The Twins

By: Tessa de Loo, Ruth Levitt - translator

Narrated by: Edwina Wren

Twins Anna and Lotte Bamberg are born in Cologne but orphaned and separated when they are five. While Lotte is taken in by Dutch relatives, Anna is raised by her grandfather in rural poverty.

With the advent of war, their lives take very different turns: Lotte's family hides an assortment of refugees, while Anna finds love with a soldier of the Reich. Besides two unsuccessful brief meetings, they have no contact until a chance encounter in the Belgian resort town of Spa about 40 years after the war.

Anna is eager to re-establish their relationship, yet Lotte is more reluctant. As she gradually comes to understand that not all is black and white, she is able to find her sister again.

©2000 Tessa de Loo. English translation Ruth Levitt (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

"Completely original . . . takes the reader's breath away." (Sunday Times)

"The death of their parents sends twins Anna and Lotte in different directions at an early age. When the two reunite by chance decades later at a spa, they retrace their lives through a series of conversations that put them at odds with each other. While Lotte was whisked away to the Netherlands, Anna was kept in Germany throughout WWII and its aftermath. The two look at that historical period from entirely different perspectives and emotions. Edwina Wren's narration proves delightful. Listeners will quickly become enamored with her soft but steady delivery. Her accurate accents and raspy voices for the aged sisters are exquisite." (AudioFile Magazine)

Disturbing but it makes you think

Not an easy listen, because it's a tough story. Well written, though, with good and believeable character development.

Completely distinct voices for each woman.

3.5 stars.

There are aspects of this book that were quite wonderful. I found the plot well-conceived, intriguing and complex. The idea of looking at a good person who happens to be a German is an important one because it is easy to think in hindsight that all Germans were bad people. In fact, we often think that all Germans were evil. It is a simplistic idea and this book gave us a reason to think more deeply. How do good people allow an evil man to reign over them? What do we learn from it?

Anna and Lotte were twins who were orphaned and separated. One stayed in Germany and the other was raised in the Netherlands. WW2 ensued and the first was a woman married to, and widowed by, a German soldier. The other was a woman who sheltered Jews and lost the love of her life in a German concentration camp. They finally meet again -- by accident -- while each is visiting a spa at 80 years old.

It was a rich and wonderful premise for a book, and I could have loved this book but it was missing the emotional connection that I needed. While I enjoyed the conversations between Anna and Lotte, and the great exploration of their history, I wanted more of the personal conversations that I think we all would have in this situation. Where were their questions about family, personal loves, the things they did during the almost 80 years since they had seen one another last? Where were the quiet tears and angry curses over their lost moments? Where were the deeply emotional conversations that tried to catch up with one another's lives.

The narration by Edwina Wren was excellent. Her voices for Anna and Lotte were distinct and unique. And, on top of that, she was able to age the characters when appropriate. Brilliant.