Leaford.
At age 29, Rose and Ruby are the world’s longest-surviving craniopagus twins, having been born in 1974 on the day of a devastating tornado; they work at the local library and Ruby contributes First Nations artifacts she’s found to the town museum. Ruby’s informal chapters, set in a different font, are occasional interruptions in Rose’s typed narrative and sometimes offer an opposing perspective on their life with Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash and a trip back to Czechoslovakia.
I love reading about sister relationships in general, and the Darlen girls’ situation is an extreme case of love and jealousy given that they literally can’t get away from each other and it’s almost impossible to keep any secrets. It’s a mixed blessing. As Rose writes, “It would occur to me how deeply I loved my sister, and how profoundly I was loved by her. I think I found something of God in that.” Lansens gives just enough detail about the protagonists’ daily life to make it believable without being prurient. I don’t think the novel will stay with me, and it isn’t as good as the other conjoined twins books I mentioned, but I would read more from Lansens – she’s a solid Oprah Book Club sort of author.
At age 29, Rose and Ruby are the world’s longest-surviving craniopagus twins, having been born in 1974 on the day of a devastating tornado; they work at the local library and Ruby contributes First Nations artifacts she’s found to the town museum. Ruby’s informal chapters, set in a different font, are occasional interruptions in Rose’s typed narrative and sometimes offer an opposing perspective on their life with Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash and a trip back to Czechoslovakia.
I love reading about sister relationships in general, and the Darlen girls’ situation is an extreme case of love and jealousy given that they literally can’t get away from each other and it’s almost impossible to keep any secrets. It’s a mixed blessing. As Rose writes, “It would occur to me how deeply I loved my sister, and how profoundly I was loved by her. I think I found something of God in that.” Lansens gives just enough detail about the protagonists’ daily life to make it believable without being prurient. I don’t think the novel will stay with me, and it isn’t as good as the other conjoined twins books I mentioned, but I would read more from Lansens – she’s a solid Oprah Book Club sort of author.
August 11, 2022
*Recommended to me by John Green via his weird obsession with conjoined-twin-books*
The cover reminded me vaguely of the cover of The God of Small Things (they're both pretty/artsy flowers-on-the-water things) but there's really very little that's similar about the two books, except that they're good. And they have twins in them.
The Girls is amazing. The edition I bought has a little reader's guide questions-section at the end, which I started to read because I kind of didn't want the book to end (seriously, it was really good) and one of the questions was something to the effect of "Why did the author choose to write this novel as a first-person narrative? Did you ever have to remind yourself that you were reading a novel and not an autobiography?" Yes, it was very convincing as a memoir and I kept reminding myself that it really wasn't one and getting kind of disappointed that these people were figments of someone's imagination. I can't imagine the story being told any differently, either. I looked forward to reading Ruby's sections, and kept being amazed with how well-thought-out the whole format was. Even though it's not at all difficult to read, there's enough creativity and pathos for this novel to really lend itself to re-readings and analysis. And quoting.
The Girls is a wonderfully engrossing read, with humor and romance and tragedy and quirkiness. (I just finished reading it so sorry if this review is a little gushy. Or hard to follow.)
The cover reminded me vaguely of the cover of The God of Small Things (they're both pretty/artsy flowers-on-the-water things) but there's really very little that's similar about the two books, except that they're good. And they have twins in them.
The Girls is amazing. The edition I bought has a little reader's guide questions-section at the end, which I started to read because I kind of didn't want the book to end (seriously, it was really good) and one of the questions was something to the effect of "Why did the author choose to write this novel as a first-person narrative? Did you ever have to remind yourself that you were reading a novel and not an autobiography?" Yes, it was very convincing as a memoir and I kept reminding myself that it really wasn't one and getting kind of disappointed that these people were figments of someone's imagination. I can't imagine the story being told any differently, either. I looked forward to reading Ruby's sections, and kept being amazed with how well-thought-out the whole format was. Even though it's not at all difficult to read, there's enough creativity and pathos for this novel to really lend itself to re-readings and analysis. And quoting.
The Girls is a wonderfully engrossing read, with humor and romance and tragedy and quirkiness. (I just finished reading it so sorry if this review is a little gushy. Or hard to follow.)
June 10, 2014
Beautifully written story of two sisters who are conjoined. They live in a small town, where everyone knows them as "The Girls". As with any other sisters, they are very different people but unlike every other set of sisters, they are often viewed as "one".
