Isabelle and Giselle are twins with a powerful bond. When
they and their parents are in a car crash, everything
changes with Isabelle's death. Giselle faces grief,
despair,
and confusion as she ventures through her memories trying
to
find a somewhat okay place again.
UNTWINE is a powerful novel that explores the beautifully
faceted relationship between two twin sisters. With the
death of one sister marking the beginning of the novel, the
reader experiences Isabelle's character through the
memories
of her living sister, Giselle, who is recovering both
mentally and physically from the car crash. Edwidge
Danticat
presents a relationship between the two twins that can
never be
severed, even by death, while balancing the tragic
uncertainty of facing life as one half of twins. The
Haitian
culture in the story adds a deep layer to the sisters and
the family, especially when considering how twins are
viewed
in different parts of the world.
Since this story is heavily character driven, there are
areas where the plot seems slow and almost directionless.
Several times, the directionless tone matches Giselle's
feelings nicely, but readers who prefer a quicker and more
directional plot may lose interest from time to time.
However, the beautiful writing makes it easy to fall hard
into the story and to hope for a healthy conclusion.
All in all, I didn't feel as tied to the story as some
might, but I enjoyed it and would definitely read more from
the author. UNTWINE features realistic family
relationships,
strong emotions, and gorgeous writing that will leave
readers with a few (or more) tears.
"A haunting and mesmerizing story about sisterhood, family,
love and loss by literary luminary Edwidge
Danticat.
Giselle Boyer and her identical twin,
Isabelle, are as close as sisters can be, even as their
family seems to be unraveling. Then the Boyers have a tragic
encounter that will shatter everyone's world
forever.
Giselle wakes up in the hospital, injured
and unable to speak or move. Trapped in the prison of her
own body, Giselle must revisit her past in order to
understand how the people closest to her -- her friends, her
parents, and above all, Isabelle, her twin -- have shaped
and defined her. Will she allow her love for her family and
friends to lead her to recovery? Or will she remain lost in
a spiral of longing and regret?
Untwine is a
spellbinding tale, lyrical and filled with love, mystery,
humor, and heartbreak. Award-winning author Edwidge
Danticat brings her extraordinary talent to this graceful
and unflinching examination of the bonds of friendship,
romance, family, the horrors of loss, and the strength we
must discover in ourselves when all seems hopeless."