The Twin's Daughter

August 1, 2010

A Victorian-era girl struggles with confusion when her mother's identical twin suddenly appears and joins her family. She struggles with horror when one of the twins becomes the victim of a grisly murder. But which twin has survived: her wealthy, gracious mother or her impoverished, tough aunt? Lucy begins the story at 13 and ends it a married woman. She's the only daughter of a wealthy London family, portrayed too like a modern middle-class American family despite Baratz-Logsted's attempts to fit the dialogue and behavior into the appropriate era. Characters are nicely diverse until some abruptly change personalities; although these changes may arguably result not only from the murder but also from the misperceptions of an unreliable narrator, readers may well feel that the author does not play fair in her presentation of the mystery. Nevertheless, the story offers many absorbing elements of young love, suspense and surprise that undeniably appeal to fans of the gothic romance. Flawed but ultimately successful. (Historical mystery. 14 & up)

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December 1, 2010

Gr 7 Up-Lucy Sexton lives a charmed, but relatively boring, life in Victorian London. Her writer father provides her with books to read and money to spend while her mother, a true lady, dotes on her only daughter with love and affection. Then a knock comes at the door that changes her life forever. Standing on the other side is a woman who is the spitting image of her mother. Helen Smythe is her name, and she is the long-lost twin of Lucy's mother, Aliese. After being separated at birth, the sisters grew up in totally different situations. Aliese was raised by a family with wealth and promise while Helen lived in an orphanage and was forced to work. After the initial shock wears off, Aliese welcomes Helen into her family. After months of coaching, training, eating, and tailoring, Helen truly becomes Aliese's double. All seems well until one cold winter day when Lucy comes home to find Helen and her mother in a bloody room-one dead and one alive. Lucy is sure it is her mother who has been spared, but as years pass, her certainty wanes. This suspense-filled story starts out as a basic mystery but quickly turns into a fast-paced thriller filled with murder and intrigue. Readers will also enjoy a love story as Lucy falls for Kit, her new neighbor. This riveting story will keep readers guessing until the very end.-Traci Glass, Eugene Public Library, OR

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