When Rose, the bookish sister, sets out to write her autobiography, it inevitably becomes the story of her short but extraordinary life with Ruby, the beautiful one. Now nearing their 30th birthday, they are history’s oldest craniopagus twins, joined at the head by as pot the size of a bread plate. Since their birth, Rose and Ruby Darlen have been known simply as “the girls.” They make friends, fall in love, have jobs, love their parents, and follow their dreams. Boyle.Meet Rose and Ruby: sisters, best friends, confidantes, and conjoined twins. Lori Lansens – This author site is one of the better ones because it contains extensive background information, photos and additional insights on stories. There are just too darn many great reads out there. Her website and blog is manna for hungry readers looking for their next great read.Īudible – I just signed up to increase my book consumption. She has incredible insight and a down-to-earth way about her.

She created the program “If all of Seattle Read the Same Book,” which spread across the country. Nancy Pearl – I’ve been listening to this clever librarian’s free podcasts ( Book Lust with Nancy Pearl and Nancy Pearl’s Book Review Podcast) on my iPod. It is this camaraderie that I cherish – and it’s all due to wonderful books. There is a common bond we share when we read and discuss books, regardless of whether it’s consumed on a Kindle, iPad, hard cover, or iPod. And then, somehow the conversation drifted to Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. One of us brought up that “TLC program” about conjoined twins. Some wanted closure at the end and we exchanged ideas about what might have happened to the characters. Merkel so that only Rose could see it, yet keep it from Ruby. We questioned why the author chose to depict the sex scene between Uncle Stash and Mrs. The women who happened to gather at my home seemed to enjoy sharing their opinions and dissecting details of the book. We marveled at how this author could write such a believable and emotional story about conjoined twins. We wondered what really was in the shack in Slovakia that Uncle Stash refused to see. The discussion was lively and positive, and occasionally meandering. My book group recently finished reading and chatting about Lori Lansens’ The Girls.

Rose and Ruby pepper their journey with drama and comedy while disclosing some surprises along the way. Written in two distinct voices, this work of fiction is most captivating when we see the twins interacting with others in their small Canadian town. Get beyond the creep factor and allow the girls to share their tale as the narration alternates between them. Rose and Ruby are companions for life, joined at the head. The Girls by Lori Lansens is a highly imaginative and lyrical “memoir” about two women who are sisters, friends and twins.