A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited - Identical Strangers

This book, written as a first person narrative, seems like a stretched out version of an article in Redbook! The point is made early on that they find one another. I was wondering at that point what else would come. It had interesting bits of information then... interspersed throughout are random research on twins. It was as though they needed to fill pages. This book was not particularly well written and the style was tedious. Revelations was not outstanding and ending predictable. I felt it was a waste of my time.

Made for compelling reading. Stayed up way too late to get to the ending. A lot of layers: adoption, ethics, what makes family, similarities and differences in people, nature vs nurture. Also some interesting facts about what's genetically influenced and what's not.

This subject fascinates me--what happens when identical twins are adopted and raised separately (usually without their adoptive parents' knowledge or consent). I had expected a fairy-tale-type book where someone else writes a sweet story about the two girls. Wrong. This is written first-hand by each twin. Unlike some reviewers, I wasn't put off by the writing itself. I thought it was good, and from the heart.

The book starts before the women know of each other's existences, and then we are with them as they learn some disturbing facts about their history. The readers also learn unconscionable truths about what went on in times past in the name of "research." Many of us know about the Tuskeegee Study involving adults, but were not aware that even newborns were subjected to that type of unbelievably unethical activity.

The book is written, as I said, in the first person. One twin will write a few paragraphs or pages, and the next one will. For me, I would have preferred to have separate fonts or italics so I could more easily differentiate which twin was speaking. I LOVED the pictures, and wish there had been more of them. I constantly referred back and forth to the photos so I could really get a sense of who was speaking/writing.

If you enjoy non-fiction written in a very personal way, this book may be for you. The book is an easy read (that's a good thing--it kept my interest). At the end of the story I almost felt as if I knew the women and I would love to meet them in person. I have a son who is adopted and who has been diagnosed with bipolar disease and schizophrenia. He is doing very well, but we really wish we could know more about his birthmother without having to pay a fortune to find information. When we adopted him as an 8-week-old we were only told that his birthmother had some "learning disabilities" or something equally benign. Decades later, we would love to know what happened to her.

If the subject matter seems interesting to you I really think you'll enjoy it.

That Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein had been adopted as infants was a given. Both were thankful to have been raised by loving adoptive parents and, at age 35, each had carved out a nice life of her own. Paula, a freelance writer, lived with her husband and young daughter in New York City, and Elyse, a film director, considered Paris to be her home. What neither woman knew was that they are identical twins who had been adopted out, when they were just a few months old, to separate families.

All that would change on the day Elyse contacted adoption agency Louise Wise Services to request information about her birth mother. In addition to the minimal details about her mother's background the agency was willing to share with her, Elyse was told that she had an identical twin sister. And the search for her twin sister, which turned out to be surprisingly easy, was on. Sooner than Elyse dared imagine, the two were sitting across from each in a New York restaurant on what, for both women, had the feel of a "first date."

"Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited" focuses on the women's sometimes reluctant search for their birth mother, whom they learn was an exceptionally bright young Jewish woman who suffered severe schizophrenia at the time of their birth. They also learn that locating their birth father will be impossible because when they were born their mother was unable to name him. But despite being fearful of what they might learn about their mother's mental illness, both sisters already having suffered varying degrees of depression, they are determined to identify her.

"Identical Strangers," however, is about much more than the search for a birth mother - that particular book has been written often enough already. Elyse and Paula, in alternating first-person chapters, instead offer a frank account of what it is like for each of them to suddenly face the identical twin neither ever suspected of existing. One sister is enthusiastic about their reunion and future together but the other sometimes finds herself wishing she could have her old life back, the one into which she did not suddenly have to figure out how to squeeze in a new sister. The two will exchange frank and blunt comments, and often have their feelings hurt, as they struggle to come to terms with their new relationship. Ultimately binding the sisters together, however, is their shared determination to learn why they were separated by the adoption agency instead of being offered to a family able to keep them together. Only after many months of determined effort, do they finally learn the shocking truth about Louise Wise Services and the decision that forever changed their lives - along with the lives of the other twins (and one set of triplets) separated by the agency for the same reason.

Along the way, one learns much about the scientific differences between identical twins, fraternal twins and other siblings as the age old question of "nature vs. nurture" is explored. Also included are numerous intriguing stories about the amazing similarities shared by other twins and triplets who only found each other as adults. "Identical Strangers" is another of those instances that remind us that real life can be as fascinating as the best fiction.

I put this book (hardback edition) on my Christmas wishlist and received it over a year ago. Just this past week I finally had the time to read it. The story is fascinating and makes for a quick read. The twins, Paula and Elyse, find out later in life that they have an identical twin and this book chronicles their journey.