The author has done an amazing job of creating two completely seperate voices and manages to weave a haunting story based on two characters' perspectives who are literally at the same place, at the same time--always.
Rose, Ruby and their families and friends feel so real throughout the book. It's impossible not to feel sorry and happy for them...they struggle to maintain their individuality, some people view them as "monsters" or one person with two heads but they have a wonderful family full of support and love...and their very best friend around when they need 'em.
THE GIRLS is written as an autobiography, started by Rose to tell the story of her life -- and, with it, the story of Ruby's life, as well. Interspersed with chapters written by Ruby herself, the story doesn't always unfold in chronological order. The things Rose deems important, of course, don't always coincide with what Ruby believes to be necessity.
This is a story of love, loss, friendship and truth vs. perception. I think you'll enjoy it.
The author has done an amazing job of creating two completely seperate voices and manages to weave a haunting story based on two characters' perspectives who are literally at the same place, at the same time--always.
Rose, Ruby and their families and friends feel so real throughout the book. It's impossible not to feel sorry and happy for them...they struggle to maintain their individuality, some people view them as "monsters" or one person with two heads but they have a wonderful family full of support and love...and their very best friend around when they need 'em.
THE GIRLS is written as an autobiography, started by Rose to tell the story of her life -- and, with it, the story of Ruby's life, as well. Interspersed with chapters written by Ruby herself, the story doesn't always unfold in chronological order. The things Rose deems important, of course, don't always coincide with what Ruby believes to be necessity.
This is a story of love, loss, friendship and truth vs. perception. I think you'll enjoy it.
January 27, 2020
Commentaire à venir! Quel livre merveilleux!
27.01.2010 J'aime ce genre de roman-là, c'est plus fort que moi. Je baigne toujours dans l'écho un peu feutré des voix des jumelles craniopages, deux soeurs aux personnalités bien trempées. Dans ce roman, Rose et Ruby s'échangent la parole par l'entremise de leurs écrits à la veille de leur 30e anniversaire. Ce que l'une des jumelles tait, l'autre révèle sans fards. Ce que l'autre euphémise, la première l'écrit à fond de train.
Penses-y : ta tête attachée à une autre tête...pour la vie. Les soeurs s'aiment profondément, se tapent sur les nerfs, argumentent et négocient. Nées d'une toute jeune mère qui s'enfuit de l'hôpital, elles seront adoptées par une des infirmières qui a aidé à leur arrivée dans le monde et son mari. Tante Lovey et Oncle Stash seront des parents aimants et dévoués, et encourageront les filles à devenir ce qu'elles sont. Lansens ne sanctifie pas ses personnages : au contraire, leurs lignes de faille sont toujours présentes face aux épreuves. On les sent vulnérables, fragiles, parfois farouches, et aussi fortes, décidées, impatientes. Face aux préjugés, à la commisération des autres, elles regardent en elles-mêmes et refusent les étiquettes.
À suggérer aux lecteurs aimant les portraits de personnages esquissés par eux-mêmes.
27.01.2010 J'aime ce genre de roman-là, c'est plus fort que moi. Je baigne toujours dans l'écho un peu feutré des voix des jumelles craniopages, deux soeurs aux personnalités bien trempées. Dans ce roman, Rose et Ruby s'échangent la parole par l'entremise de leurs écrits à la veille de leur 30e anniversaire. Ce que l'une des jumelles tait, l'autre révèle sans fards. Ce que l'autre euphémise, la première l'écrit à fond de train.
Penses-y : ta tête attachée à une autre tête...pour la vie. Les soeurs s'aiment profondément, se tapent sur les nerfs, argumentent et négocient. Nées d'une toute jeune mère qui s'enfuit de l'hôpital, elles seront adoptées par une des infirmières qui a aidé à leur arrivée dans le monde et son mari. Tante Lovey et Oncle Stash seront des parents aimants et dévoués, et encourageront les filles à devenir ce qu'elles sont. Lansens ne sanctifie pas ses personnages : au contraire, leurs lignes de faille sont toujours présentes face aux épreuves. On les sent vulnérables, fragiles, parfois farouches, et aussi fortes, décidées, impatientes. Face aux préjugés, à la commisération des autres, elles regardent en elles-mêmes et refusent les étiquettes.
À suggérer aux lecteurs aimant les portraits de personnages esquissés par eux-mêmes.
