Throwback Thursday: The Girls

In which I share vague recollections of books I read long ago that have stuck with me.

Last week I mentioned that American Horror Story: Freakshow brought to mind Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. But the second book to come to mind was The Girls by Lori Lansens.

Rose and Ruby are a pair of craniopagus twins - conjoined at the head - born to, and abandoned by, their teenage mother. They're adopted by the nurse who delivers them and the novel is the tale of their entire lives.

I was reminded of them by Bette and Dot from Freakshow, conjoined twins who were sort of the opposite - they were one body with two heads - but otherwise similar. Like any two sisters, both of these pairs had their different personalities and disagreements, but were literally stuck together despite their own individual needs and desires.

Can you even imagine? I have a hard enough time living together with another person (and one I chose myself!) The thought of going through life attached to another body sounds horrible. But if that's all you've known, I suppose it's a bit different.

I don't recall how I first heard about The Girls, but it was the book that introduced me to Lori Lansens. She is an under-appreciated author who deserves to be read more widely. I also really enjoyed her novels The Wife's Tale and The Mountain Story.