I’ve read a lot of books about multiples, and this one I could not put down. It is one thing to raise multiples and address the unique challenges, joys and pleasures of doing same, but quite another to be a multiple. In her research, Pogrebin has not only drawn on her experiences and journey with her monozygotic sister, but interviewed a plethora of well-known experts in the field of multiples (many of them being multiples themselves) as well as speaking with many sets of multiples across the U.S.
One and the Same: My Life As An Identical Twin and What I’ve Learned About Everyone’s Struggle to Be Singular, Abigail Pogrebin, Double Day, 2009, hardcover, 275 pages
In addition she attended the International Society of Twins Studies Conference in Belgium to gather more data and attended the annual Conference of Twins held in Twinsburg, Ohio. As most of us in-the-know are aware, this Conference is a melting pot for multiples from all over the world.
What follows is a riveting, entertaining, informative, insightful and educational journey which is MUST read not only for multiples themselves, but also for the parents who love them. Pogrebin presents the many nuances of being a multiple, some complicated, some simple, how multiples are “entangled” and how both parties will usually attempt to seek individuality within their multipleship and when (e.g. marriage). And some can’t see themselves apart, even for a moment. In addition, she explores the unique circumstances around when one dies and what that event can mean for the survivor.
I could not put this book down, really. For anyone involved with multiples in any form, this book is definitely the crème de la crème!
Lynda P. Haddon
Jumelle: Prenatal, Postnatal & Beyond 