Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger

It feels appropriate, on this rainy, foreboding day, to review Niffeneger’s haunting, yet surprisingly realistic, ghost story. The thunder and dismal landscape of today’s Memorial Day holiday mirror closely the London graveyard setting where most of this novel takes place.

Let’s back up for a sec.

Before the twins, Valentina and Julia, arrive in London, the back story is set. The story opens up with the death of a frail woman, Elspeth. She leaves behind the man that she loved, Richard, her twin sister (whom she has not contacted in years), Edie, and two twin nieces, Valentina and Julia in Chicago.

The reader learns quickly that Elspeth was a clever woman. In what seems like an underhanded, bitter slight of hand, a letter comes in the mail informing Valentina and Julia that as part of Elspeth’s will, the twins have been granted the flat in London, as well as “never have to work again” sum of money, under the condition that the twins’ parents may never set foot in that flat. Edie has her reservations as to what Elspeth may have been up to, but the twins, eager to get out into the world, end up moving to London.

The story unfolds as the twins move into Elspeth’s flat that backs up to the famous High Gate Cemetery. It is here that the twins discover how similar and intertwined their lives are and how each of them wonder how they will ever live separate lives. This question is what builds the ultimate conflict in the novel. Through relationships, mysteries, encounters with ghosts, and death, the twins endure life changing events that reveal their own individuality.

Although this book is long (401 pages), I cherished it in one hundred page chunks. I adore Niffeneger’s narrative style and I really grew to love the characters in the novel (especially Richard). I would recommend this book to someone who has the time to invest in it and simply enjoys stories. This is a classic “story”. It is enjoyable without the “in-your-face” plot twists or voracious page turning suspense. It’s simply enjoyable. It’s completely unlike her earlier novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife. Personally, I liked Time Traveller better, but they’re totally different stories.

Happy reading, everyone!