I have always had a fascination with twins since I was little and used to pretend and wish that I had a twin. Now an adult, I wound up having my own set of twins, which means that, you guessed it, I am *still* interested in twinning. That said, I have a natural interest for the subject matter of the book, which probably skews my view towards the positive. Keep in mind that this is a book which chronicles a very short time span (2 years?), so it contains much "padding" to make it a nice size for a hardback. The reviewers who state that it is too long are correct. It could easily be trimmed as the reader often reads the same story twice from the perspective of each twin, as well as about their trips to the library, and phone calls that they made (even when the phone call was less than 2 minutes long and the authors were told to call back some other time. Not kidding!). Some reviewers suggested it would be better as a magazine article. I can see their point, but I preferred it as a book. You *could* condense the story into a magazine article and it would be amazing, but you would lose out on a lot of peripheral information on identical twinning and nature vs. nurture.

The padding didn't bother me too much, because I am a fairly quick reader. If you are fascinated by reunion stories, have a personal interest in twins (as I do), and/or are a fast reader, check this book out, you'll like it. If you are looking for a book to completely pull you in and take over your life until you've finished it, this might not be it.

The book is written professionally and isn't plagued with a bunch of grammatical errors, unlike many books out there nowadays.

Possible spoiler alert: I was a little disappointed that the book ends as a downer. I understand why the authors did it this way (to create and prolong a mystery to be solved), but it can't change the fact that the end was depressing to me whereas the book up until the end felt uplifting.

Identical Strangers is a memoir by Paula Bernstein, a freelance writer, and Elyse Schein, a filmmaker. They each take turns telling the story of how they, at age 35, discovered they had an identical twin sister and their reunion. Despite different upbringings, education, and work experiences, the twins share matching gestures, allergies, speech patterns, and a the same taste in movies. The adoption agency, Louise Wise Services, will reveal only that their biological mother was mentally unstable and unaware of who their biological father was. The twins discover that a study was performed on several sets of sperated twins, unforutanlly the records of the study the agency conducted are sealed. So Elyse and Paula organize their own research project by reviewing birth records, tracking down their birth mother's brother and interviewing researchers, who claim that twins raised apart are more similar than those raised together.

Indentical Strangers is an enthralling look at the lives of the twins as they are reunited. Much of the book is devoted to fascinating stories of other twins and triplets who, when reunited as adults, are shocked by how much they have in common with one another. This is an excellent book, I very much recommend it.

Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited written by Elyse Schein, is a fascinating story of two average women who were astonished to discover that they had a twin. Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein were given up by their mentally ill mother shortly after birth, and without their knowledge, they were a part of a study about separated twins. The study they were a part of came to find that twins separated at birth seemed to be more alike then those who were never separated, which seemed to be the case for Schein and Bernstein. This book was extremely heartfelt and compelling to read because I wanted to discover how these women living different lives would react to going from strangers to sisters. I was impressed with Schein's detailed writing style, she was able to trigger my emotions throughout the memoir. She raised many pressing questions in my head such as, how would I react if I found my long lost twin? Could I trust a stranger who is supposably my twin? Why is it morally correct to separate twins at birth for a scientific study? This story was so compelling that I had a hard time putting the book down once I would pick it up again. I was required to produce an ethnography on twins for my senior english class, and this book was extremely helpful for the execution of the project. The main focus for the video was to find the individual aspects of being a twin. This book provided valuable insight for me to really understand the individuality of twinship from twins that have been separated for 35 years. Whether you are researching for a project, or looking for a transfixing book, I highly recommend you invest your time into Identical Strangers, you wont be disappointed.

I found the book IDENTICAL STRANGERS to be a powerful book of self-discovery.

Not only can adoptees face unique lifelong issues of loss, rejection, guilt, shame, grief, identity, intimacy and mastery/control, Ms. Schein and Ms. Bernstein was confronted with discovering they were twins separated by people performing a research study! Let's hope that the adoption process has progressed so that no other multiple births have to endure what these strong women were put through. What those so-called researchers did is unthinkable and they should be the ones filled with shame and guilt! Thank God, Ms. Schein and Ms. Bernstein went to wonderful loving families-they are lucky! It's an interesting fact that people are not replaceable. Adoptive parents cannot replace the biological child they did not have and cannot replace the birthparents, but in the beauty of human nature, the loving bond between adoptive parent and adoptee is powerful beyond genetics. This tells us that love is far beyond hereditary.

Not only is this book interesting, it's also a fascinating insight in how much our genetics/DNA program who we are and how one deals with the ups and downs of living life. Of course, nurture plays a big part in how our genetics/DNA interprets reaction to the living journey.

I'm so happy the sisters found each other and I hope they have a long happy bond that lasts the rest of their lives. The story of their birthmother is sad, but she did appear to be happy that she had them. I was also glad their maternal birthuncle, Mr. Witt, finally consented to meet with the girls and shed some light on their birthmother; however, I feel it's his loss that he has chosen not to remain in contact with the beautiful living legacy his sister left behind. While it's true that reunited families do not owe each other a relationship, they do owe each other the truth. Birth families owe the children they relinquished their story of why, medical history and genealogy. Adoptees owe their birth families the knowledge that they are doing well.

