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From the book jacket:
The attic room at 26a Waifer Avenue in
the lower-middle-class London neighborhood
of Neasden is a sanctuary for identical
twins Georgia and Bessi Hunter. It is a
private universe where fantasy reigns, as
well as an escape from the sadness and
danger that inhabit the floors below. Here
the girls share nectarines and forge their
identities -- planning glorious success as
the Famous Flapjack Twins -- well removed
from their Nigerian mother, Ida, who,
devastated by homesickness, speaks to the
spirits of the family she left behind on
another continent. On occasion Georgia and
Bessi's older sister, Bel, and younger
sister, Kemy, are admitted into their broad,
bright and fanciful realm, but never their
English father, who nightly bathes the
wounds of his own upbringing in far too much
drink. But innocence lasts for only so long
-- and dreams, no matter how vivid and
powerful, cannot slow the relentless
incursions of the real world. Bel's
transition into womanhood brings a very
grown-up problem into the house that cannot
be pretended away. Kemy's entire existence
is redefined overnight by seductive pop-star
glitter. And a terrible secret begins to
threaten the twins' utopia, setting them on
divergent paths toward heartrending
resolutions in a world of separateness and
solitude.
Comment: 26a had garnered
considerable praise in other English
speaking markets before it was published in
the USA last year, with descriptions such as
'bittersweet . . . an alluring blend of
fairytales and nightmares'. The USA reviews
were equally enthusiastic with a few minor
quibbles, such as the reviewer for Library
Journal who felt that "Evans's language can
be uneven, veering toward the precious or
the strange" but goes on to acknowledge that
"she can also turn a haunting, perfect
phrase". Both Publishers Weekly and
Booklist give it starred review status and
the often hard to please Kirkus Reviews
concludes that it is "at once tender and
funny: a keen study of home, homelessness
and the limits of symbiosis."
When asked about her book in a recent interview,
Evans replied, "Twin-ship, and by
association, two-ness, is at the heart of
26a. I wanted to try and encapsulate
what it was like, how it felt to be a twin,
to have this other person in your life who
was also, in a way, your other self existing
outside of you, in another body; and the
access this gave you to a kind of extra
dimension to life that meant you experienced
everything with double impact. At the same
time, the book is also about the conflicts
that arise in such a relationship when the
notion of individuality becomes more and
more alluring, and necessary, as you grow
older."
If you've enjoyed books that explore the
'tug-of-war between dueling identities' such
as Monica Ali's Brick Lane or Zadie
Smith's White Teeth, you're likely to
find much to enjoy about 26a. As
always, don't take my word for it, instead
browse an extensive excerpt for yourself, in
this case the first 17 pages - exclusively
at BookBrowse.
Did you know? Almost up until the
time the book was finished Evans planned on
calling it Seraph, but decided that was too
ethereal, so she changed it to The Best Bit,
but her agent was dubious, and suggested 36a
- as that was originally the name of the twin's house. Then they realized that
36a, being a bra size, might lead people to
misconstrue the nature of the book, so the
house, and the title became 26a!
This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in November 2005, and has been updated for the September 2006 edition. Click here to go to this issue.
If you liked 26a, try these:
Amid the fading glory of the Imperial Hotel, embattled Executive Chef Gabriel Lightfoot tries to maintain his culinary integrity in the hotel's restaurant, while managing an unruly but talented group of immigrant cooks.
The spellbinding story of an American lawyer who takes on a nearly impossible casethe defense of an African freedom fighter against his corrupt governments charge of murder
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
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