A Review By Zoe Boulton

Julia and Valentina Poole are identical “mirror” twins, born and raised in Illinois by their American father and English mother Edie. They are seemingly content in their lives, not concerned to find jobs or to stay in college courses, when news reaches them that their mother’s own twin- Aunt Elspeth- has died of leukaemia and has left them her flat next to Highgate Cemetery.  Off they jet to live in their new home where they meet and befriend neighbours whose lives were touched by Elspeth; Robert, Elspeth’s boyfriend, deeply in grief, and Martin; neurotic and obsessive compulsive to the extent that he has driven away his loving wife.

This is a story of healing, growing, obsession and also of ghosts. Not having read anything by Audrey Niffenegger before I was a little surprised by such a mix of realism and fantasy. I was very taken with the descriptions of Highgate Cemetery and the descriptions of spirit life, however the ending became a bit too fantastical for me (and I could see the twist in the tale coming!).

An enjoyable read, but it would probably be better enjoyed by readers already familiar with Niffenegger’s writing rather than newcomers.