I wish Ms. Schein and Ms. Bernstein much luck and love in their future. They've traveled a long way for it!

Suppose you were adopted and decided to try to find out a little information about your birth family. In the course of your investigation, you discover that you have an identical twin that you never knew existed! And, on top of that shocking news, you learn that you were separated as infants as part of a secret study on twins. This story may seem unbelievable, but it actually happened to Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein.

In their book, "Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited," we learn how these two women made this momentous discovery, their journey to learn more about their history and the study, as well as their efforts to absorb this shocking news and establish a relationship with each other. In reading their accounts, we learn more about what it means to be a twin, especially when two people share identical DNA but different life experiences. Elyse and Paula uncover startling coincidences between them, but also stark differences. This leads to the age-old question: Nature or nurture...which is more influential?

The authors are brutally honest in the book about their changing feelings toward each other. Elyse notes of her sister, "Sometimes I am elated about her appearance in my life. Other times I feel alienated by this experience, angry at the doctors for separating us, incredibly sad that Paula and I didn't have time together growing up, just for us." At one point, Paula notes, "Being with my twin seems to bring out the worst in me." But by the book's end, they find they share a bond that cannot be broken. Says Paula, "But as different as we are, we come from the same stock. In each other, we recognize a kindred spirit. Getting to know our twin and seeing the life we might have led has made us more certain of who we are. Although we don't always fit together neatly, we are missing pieces to the same puzzle."

Whether you're a twin, the parent of twins or simply fascinated by twins, you'll find "Identical Strangers" to be compelling reading. Learn more about this incredible book at [...]

Half way through "Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited" by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein, one twin asks the other: "If your family had raised me and mine had raised you, would I be you and would you be me?" By the end of the book, the reader clearly understands the answer is "no." It is worth reading the whole book to find out why. But a far more compelling reason to read the book is this: we are all suckers for reunion stories, and perhaps there is no more fascinating reunion story than one between identical twins reunited after half a lifetime of not knowing that they had a twin. That is what drew me so strongly to this book, and on this score, too, the book delivers nicely.

Elyse and Paula were adopted by separate families completely unaware that their daughters had an identical twin being raised by another family located in the same city. The girls reunite in 2003 when they are 35 years old. The book is their joint memoir about their difficult reunion and the resulting deep bond that slowly, and at times painfully, develops between them.

Their story is highly personal, heart-felt, and deeply emotional. Plus there are mysteries at the core that compel you to find out more. Who was their mother? Why did she abandon them? Who are their biological family? Where are they?

Halfway through their investigation, the twins discover a dark side to their particular adoption. With dogged journalistic skills they uncover every lead until they finally arrive at the truth. You'll be thoroughly surprised to learn the true reasons behind their unusual adoptions...and you can't help but be proud of their perseverance. These are two extremely bright and tough women.

Identical Strangers is excellent journalism made personal. Both woman write compelling first-person narratives and are not embarrassed to expose their true feelings. The alternating first person narratives falter from time to time, when each twin switches gears to incorporate summary academic findings about twins reared apart or the nature-vs.-nurture debate. But this information is useful and it is covered in an easy-to-understand, nonscientific manner.

Elyse Schein always knew she was adoptive, but it wasn't until she was thirty-four that she decided to contact her adoption agency and ask for identifying information about her birth-mother. What she found out was stunning - she had an identical twin sister. The adoption agency had deliberately separated them as infants to study the question of nature vs. nurture. Elyse contacted her sister, Paula, and the two of them began a strange journey together of understanding who they were, and how much of that came from the nine months they spent together in their birth-mother's womb. This is a fascinating, surprising, and deeply honest story about two strangers who became sisters.

Identical twins Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein were born on October 9, 1968 to a mentally ill mother and were subsequently placed in foster care. Before they reached their first birthdays, the babies were given by Louise Wise Services to kind and loving adoptive parents who had no idea that their daughters were part of a set of identical twins.

Fast forward to 2002. Elyse is at loose ends, living a bohemian life in Paris and hoping to become a film director. Although she has known for years that she was adopted, she suddenly decides to apply to the New York State Adoption Information Registry for information about her birth parents. Six months later, Elyse receives a letter from Louise Wise Services stating: "You were born at 12:51 p. m. as the `younger' of twin girls...to a 28-year-old Jewish single woman." This bombshell changes Elyse's life overnight. She has a million questions: Who is her twin, what does she do, and where does she live? When and why were the sisters separated? If Elyse were to contact her twin, would they get along? How could they possibly make up for lost time?