August 13, 2020
The plot summaries I read of this novel made it sound really twee, heavy on the use of “heartwarming” which always irritates me. These descriptions don’t do this novel justice, particularly in terms of the thoughtful insight of Lansen’s observations of human experience. It would be easy for conjoined twins to be a gimmick, but in The Girls Ruby and Rose are the foundation for a broader exploration of human connection, othering, and social isolation in a range of forms. This story was much more brutal and affecting than I expected and in the end I thought it was very well executed.
January 15, 2010
I admit I was attracted to this book because it was about conjoined twins. But, the fascination quickly wore off and I was left wondering when the characters were going to come to life and become compelling beyond their conjoinment. The story never came to life for me.
July 1, 2015
We've been called many things: freaks, horrors, monsters, devils, witches, retards, wonders, marvels. To most, we're a curiosity. In small-town Leaford, where we live and work, we're just “The Girls”.
Rose and Ruby Darlen are 29, and the world's oldest surviving craniopagus (conjoined at the head) twins. When an aneurysm in Rose's brain provides the sisters with a deadline, Rose decides to finally write her autobiography, and although Ruby has never been interested in writing, she is cajoled into a penning a few chapters herself. The Girls is the fictionalised memoir that results.
Born during a once-in-a-generation tornado to a teen Mom who immediately disappears, the girls are adopted by the nurse who attended their birth, Aunt Lovey, and her larger-than-life immigrant husband, Uncle Stash. Although technically identical twins, the sisters are a study in contrasts: Rose is tall and fully formed, but due to a stretching effect where her head meets Ruby's, her “features are misshapen and frankly grotesque”. Ruby has a beautiful face but stunted legs and club feet, resulting in her spending her entire life clinging to Rose's neck and waist like a carried child. Rose loves writing and watching sports, while Ruby likes trashy TV and searching for Native artefacts in the fields of the family farm. Since their faces are turned slightly away from one another, they can only talk face-to-face with a series of mirrors, and their differing perspectives are evident in everything they write about.
And that's the most interesting part of this book – the format. Rose – who has always processed her experiences through writing poems and short stories – begins like this:
I have never looked into my sister's eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I've never used an airplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that. I've never driven a car. Or slept through the night. Never a private talk. Or solo walk. I've never climbed a tree. Or faded into a crowd. So many things I've never done, but oh, how I've been loved. And, if such things were to be, I'd live a thousand lives as me, to be loved so exponentially.
On the other hand, Ruby doesn't think of herself as a writer, so her voice is chatty and unpolished. At one point she even says, “I hate when Rose talks the way she writes. She can sound so pretentious.” Both sisters – who have agreed not to show each other what they're writing until the project is finished – muse about the nature of memoirs and try to guess what the other is focussing on. It was always interesting to read their different perspectives on the same events and funny to imagine Ruby trying to plan a surprise party for Rose for their upcoming 30th birthday. There are many, many anecdotes (spanning generations) captured in these pages – with Rose trying to form them into a story arc and Ruby writing mainly in the present – and all together, it paints a portrait of extraordinary people who have lived ordinary (and more than you'd think, separate) lives, complete with the worrying about aging parents, yearning for romantic love, and searching for a way to leave a mark on the world that we all experience.
By the end of The Girls, with the mounting ill effects of the aneurysm affecting their ability to write and otherwise get around, the book becomes more introspective; whereas at first Rose was anxious to finish a polished and publishable manuscript, in the end, she accepted that creating art for its own sake is oftentimes enough. After rereading her beginning paragraph, Rose amends:
I have never looked into my sister's eyes, but I've seen inside her soul. I have never worn a hat, but I have been kissed like that. I have never raised both arms at once, but the moon beguiled me still. Sleep is for suckers. I like the bus just fine. And though I've never climbed a tree, I've scaled a mountain, and that's a hell of a thing.
Author Lori Lansens pulled off a tricky effect here: the reader empathises with the twins without ever feeling sorry for them; they are real – and separate – women, simply trying to record their lives (and the lives of those they've loved) as the aneurysm ticks away. And if an autobiography of conjoined twins isn't interesting enough, the differing points of view, divergent memories, and the insight into the writing process elevates this book to the literary. I thoroughly enjoyed The Girls.
December 7, 2017
The Girls ( Ruby and Rose). are conjoined twins. They each have their individual personalities, with their own likes and beliefs.
The book is touched with their humor and their adoptive parents who were so selfless in their love and care for the Girls.
Each chapter is filled with events in the Girls lives with parents and friends.
