Interesting, yet ultimately agonizingly drawn out tale

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	• Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited Elyse Schein, Paula Bernstein Random House, 2007 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 63 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A fascinating story; GREAT read!

This is an unbelievable, fascinating and compelling story. How lucky for us that these two women are writers with the ability to tell their story with such sensitivity and eloquence! If you have not read it yet, do yourself a favor and get a copy. You will not be able to put it down!

Interesting, yet ultimately agonizingly drawn out tale

As defenseless infants handed over by their biological mother, Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein are unquestionably separated to two different adoptive families to, unbeknownst to most involved, participate in a twin study. Over thirty years later, Elyse requests information on her origins from the now obsolete adoption agency through which she became a Schein only to discover she has a twin. As Elyse and Paula struggle with this promulgation and their discrepant feelings of partiality towards their suddenly extended family, they pull us through the proceedings.

Unfortunately, as they struggle with this knowledge, we struggle along with them, only through our attempts to follow along with their similar, sometimes nearly incoherent thought processes and writing styles. It is quite clear that both have a background in journalism, as they cannot carry the story through all 266 pages, which they compensate for through constant repetition and bland, often cliché, description. Schein and Bernstein mistakenly assume that we care about aspects of their lives that are completely irrelevant to the central idea of their separation and reunion. The facts that they interwine within the story about other twins' reunions and relationships are much more interesting than their own overwrought journey. As P. A. Holtman so aptly puts it, this 'would have made a' much more bearable 'magazine article'.

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very interesting book

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is well written and raised interesting concepts and issues.

Fascinating Read, Even if You're Not a Twin

When I first picked up "Identical Strangers," I was unsure if it would really resonate with me. I'm not a twin, no less an identical twin. It took me no longer than the first paragraph to be drawn into this fascinating--sometimes disturbing and shocking--story. It's so much bigger than Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein, this jaw-dropping tale of nature versus nurture. Sure, it helps that both women are engaging writers with complementary (of course) writing styles. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this wonderful, quick read pronto.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, page 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

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2008 Hyman S. & Freda Bernstein Jewish Literary Festival
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