Meanwhile, Paula Bernstein is completely unaware that Elyse had embarked on a quest to find her. She is busy with her husband and two-year-old toddler, and has just begun settling in to her new apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Elyse travels to New York and contacts Katherine Boros of Louise Wise Services, who quickly locates Paula and calls her to break the electrifying news. Shortly thereafter, the two women speak on the telephone for the first time. Finding out that they are twins is both an exhilarating and disconcerting experience. Although they look alike and have many things in common, Elyse is a single woman, footloose and fancy free, while Paula is a stay-at-home mom. They aren't completely comfortable with one another, and they occasionally argue. However, the sisters share a common goal--to learn more about their birth parents.

They interview a number of individuals and examine written records (some of which are difficult to access), hoping to learn the identity, background, and whereabouts of their "natural" parents. They also want to find out why the people at Louise Wise decided to separate them in the first place. The surprising answer reveals a great deal about the rigid and inhumane attitudes of psychologists and social workers back in the late sixties.

"Identical Strangers" is narrated in the twins' own words. Each woman describes her feelings and thoughts at every step in this voyage of discovery. Both talk about about meeting one another's adoptive families, getting used to one another's habits and quirks, and figuring out how to integrate a new sibling into their settled lives. They also include general information from scientific studies of identical twins, and their anecdotes are mind-boggling. Although the writing is far from elegant (the alternating voices of the narrators eventually become a bit jarring), the story of how the personnel at a prestigious adoption agency manipulated babies' lives in such a cold-blooded manner makes for compelling reading.

As sad as it is that Elyse and Paula did not know of one other's existence until they were in their thirties, it is heartening to learn that they are now happily reconnected and continue to be very close. The authors raise some intriguing questions: Are we the product of nature, nurture, or both? Who are our "real" parents--those who physically bore us or those who lovingly raised us? How can a person who never knew she had a sibling come to terms with the reality of this discovery? "Identical Strangers" is a riveting human interest story with tremendous sociological, cultural, and psychological implications.

What a GRIPPING book! My husband and I listened to this book on CD on a long road trip. It was a fascinating story, well told -- I almost regretted having to stop the CD at rest stops. I pushed the "on" button again the minute we got into the car. I usually have the bad habit of nodding off while my husband is driving, but I was wide awake every minute on this trip, caught up in the story of twins separated at birth.

Alas, the trip was shorter than the recorded book, so we literally sat in the car in the motel parking lot for an hour in order to finish the book. We HAD to know how the twins' search for their birth-mother turned out.

I highly recommend "Identical Strangers."

Unless you're adopted, you cannot possibly truly understand the feelings all the secrets and lies generated by the archaic adoption system have fostered in the adoptee. This book offers invaluable insight, is well written, and most compelling. Ten years older than the twins, and involved in adoption searches for NYC adoptees, the Louise Wise process is a familiar one to me; interesting that when they closed, Spence-Chapin (Spence baby here) took over their mess. Agencies may have changed their tune over the years and through changing times, but only when all parties realize that truth is the best partner in adoption will any adoptee have a chance. Elyse and Paula have done well to shine a light on a terrible system that has harmed a multitude of victims.

As the mother of 21-year old identical twin daughters, I was immediately drawn to the subject matter of this book. Not unlike my daughters, Paula and Elyse are as different as night and day. Not unlike my daughters, there exists an undeniable bond, but at the same time, a tension that is present stemming from the issue of independence and individuality. However, very much UNLIKE my own daughters, Paula and Elyse did not discover the existence of one another until they were adult women. If you have ever questioned nature vs. nurture, this is the book for you. If you have ever wondered what it is like to be a "twin," this book, too, is for you. Similarly, if YOU ARE a "twin," you are likely to find some very life affirming situations described in this book. If you are a mother of identical twins, all I can say is keep the tissues nearby. I found it particularly fascinating to find that one of the sisters was more accepting and eager to pursue a relationship with her twin while the other sister experienced some reticence. Why? Because I have seen exactly the same thing happen with my own daughters! Lastly, if you are simply HUMAN, you can't help but be completely captured by the story that these women have to tell. You will grasp the notion of what it is like to not know your birth mother. There is no question these women love their adoptive families, yet they express so poignantly in this book what it is like to look for your birth mother. The search that these women undertook held me on the edge of my seat -- at times feeling like I was reading a suspense novel. I particularly liked the style that the book was presented; namely, the way that Paula and Elyse alternated telling the story from their personal perspectives. This technique was very effective for a story of twinship. This story has it all. I read this book when I was sick in bed -- usually not a time when I would be particularly receptive or complimentary to anyone. Nonetheless, this book captured my heart, and it reads like a "Grisham" page-turner. My only complaint: that I finished it in two days, but I still had to endure two more days in bed sick! If this is a subject matter that intrigues you in only the slightest bit, then read this book! It will be giving yourself a gift!