It was a real page turner.
The book is touched with their humor and their adoptive parents who were so selfless in their love and care for the Girls.
Each chapter is filled with events in the Girls lives with parents and friends.
It was a real page turner.
November 15, 2010
What a moving book. Completely worthwhile, with characters you really love (Uncle Stash and Aunt Lovey) and wisdom and humor. Surprising and unlike anything I've read before. (And there's even a little Eastern European section that I didn't expect--hooray.)
What is it about sadness that can be so fulfilling? (p.30)
Funny how you can measure time by pets that were not even your own. (p. 40)
It was Aunt Lovey's belief that all ordinary people led extraordinary lives, but just didn't notice. (p. 102)
I wanted a round chocolate layer cake for Rose, and to make it look like a basketball... And I wanted a movie clapboard for me (just in case you don't know, a movie clapboard is used so the director knows how many times the actor has forgotten his lines). (p. 197)
That last quote is especially funny for me because my job in real life is to operate the "clapboard" (among other things) and that is not exactly its function but if I memorize that, it'll be funny to recite it at work.
[Uncle Stash] said, "People don't finish, Rose. People stop. To finish is to say okay, now it's right, never I'm going to change it. To stop is to say okay, it's not perfect, but I have to go to something else." (p. 343)
What is it about sadness that can be so fulfilling? (p.30)
Funny how you can measure time by pets that were not even your own. (p. 40)
It was Aunt Lovey's belief that all ordinary people led extraordinary lives, but just didn't notice. (p. 102)
I wanted a round chocolate layer cake for Rose, and to make it look like a basketball... And I wanted a movie clapboard for me (just in case you don't know, a movie clapboard is used so the director knows how many times the actor has forgotten his lines). (p. 197)
That last quote is especially funny for me because my job in real life is to operate the "clapboard" (among other things) and that is not exactly its function but if I memorize that, it'll be funny to recite it at work.
[Uncle Stash] said, "People don't finish, Rose. People stop. To finish is to say okay, now it's right, never I'm going to change it. To stop is to say okay, it's not perfect, but I have to go to something else." (p. 343)
May 8, 2018
This is a fictional account of conjoined twins written as if it was a non=fiction autobiography written by primarily Rose, with some chapters written by Rudy.
This is the second book I have read by Lori Lansens, and she is a great story teller, who makes it seem like you are being told a story by a good friend. The author did a great job of separating the two characters and letting each tell of their own experiences as individuals. Although they live a very unique life, they have the same dreams, fears, ambitions, as any one else may have. They therefore have to learn unique ways to to face life's challenges.
Well worth the read.
This is the second book I have read by Lori Lansens, and she is a great story teller, who makes it seem like you are being told a story by a good friend. The author did a great job of separating the two characters and letting each tell of their own experiences as individuals. Although they live a very unique life, they have the same dreams, fears, ambitions, as any one else may have. They therefore have to learn unique ways to to face life's challenges.
Well worth the read.
October 15, 2017
I finished this astounding book a week ago and wanted to comment as to how the characters and their story have lingered. The Girls is about Rose and Ruby; twenty-nine year old craniopagus twins. Fused at the skulls with their heads facing slightly different directions, they have separate bodies. The novel chronicles their attempt to forge ordinary lives despite extraordinary circumstances. Lori Lansens excels at personifying their different personalities and their individual and collective reaction to a range of issues including: the reality of their birth mother, the death of their "adoptive" parents, the reaction of others they meet and the pregnancy of one sister. It is impossible for me to fathom the degree of research and the painstaking process the author must have conducted to render such realism in her book. I felt as if I'd spent time with Rose and Ruby and gained personal insight into their feelings, aspirations, frustrations and disappointments. An evocative novel, it is truly a good read.
November 16, 2016
I was a bit slow to get into this book, but once Ruby's contributions began I was hooked! I LOVED the side-by-side descriptions from each sister about the events of their life (their often contradicting accounts were quite hilarious too). This story is one of Love, Family, and overcoming adversity and I enjoyed it so much that I can confidently say this is one of my favourite books of my life thus far! I thoroughly enjoyed Lori Lansens book "A Mountain Story" as well. Her characters are very relatable and real to me.
Loved it, loved it, loved it!
Loved it, loved it, loved it!
May 24, 2019
4/5 ⭐️
I’ve never read anything about conjoined twins but this was fascinating! I’ve read stuff online and such, but this is definitely better.
