On the surface this novel is about twins, Daisy and Vi, who have senses that let them catch glimpses of future events and see things about people, and the ways in which they deal with this ability. Daisy distances herself and tries to lead a normal life, even changing her name to Kate, while Vi embraces her powers and makes a living as a physic.
The story itself revolves around a very public prediction about an earthquake in St Louis that Vi makes and the fall out of that. Kate finds herself pushed into the spotlight for things she has tried to keep hidden for years and all of her relationships come under strain.
The real brilliance of the book is not in the story but in the relationships Sittenfeld creates. The most interesting for me was the relationship between Kate and Vi, as a twin myself I found the complex bond between the sisters very convincing and well crafted. The intense closeness they share mixed with the difficulties of their differences is something I think a lot of twins experience and combined with the burden of their powers made them very compelling characters.
Kate’s interactions with the rest of the people she loves, her husband and children, her friends and Father, may not always be admirable but are narrated very honestly and have an element of self awareness to them that go some way to redeeming her. The structure of the book works well, Kate narrates the current events and intersperses this with memories that illustrate the reasons behind her choices in life. She hasn’t always made the right decisions and her desire to be normal has driven her down a very different path from her twin, but she is a character that can elicit the readers sympathy and that a lot of people will feel able to connect with.
Sittenfeld has created a compelling picture of American suburban life with a twist and the book is an enjoyable read that keeps you interested.
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