Identical Strangers is a powerful and important first person narrative exposing the human carnage reaped in the name of research by certain members of the medical and psychiatric community. I won't repeat the story, but express gratitude that there are now ethical and legal barriers which should prohibit similar catastrophes from occurring today.

Readers may also find equally engaging: As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who was Raised as a Girl, by David Colapinto. Unlike Elyse and Paula's happy reunion, David Reimer's mutilation by a psychiatric researcher eventually ended in his suicide.

Harriet Washington's recent book, Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation On Black Americans From Colonial Times To The Present, was even more difficult to read. Its gruesome expose of experimentation designed to maim and kill, is another dark chapter in American medicine.

It is my hope and prayer that we can learn from history and not repeat it. I am grateful to Bernstein and Schein for presenting their story in such a compelling and personal fashion. I listened to their memoir on CDs from Recorded Books. I had difficulty staying on time during the week I listened -- it was difficult to drag myself from the car -- I had to listen to "just one more chapter." For me it was an "edge of the seat" mystery. A most compelling read!

I heard these two sisters being interviewed on National Public Radio one day while driving home from a stressful day at work. I was stunned by their tale and I decided I had to read their book. I ordered it on the store and within days was reading the tale of two identical twin sisters who had been so unfairly separated at birth and yet who had thrived to become two very strong, talented, and compassionate women apart from each other.

I will admit I felt drawn to them not because I was a twin or adopted, but because I have a sister who is almost a decade younger then me and whom I barely knew as a sister until our mother died. The 10 years between us suddenly faded away and we had to "find each other". This book is about two individuals, two women, two sisters finding each other.

I loved reading their tale of uncovering the mystery that shrouded their adoption and the horrible "experimental" decision to separate them. I kept thinking of those sad little toddlers missing each other at such a young age. I loved that they were able to learn about their birth mother... and that they were able to meet their birth uncle. Although he was a bit of a disappointment. But that's real life.... and this is a real life story.

I recommend this book to all sisters. There are some great incites into sisterhood and family.

I have worked in public education for 38 years as an English teacher, guidance counselor and school social worker. I have heard many stories and watched many adolescents struggle with their lives and their journeys. I have always been impressed,amazed and moved by the courage I have seen in so many of my students. Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein share their story in Identical Strangers and it is a book that is truly wonderful. Because the book uses both Paula's and Elyse's voices, it depicts their story/journey in a unique and wonderful way. As I read about each new event in their search for each other and for their own roots, I heard and felt each of their versions, reactions, and emotions and seeing and feeling a story from both Paula and Elyse was truly unique and very moving. The books is also so well researched in terms of twin studies, mental illness and adoption policies and procedures. This research coupled with Paula's and Elyse's own personal stories make Indentical Strangers so worthwhile, so enlightening and so very moving. My daughter, a PHD candidate in clinical psychology, gave me this book thinking I would like it. I did not like it; I loved it. Every reader looking for a story of love, family, courage and introspection should read this wonderful story of two sisters, twins, searching and caring for each other and their family.

I enjoyed reading this memoir of twins who found each other at age 35. I read it in two days because I couldn't wait to find out how their relationship developed and whether they searched for more information about their shared history. This book also includes a smattering of information about twins and twin studies. I highly recommend it!

Twins adopted at birth to separate homes reunite at the age of 35. Always knowing each was adopted the sisters had no idea that they were part of a set broken up in 1969 originally to be studied by scientists.

This interesting story follows how each sister must revise her own idea of what makes her unique and what is nature and what is nurture. And how to integrate their doppelganger into the full lives they already live.

As defenseless infants handed over by their biological mother, Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein are unquestionably separated to two different adoptive families to, unbeknownst to most involved, participate in a twin study. Over thirty years later, Elyse requests information on her origins from the now obsolete adoption agency through which she became a Schein only to discover she has a twin. As Elyse and Paula struggle with this promulgation and their discrepant feelings of partiality towards their suddenly extended family, they pull us through the proceedings.

Unfortunately, as they struggle with this knowledge, we struggle along with them, only through our attempts to follow along with their similar, sometimes nearly incoherent thought processes and writing styles. It is quite clear that both have a background in journalism, as they cannot carry the story through all 266 pages, which they compensate for through constant repetition and bland, often cliché, description. Schein and Bernstein mistakenly assume that we care about aspects of their lives that are completely irrelevant to the central idea of their separation and reunion. The facts that they interwine within the story about other twins' reunions and relationships are much more interesting than their own overwrought journey. As P. A. Holtman so aptly puts it, this 'would have made a' much more bearable 'magazine article'.