I’ve never read anything about conjoined twins but this was fascinating! I’ve read stuff online and such, but this is definitely better.
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March 10, 2009I read this concurrently with Jane Hamilton's A Map of the World and, although they are completely different books, found the settings so powerfully similar that I kept getting the books confused. The same kids detassling corn in the summer holidays, the same orange-red carpet in the same early 19th century decrepit farmhouse, the same neighbors with tragically dead kids--it wasn't a bad thing, it was just *weird*, as though I were reading two different news stories from the same local newspaper.
Anyway, I enjoyed this very much. My impressions were that most everybody in this book was whacko, and that made the kind of far-out premise of the story (an autobiography of twin girls joined at the head) really quite believable, but what I liked BEST about this book was the UTTERLY convincing voices of the two narrators: one of them a little high-falutin' in tone, with literary pretensions, and the other wholly down to earth, with hidden reserves and talents. Some of the details, too, of character relationships and childhood memories, help make the narrative convincing. I really was very impressed, not with the amount of research the author must have done, but with how thoroughly and unfailingly she NAILED her characters.
A very enjoyable and unusual story.
Anyway, I enjoyed this very much. My impressions were that most everybody in this book was whacko, and that made the kind of far-out premise of the story (an autobiography of twin girls joined at the head) really quite believable, but what I liked BEST about this book was the UTTERLY convincing voices of the two narrators: one of them a little high-falutin' in tone, with literary pretensions, and the other wholly down to earth, with hidden reserves and talents. Some of the details, too, of character relationships and childhood memories, help make the narrative convincing. I really was very impressed, not with the amount of research the author must have done, but with how thoroughly and unfailingly she NAILED her characters.
A very enjoyable and unusual story.
October 21, 2013
I never expected to like this book as much as I did. I thought that I'd probably get frustrated and maybe stop at 100 pages in.
MAN!! Was I wrong!!
This book was fantastic!! Read like gossip and as though it was true.
"The Girls" is written as an autobiography but it's totally fiction. A story of conjoined twins who try to live their lives in the most ordinary way as possible.
Can you imagine being attached to your sister when she gets in trouble?
When you're mad at her?
When you are trying to plan a surprise birthday party for her?
How about when being kissed or having sex?!!!
Seriously, this book was AMAZING!!
I found it soo super interesting that I was very sad that it ended. I wanted more!! But I realized it had to end and once you start reading it you'll realize it too.
I loved that fact that Rose and Ruby seemed so down to earth. I would have been best buds with them. Probably more Ruby than Rose.
My favorite line: Maybe I'm not intellectually lazy after all. Maybe I'm just lonely for someone with similar interests.
-The Girls - (RUBY)
If you are looking for a great book to read without a paranormal aspect then read "THE GIRLS". I bet you'll love every minute of it !!
MAN!! Was I wrong!!
This book was fantastic!! Read like gossip and as though it was true.
"The Girls" is written as an autobiography but it's totally fiction. A story of conjoined twins who try to live their lives in the most ordinary way as possible.
Can you imagine being attached to your sister when she gets in trouble?
When you're mad at her?
When you are trying to plan a surprise birthday party for her?
How about when being kissed or having sex?!!!
Seriously, this book was AMAZING!!
I found it soo super interesting that I was very sad that it ended. I wanted more!! But I realized it had to end and once you start reading it you'll realize it too.
I loved that fact that Rose and Ruby seemed so down to earth. I would have been best buds with them. Probably more Ruby than Rose.
My favorite line: Maybe I'm not intellectually lazy after all. Maybe I'm just lonely for someone with similar interests.
-The Girls - (RUBY)
If you are looking for a great book to read without a paranormal aspect then read "THE GIRLS". I bet you'll love every minute of it !!
September 14, 2010
I found this book while browsing through my public libraries download section. I was looking for a book to try out on my new Nook (LOVE my Nook). I didn't really need a book i wanted to read - it was just a learning exercise. But this one look somewhat interesting so I gave it a try. I can only say WOW! I love love love this book. I still have about 10 pages left to read - and I am taking it really slow because I do not want it to end.
All of the characters are terrifically drawn. Lansens' description of the life of conjoined twins seems so realistic - and yet unbelievably extraordinary. and the writing is beautiful. Some of her phrases are so wonderful that I reread them to myself and read them out loud to whoever is near. I am really looking forward to ready Lansens' other novel.
