Inspired by the true story of Chang and Eng Bunker, the conjoined twins from Thailand who became a sensation when they toured the U.S. in the 1800s ... The appeal of the book, which is narrated by Sarah, is how skillfully Kline straddles the divide between the rarity of the conjoined brothers and the conventionality of their marriages ... Kline provides just enough of that detail, along with references to rapidly moving current events, to convince us that she knows what she’s talking about.
Written with compassion and sensitivity, the book gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the once perceived scandalous lives of the two Yates-Bunker families. Strong characterizations and imagery quickly move the work along, making this novel hard to put down.
Clearly aware that one of the biggest imaginative challenges is depicting the way these four people maintained their dignity under the challenging circumstances—Chang and Eng were joined by a band of flesh at their abdomen, and separation would have killed both of them—Kline’s choice to focus on the experience of one of the sisters, Sallie, succeeds beautifully ... A profound and moving treatment of what could have been a tabloid topic.
A daring and deeply empathetic tale of the sisters who married conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker ... Avoiding sensationalism and hewing closely to the historical record, Kline subtly and often poetically documents the small, daily choices that shape these lives. It’s remarkable.
This is an intense, well-written novel, looking at the sisters living with these two men. Author Kline is a distant relative, and this book is incredible. One of the best historical fiction novels….hell, one of the best novels of the year.