First, in the interest of full disclosure, I've been close friends with one of the authors, Paula Bernstein, for well over 20 years. I also happened to speak to her on the day she learned she had a twin sister, and have followed the saga with her since then. So, before I read the book, I felt like I already knew the most salient parts. But I was in for many surprises and insights. For instance, the emotional ups and downs that has been Paula and Elyse's experience since they learned of eachother moved me more than I even anticipated. And learning the details of this twin study - what there is to learn of them - was pretty unbelievable. I was also touched by the way certain people reacted upon encountering Paula and Elyse and their story - though I'm reluctant to get into this too much so as not to spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read it. I've learned much more about my friend, and I've considered issues of family, love, and identity (especially now that I've met and read about Elyse) that as a bio-kid I've never had to confront myself. And this all through a book that was highly readable and engaging to boot. I hope if you've made it this far on the store's page, that you'll definitely read this book.

I had heard about this book from some neighbors and thought it would be a perfect xmas gift for my mother in law who loves memoirs. I read a couple pages the day I bought it and was hooked! Now I had to finish it before xmas(and turn the pages gently). I finished it in less than a week. Identical Strangers is a such a special, unique story of twin babies (now women) and have already recommended it to 3 people. I commend the authors/sisters for sharing their personal and sometimes painful experiences. And I loved that they could find humor and laughter in the journey as well. ###

I could not stop reading this book -- devoured it in a weekend. This is not just an analysis of the twin relationship or of adoption practice. Nor is it a typical narrative. It is a riveting personal story, like a diary, honestly told by two people suddenly faced with a stunningly unique challenge to their notions of what it means to be "me." The personal nature of the storytelling is what gripped me -- at times a bit ragged, at times emotionally inconsistent, and with twists and turns no novelist would dare invent. It's very real, and I often found myself wishing i could just go have coffee with Paula and Elyse to hear their latest. They are remarkably introspective people who question rather than just accept.

I was absolutely fascinated by this book, the story of twins separated in infancy and reunited 35 years later. It works on many levels. If a reader is interested in identical twins studies, this is a gold mine. If a reader likes a good mystery, here's a real life one. And if a reader likes getting to know interesting people, the two young women who narrate their story are both persons you will likely want to meet.

Both Paula and Elyse are honest and intelligent and courageous....very much alike and yet uniquely individual. I think the most important question the book raises may not be the issues surrounding their separation, though certainly that is important, but what may be more important are the questions it raises about the nature of a "self."

I bought several copies this book as gifts for friends, and they have all recommended it to others. I told the members of my book club about it and several of them bought it. More than one could not put it down.

I liked this book immensely (I am actually exactly halfway through, started it today) but I kept being bothered by Elyses brother in the book-I kept wondering if he had neuropsychiatric Lyme disease- and then I came across the description of him spending lots of time time in their OAK tree and it just made me want to write my first review on here (the store) ever- because oak trees are the preferred habitat of Lyme ticks and New York is endemic- and wanted to write Marty & Elyse & Jay & say that schizophrenia can be a byproduct of neuropsyche Lyme which can be sero- and there is a great doctor named Kenneth Liegner in Armonk, NY!!! BUT REGARDLESS of my wanting to get that message across, this book was well worth reading so far, am stopping just to write this and then diving back in- can't wait to find out what happens further on- Good writing, ALTHOUGH a funny thing- not sure if they did this on purpose- but I find it impossible to tell their sections apart and have to go back and check whose section is whose- the writing voices sounds alike to me- kind of funny in regard to the subject- What lucky babies to have ended up in TWO such great families!!!! Definitely worth acquiring!!!

This is a fascinating book for anyone who has ever fantasized about finding a long-lost twin...to the authors of this book, separated at birth and adopted by different families, this actually happened. What is surprising and intriguing about the book is that it is not merely a warm reunion story---it lays bare the complications of suddenly discovering someone who resembles oneself and yet remains on some level a stranger. Although it is overall a positive book, after reading it one realizes that the long-lost-twin fantasy isn't necessarily as simple or as glorious in real life as it may be in imagination.

If you are looking for an intellectual book on identical twins, this is NOT for you. If you are, however, interested in discovering the emotional mumble-jumble about these two specific twins, this could be your book.

I first heard about the book on NPR and was really excited before I started. The research on nature vs. nurture is fascinating. Relying on identical twins for such a study is a brilliant idea.

The book, unfortunately, blows. It represents a very poor effort in providing substantive information related to the scientific topic of twin studies.

It delivers a highly personal story on a pair of identical twin sisters separated at birth. A large portion of the book contains endless whining about the ethics of separating adopted twins at birth. And it's extremely boring to read page after page of repeat whining. Ultimately, the scientific history isn't well discussed or resolved. The readers are left wondering what exactly is the point of this book.

Very very disappointing.

I thought this book had an interesting premise, and I liked the fact that the authors were so honest about their feelings. I also enjoyed the double-voice storytelling, the reaction to their surprising initial discovery, and the general hunt for their birth mother.