All of the characters are terrifically drawn. Lansens' description of the life of conjoined twins seems so realistic - and yet unbelievably extraordinary. and the writing is beautiful. Some of her phrases are so wonderful that I reread them to myself and read them out loud to whoever is near. I am really looking forward to ready Lansens' other novel.
March 11, 2016
Rose and Ruby are twin sisters. Craniopagus sisters. This is Rose's autobiography and Ruby's by default. It is the story of their incredible lives that are so simply lived. It is the story of their aunt and uncle (again by default) that raised them, and loved them, and loved each other.
I truly enjoyed the simplicity of their stories that showed compassion, compromise, longing, hope and forgiveness.
I truly enjoyed the simplicity of their stories that showed compassion, compromise, longing, hope and forgiveness.
December 31, 2013
This book. I love love loved it. It will stay with me for a long time. Such fabulous and memorable characters. Highly recommend.
April 1, 2021
This book has been on my shelf and TBR for a LONG time and so when I needed a book for a bingo prompt involving twins, it fit the bill perfectly!
Rose and Ruby born on a tornado filled evening to an unknown woman, they are craniopagus twins and because they share a vein, they cannot be separated.
This story was very engaging as Rose writes her autobiography filled with stories of their life "together". What struggles they must have gone through just to live their daily lives! Much of this was not portrayed but I can only imagine.
Heartwarming and sad in many ways but intriguing as well.
Rose and Ruby born on a tornado filled evening to an unknown woman, they are craniopagus twins and because they share a vein, they cannot be separated.
This story was very engaging as Rose writes her autobiography filled with stories of their life "together". What struggles they must have gone through just to live their daily lives! Much of this was not portrayed but I can only imagine.
Heartwarming and sad in many ways but intriguing as well.
January 3, 2025
I love reading about sister relationships in general, and the Darlen girls’ situation is an extreme case of love and jealousy given that they literally can’t get away from each other and it’s almost impossible to keep any secrets. It’s a mixed blessing. As Rose writes, “It would occur to me how deeply I loved my sister, and how profoundly I was loved by her. I think I found something of God in that.” Lansens gives just enough detail about the protagonists’ daily life to make it believable without being prurient. I don’t think the novel will stay with me, and it isn’t as good as the other conjoined twins books I mentioned, but I would read more from Lansens.
December 7, 2025
Pasirodė, kad prabėgta paviršiumi, pasigedau emocinio gylio, jautrių išgyvenimų, kas neišvengiamai turėjo būti, jei jau pasirinkta tokia sudėtinga tema.
Skaitant knygą, susidarė toks įspūdis, kad būti siamo dvynėmis nėra nieko sudėtingo.
Ir pažadėtos besąlygiškos seserų meilės šioje knygoje taip pat neradau.
Niekaip negalėjau suprasti, kodėl goodreads'e toks geras šios knygos reitingas. Skaitant vis kirbėjo mintis, kad duosiu vieną ⭐️, bet į pabaigą pasidarė šiek tiek įdomiau, tai daviau dvi⭐️
Skaitant knygą, susidarė toks įspūdis, kad būti siamo dvynėmis nėra nieko sudėtingo.
Ir pažadėtos besąlygiškos seserų meilės šioje knygoje taip pat neradau.
Niekaip negalėjau suprasti, kodėl goodreads'e toks geras šios knygos reitingas. Skaitant vis kirbėjo mintis, kad duosiu vieną ⭐️, bet į pabaigą pasidarė šiek tiek įdomiau, tai daviau dvi⭐️
October 10, 2009
Who would have thought of writing a novel about Siamese twins?
Lori Lansens takes the unlikely premise of twin girls joined at the head and manages to create a well-written novel so believable that I never once questioned its verisimilitude (which is saying a lot for a detail-oriented cynic like me). Rose and Ruby are the world's oldest living craniopagus twins, joined at the skull. Their lives are inevitably intertwined -- they can't even go to the bathroom alone -- and yet, they are fiercely separate and individual. They hate being viewed as freaks but feel equally uncomfortable when people try too hard to pretend they can ignore the white elephant that is their condition.
"The Girls" is the story of Rose and Ruby's lives -- how they are adopted as infants by a loving couple in their 50s, how they become an accepted part of the small town they live in, how they grow up, love, hold down a job, and experience what life has to offer. It's also about their relationship -- sometimes loving, sometimes conflicted, but always together. Using this extreme example of sisters who are equally compelled to be united and separate, Lansens explores the sister relationship. She explores our definitions of normal and abnormal, and the extent to which you need be defined by what sets you apart. We see people behaving admirably and people behaving abysmally -- sometimes, the same people.
