This is where you can discuss The Girls by Lori Lansen's page 1 till chapter You.

On UK books this means till page 126
In US books it is till page 162

And to start us of. I am at page...9 right now :giggle: and find it so interesting .

I did watch documentaries about conjoined twins and don't you always had lots of questions? like I have?
How do they move, when did they notice they were different. What happens if one is much bossier than the other.,

I decided to check Google to see how most conjoined twins were attached.
Just to understand a bit more what our twins were going through.

Here I am with tears in my eyes after watching the video of the

Herrin Twins

They were successfully separated.

In the video you see the mother cry just before they are going to be operated, and I am crying also even though I know what happened.

I so feel for her, how hard this must be for a parents to decide
I once saw a documentary about 2 Irish girls. they were lovely. The parents were hesitant to separate them. They finally decided to go for it and one of them died. (I think 1) Never forget how horrible.

I am trying to find twins who are conjoined like the twins in the book.



Our twins are also conjoined through the head but more side ways?

I think more like these twins?

I'm up to the chapter entitled Country Mice.

I'm always intrigued by books about siblings, as I'm an only one as is my littley, so I don't really get what it's like to have to share ones parents!!

So, after initial scene setting most of what I have read has been about the girls birth and subsequent adoption. I'm really enjoying the book so far and hoping that discusing it with you guys will make it all the more enjoyable!!

Hi there.
Let me see where you were when you wrote this sunny?

aha page 36.
I am now at page.80 Chapter Coots.

Loved the first 35 pages. got a bit bored with the next 25. When Ruby started to write she woke me up again. shocked.


Plus I am surprised at something I read on page 79. the parasite twin comment.
Rose?

No. Ruby is the one referred to as parasitic (remember, it's Rose that's telling the story in this chapter). I think the reference is because Ruby lacks a proper lower body as apparently her legs aren't fully developed, being smaller and useless, which is why she 'rides' on her sister's hips and is thus referred as parasitic by the doctor. However, parasitic twins aren't actually fully conscious people like Ruby, so the doctor was way out of line.

The cover of the book is rather misleading when you read the story, by the way...

Yes When I went back to bed and read the phrase again I knew I was wrong. It is sometimes confusing who writes who for me. :rolleyes:

Well I did not sleep that well last night but the positive thing is that I spend time reading.

I have read till 157 now.
surprises surprises.

Xeyra, yes it seems that rosie is carrying her sister, that ruby does have elgs but they are very short and thin?

O damn you are saying that.
I need coffee first. :lol:

It's interesting how having two people tell the story really shows different parts of it. Ruby's contributions are always more present-minded and not so chronologically-minded as Rose's, who desires to write her book with a certain flow that Ruby disrupts -- and thankfully so because she's been the one to tell us two very important things about the sisters, one of them being a really woozer. I like how different their voices are, which really shows how different they are as people.

Yes I totally agree. I was starting to get a little bit bored to be honest, but when Rubi started to speak and she told us such different and important things, it made me hooked again.

I did not see the one thing coming. Well both were unexpected.

beware spoiler





but people should only read this thread if they have read the pages. :rolleyes:

The sickness of Rosi and the (have to check if this was not in the second part)

okay I am save and the pregnancy.
It were 2 shockers for me :o :rolleyes:

OK just got to the end of this part - I cried in the first bit :blush: and I am very much enjoying it.

I had not THOUGHT of the problems - it's a real eye opener for me - I guess why would I but I dunno....

And I did not see the sickness or the pregnancy either.

How clever is it the two so separate voices.... I just fell into the wrong wrong idea that siamese twins were .... well not normal people - which is so stupid and horrible - and that they were ONE person....

I've just finished this section. I thought the first 50 pages of set-up were sort of amateur -- it's clear that this is a first novel and the author wasn't sure how to get started so resorted to a sort of meta-cliche -- a character in a book telling you about how she's going to write a book, then the book getting on with the "book within a book."

Nonetheless, I'm really enjoying the story and have been completely enthralled with the musings on day to day life and the problems of their "situation."

Also, not being much for Canadian geography, I kept getting confused when they started talking about London and the Thames. I had to actually go pull a google map to see that there's such a city/river in the south of Canada not too far from Detroit. :duh:

I'm feeling sort of :sick: today, so I can't think of what my other thoughts were, but I'll come back later to update.

I felt that it was a clever ploy to have such a long part of the beginning of the book dedicated to one twins feelings.
Because of this and, I guess because Rose is the more 'physically intact' twin, I also fell into the trap of seeing Ruby as somewhat lesser or parasitic partner in the relationship. However, once we start to hear the voices of both both twins it seems that in fact Ruby is the strong one, particularly since it is Rose's physical deteriation that will result in the demise of both twins.

THere are so many problems that I hadn't considered. It's the small things like buting a birthday present - how do you keep that a secret? Arranging things without the other twin knowing...

I'm enjoying the book and I am finding prejuices I didn't know I had being challenged..Just started 'You'

Yes I agree. At first you think Rosie is the strong one but after a while you start to realise it is the under way around.

I noticed I started to see them as 2 person's not attached. I sometimes forgot they were conjoined.

Like when they got punishment. One was not allowed to watch TV or stay in her room. But the other one is then also punished although that was not really shown in the book.

One loves to watch soapopera's. what is the other one gonna do? she has to hear it?

I agree, I kept forgetting they were conjoined.

It was also strange that when Rose was unable to work due to illness, Riby carried on, so Rose had to go anyway.

One thing I don't really understand, perhaps it's because there is no explaination, it just 'is', was that Aunt Lovey was so keen to adopt them from the outset..

Being conjoined involves a whole other level of compromise unseen in any other relationship between two people, doesn't it?

Ok I am a bit behind due to all the craziness here lately but I was stunned when Ruby was writing and had said that Rose had a baby.. I was like OMG!!

I also think that what Ruby writes is more interesting than what Rose writes (she tends to ramble) or is that just me?

Ok I am a bit behind due to all the craziness here lately but I was stunned when Ruby was writing and had said that Rose had a baby.. I was like OMG!!

I also think that what Ruby writes is more interesting than what Rose writes (she tends to ramble) or is that just me?

I get the same feeling too. Sometimes part of the story could really happen to any normal sisters. But I guess that's what we should expect, that except for the "situation", they are mostly like two normal sisters. That at a deeper level, they are just normal like us.

Totally agree.
I got sometimes a bit bored with Rosie's writing.


Lol about the baby and the sex. She did make it look normal. I tried picture what happened with the guy, one he kisses the other one he does other things with?
like a trio of some sorts. :giggle:

I know I was trying to figure out the whole sex thing too.. I cant even imagine!