However, overall I found the book to be self-absorbed, grumpy, and looooooonger that it needed to be. Most of all, I thought the science they included was overly biased, and the evidence was highly suspect. I at least have to believe what I'm reading, and I just didn't find their evidence believable.

An example they used of twins being SOOO alike after years of separation was that they parted their hair on the same side. Huh? How many choices do they have? An example of the trauma someone underwent from being separated from his twin was that he wet the bed until he was FOUR-YEARS-OLD! About 40 percent of four-year-olds wet the bed, so this is hardly a sign of trauma.

I realize this isn't a scientific tome, but many memoir authors have done a better job at reporting science in a more respectable way. It was just sloppy.

As defenseless infants handed over by their biological mother, Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein are unquestionably separated to two different adoptive families to, unbeknownst to most involved, participate in a twin study. Over thirty years later, Elyse requests information on her origins from the now obsolete adoption agency through which she became a Schein only to discover she has a twin. As Elyse and Paula struggle with this promulgation and their discrepant feelings of partiality towards their suddenly extended family, they pull us through the proceedings.

Unfortunately, as they struggle with this knowledge, we struggle along with them, only through our attempts to follow along with their similar, sometimes nearly incoherent thought processes and writing styles. It is quite clear that both have a background in journalism, as they cannot carry the story through all 266 pages, which they compensate for through constant repetition and bland, often cliché, description. Schein and Bernstein mistakenly assume that we care about aspects of their lives that are completely irrelevant to the central idea of their separation and reunion. The facts that they interwine within the story about other twins' reunions and relationships are much more interesting than their own overwrought journey. As P. A. Holtman so aptly puts it, this 'would have made a' much more bearable 'magazine article'.

This book recounts the inspiring reunion of 2 identical female twins separated at birth through adoption in the 1960s. The twins initially were identified by influential people associated with the adoption agency as potential subjects for a long term "Nature Vs Nurture" study of children born to mentally ill women. While the twins were never actually studied,readers of the book can draw some conclusions of their own regarding nature vs nurture. The influence of life's circumstances on human development is clear as is the powerful effect of genetics. Reading this book is like personally meeting the twins. I enjoyed the experience.

First, in the interest of full disclosure, I've been close friends with one of the authors, Paula Bernstein, for well over 20 years. I also happened to speak to her on the day she learned she had a twin sister, and have followed the saga with her since then. So, before I read the book, I felt like I already knew the most salient parts. But I was in for many surprises and insights. For instance, the emotional ups and downs that has been Paula and Elyse's experience since they learned of eachother moved me more than I even anticipated. And learning the details of this twin study - what there is to learn of them - was pretty unbelievable. I was also touched by the way certain people reacted upon encountering Paula and Elyse and their story - though I'm reluctant to get into this too much so as not to spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read it. I've learned much more about my friend, and I've considered issues of family, love, and identity (especially now that I've met and read about Elyse) that as a bio-kid I've never had to confront myself. And this all through a book that was highly readable and engaging to boot. I hope if you've made it this far on the store's page, that you'll definitely read this book.

I had heard about this book from some neighbors and thought it would be a perfect xmas gift for my mother in law who loves memoirs. I read a couple pages the day I bought it and was hooked! Now I had to finish it before xmas(and turn the pages gently). I finished it in less than a week. Identical Strangers is a such a special, unique story of twin babies (now women) and have already recommended it to 3 people. I commend the authors/sisters for sharing their personal and sometimes painful experiences. And I loved that they could find humor and laughter in the journey as well. ###

I could not stop reading this book -- devoured it in a weekend. This is not just an analysis of the twin relationship or of adoption practice. Nor is it a typical narrative. It is a riveting personal story, like a diary, honestly told by two people suddenly faced with a stunningly unique challenge to their notions of what it means to be "me." The personal nature of the storytelling is what gripped me -- at times a bit ragged, at times emotionally inconsistent, and with twists and turns no novelist would dare invent. It's very real, and I often found myself wishing i could just go have coffee with Paula and Elyse to hear their latest. They are remarkably introspective people who question rather than just accept.

I was absolutely fascinated by this book, the story of twins separated in infancy and reunited 35 years later. It works on many levels. If a reader is interested in identical twins studies, this is a gold mine. If a reader likes a good mystery, here's a real life one. And if a reader likes getting to know interesting people, the two young women who narrate their story are both persons you will likely want to meet.

Both Paula and Elyse are honest and intelligent and courageous....very much alike and yet uniquely individual. I think the most important question the book raises may not be the issues surrounding their separation, though certainly that is important, but what may be more important are the questions it raises about the nature of a "self."

I bought several copies this book as gifts for friends, and they have all recommended it to others. I told the members of my book club about it and several of them bought it. More than one could not put it down.

