Dominick Birdsey and his identical twin Thomas came into the world
as 1949 became 1950. And fortysomething narrator Dominick has
always had Thomas - a physical mirror image - as a shadow over his
life. The book opens with schizophrenic Thomas's dramatic act of
self-mutilation as a protest against American military involvement
in the Gulf and it follows Dominick's attempts to deal with the
latest lurch into a more terrible form of madness. The story of the
brothers' lives is told in scenes that recall the bleak honesty of
Raymond Carver, and Dominick's quest to rid himself of the demons
of his past and come to terms with the man he has become are
apparently the reworking of an ancient Hindu myth. His journey
nevertheless encompasses much of the American experience, and takes
him back to the Sicilian roots of his immigrant grandfather, in a
story that while at times hard to read is hard to put down. Lamb's
writing, even at the moments of greatest pain and despair, is
compelling in its vital sensitivity, his characters are
uncomfortably real and the mystery of Dominick's family becomes
intriguingly complex before answers, though not always the expected
ones, are found. Powerful, absorbing and unforgettable. (Kirkus UK)
Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by Thomas, the paranoid schizophrenic twin he both loves and resents. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into distinct yet connected entities in small-town Connecticut. From childhood, Dominick fights for separation and wholeness in a house of fear.
But Dominick's talent for survival comes at enormous personal cost. And it will be put to the ultimate test when his brother commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's life. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked within himself. He will have to search for the courage and love to forgive, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin.
This deeply moving and profoundly satisfying novel and illuminates our most urgent needs and fears: our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive, our yearning for self-determination. From anger through confusion to resolution, Dominick's journey will leave no reader untouched.
'Wally Lamb's achievement is to fore you to feel Dominick's pain … the events in his everyday nightmare are presented with a sneaky simplicity which generates emotional tension and even a subtle eroticism'
DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Every now and then a book comes along that sets new standards for writers and readers alike. Wally Lamb's latest novel is stunning – and even that night be an understatement'
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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