I took off one star because there was a mystery in the book which never got explained, and it bothered me because it surrounded a central character. With that, though, I still think this book was one of the more interesting and engrossing novels I've read lately. Like Middlesex, this novel used a rare condition to explore universal human truths and did it beautifully.
Lori Lansens takes the unlikely premise of twin girls joined at the head and manages to create a well-written novel so believable that I never once questioned its verisimilitude (which is saying a lot for a detail-oriented cynic like me). Rose and Ruby are the world's oldest living craniopagus twins, joined at the skull. Their lives are inevitably intertwined -- they can't even go to the bathroom alone -- and yet, they are fiercely separate and individual. They hate being viewed as freaks but feel equally uncomfortable when people try too hard to pretend they can ignore the white elephant that is their condition.
"The Girls" is the story of Rose and Ruby's lives -- how they are adopted as infants by a loving couple in their 50s, how they become an accepted part of the small town they live in, how they grow up, love, hold down a job, and experience what life has to offer. It's also about their relationship -- sometimes loving, sometimes conflicted, but always together. Using this extreme example of sisters who are equally compelled to be united and separate, Lansens explores the sister relationship. She explores our definitions of normal and abnormal, and the extent to which you need be defined by what sets you apart. We see people behaving admirably and people behaving abysmally -- sometimes, the same people.
I took off one star because there was a mystery in the book which never got explained, and it bothered me because it surrounded a central character. With that, though, I still think this book was one of the more interesting and engrossing novels I've read lately. Like Middlesex, this novel used a rare condition to explore universal human truths and did it beautifully.
October 1, 2016
(Still have no idea in which language to review originally-in-English books that I read in French. Sorry English friends.)
C'était bon! Honnêtement, j'étais pas sûre de vouloir le lire (je l'ai acheté sans trop regarder, dans une méga-vente de bibliothèque, où j'ai juste pris le temps de spotter "Tiens, un livre d'alto" avant d'acheter - ce qui explique aussi la traduction!) parce que j'ai zéro intérêt pour les livres du style "regardez la bête de cirque". Mais justement, on était loin de "La Magnifique Et Terrible Histoire Des Jumelles Conjointes!" - Ruby et Rose étaient, finalement, juste des filles, normales à peu près en tous points.
C'était intéressant de voir les deux points de vue (j'aurais pris plus de Ruby - Rose parfois s'éternisait, genre sur le voyage en Slovaquie) d'évènements qui avaient été vécus différemment même si seulement séparés par quelques centimètres. Quand Ruby Narration double très réussie, donc.
Comme j'ai mentionné, il y avait quand même pas mal de longueurs, et j'aurais coupé une centaine de pages (que je calcule personnellement comme "deux trajets d'autobus") pour resserrer autour de ce qui m'intéressait davantage - comme les relations entre les filles, ou avec leur entourage: Nick, Mme Merkel, etc. Quand même une lecture fort agréable. (Et la traduction m'a pas dérangée!)
C'était bon! Honnêtement, j'étais pas sûre de vouloir le lire (je l'ai acheté sans trop regarder, dans une méga-vente de bibliothèque, où j'ai juste pris le temps de spotter "Tiens, un livre d'alto" avant d'acheter - ce qui explique aussi la traduction!) parce que j'ai zéro intérêt pour les livres du style "regardez la bête de cirque". Mais justement, on était loin de "La Magnifique Et Terrible Histoire Des Jumelles Conjointes!" - Ruby et Rose étaient, finalement, juste des filles, normales à peu près en tous points.
C'était intéressant de voir les deux points de vue (j'aurais pris plus de Ruby - Rose parfois s'éternisait, genre sur le voyage en Slovaquie) d'évènements qui avaient été vécus différemment même si seulement séparés par quelques centimètres. Quand Ruby Narration double très réussie, donc.
Comme j'ai mentionné, il y avait quand même pas mal de longueurs, et j'aurais coupé une centaine de pages (que je calcule personnellement comme "deux trajets d'autobus") pour resserrer autour de ce qui m'intéressait davantage - comme les relations entre les filles, ou avec leur entourage: Nick, Mme Merkel, etc. Quand même une lecture fort agréable. (Et la traduction m'a pas dérangée!)
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