I liked this book immensely (I am actually exactly halfway through, started it today) but I kept being bothered by Elyses brother in the book-I kept wondering if he had neuropsychiatric Lyme disease- and then I came across the description of him spending lots of time time in their OAK tree and it just made me want to write my first review on here (the store) ever- because oak trees are the preferred habitat of Lyme ticks and New York is endemic- and wanted to write Marty & Elyse & Jay & say that schizophrenia can be a byproduct of neuropsyche Lyme which can be sero- and there is a great doctor named Kenneth Liegner in Armonk, NY!!! BUT REGARDLESS of my wanting to get that message across, this book was well worth reading so far, am stopping just to write this and then diving back in- can't wait to find out what happens further on- Good writing, ALTHOUGH a funny thing- not sure if they did this on purpose- but I find it impossible to tell their sections apart and have to go back and check whose section is whose- the writing voices sounds alike to me- kind of funny in regard to the subject- What lucky babies to have ended up in TWO such great families!!!! Definitely worth acquiring!!!

This is a fascinating book for anyone who has ever fantasized about finding a long-lost twin...to the authors of this book, separated at birth and adopted by different families, this actually happened. What is surprising and intriguing about the book is that it is not merely a warm reunion story---it lays bare the complications of suddenly discovering someone who resembles oneself and yet remains on some level a stranger. Although it is overall a positive book, after reading it one realizes that the long-lost-twin fantasy isn't necessarily as simple or as glorious in real life as it may be in imagination.

If you are looking for an intellectual book on identical twins, this is NOT for you. If you are, however, interested in discovering the emotional mumble-jumble about these two specific twins, this could be your book.

I first heard about the book on NPR and was really excited before I started. The research on nature vs. nurture is fascinating. Relying on identical twins for such a study is a brilliant idea.

The book, unfortunately, blows. It represents a very poor effort in providing substantive information related to the scientific topic of twin studies.

It delivers a highly personal story on a pair of identical twin sisters separated at birth. A large portion of the book contains endless whining about the ethics of separating adopted twins at birth. And it's extremely boring to read page after page of repeat whining. Ultimately, the scientific history isn't well discussed or resolved. The readers are left wondering what exactly is the point of this book.

Very very disappointing.

I thought this book had an interesting premise, and I liked the fact that the authors were so honest about their feelings. I also enjoyed the double-voice storytelling, the reaction to their surprising initial discovery, and the general hunt for their birth mother.

However, overall I found the book to be self-absorbed, grumpy, and looooooonger that it needed to be. Most of all, I thought the science they included was overly biased, and the evidence was highly suspect. I at least have to believe what I'm reading, and I just didn't find their evidence believable.

An example they used of twins being SOOO alike after years of separation was that they parted their hair on the same side. Huh? How many choices do they have? An example of the trauma someone underwent from being separated from his twin was that he wet the bed until he was FOUR-YEARS-OLD! About 40 percent of four-year-olds wet the bed, so this is hardly a sign of trauma.

I realize this isn't a scientific tome, but many memoir authors have done a better job at reporting science in a more respectable way. It was just sloppy.

Elyse and Paula share a highly personal, intimate story in a very honest way. Although the story is about twins, it challenges the reader to think about what aspects of one's personality, health, beliefs and idiosyncrasies are inherited, and sometimes, more is inherited than most of us like to admit!

When Elyse and Paula meet, they are at different places in their lives, and they approach the news of a twin differently. Yet, they both write so compellingly that the reader is able to understand the feelings, challenges and emotions from both perspectives. Although I don't have a twin, I found I could easily relate to them because they write in such a sincere, heartfelt way.

I highly recommend this book.

I was happily surprised by not only the warmth and charm of the story and writing but also the educational value. They have definitely done their homework about twins- and I was delighted not only to come out having read a fascinating story but also having learned a lot about the lives of twins. Elyse and Paula's made it easy to understand what they must have been feeling throughout incredible and unlikely circumstances and held nothing back to help us understand the roller coaster events of the reunion.

As a fellow adoptee who searched and was reunited with a wonderful family many years ago, I found this book one of the best Adoptee Memoirs ever written! It is an insightful, heartwarming, eloquent memoir of two sisters and their quest to uncover the deeper meaning of family, heritage and identity. Written in alternative voices the authors honestly explore their feelings and relationships. A must read for anyone touched by adoption.

This account of the experiences of two women - Paula and Elyse - kept me reading well into the night. The drama of finding their twin brings up so many questions and concerns for both of them. Their candor in addressing these issues is remarkable and heartwrenching. This book is both psychology and mystery. While you follow the page-turning details of the quest for Paula and Elyse, you realize that their questions about who we are as individuals and as part of our families are not limited to them, but are far more global. I highly recommend it.

In addition to a moving story of identical twins separated at birth and reunited at age 35, this book presents scientific data from multiple birth studies and examines the ethics of the adoption agency that separated twins and triplets. I liked the presentation style of the alternating chapters by the two authors.