The narrative explores the theme of sibling responsibility, depicting the moral and emotional conundrum of an identical twin whose love for his afflicted brother is mixed with resentment, bitterness and guilt. But thanks to well-sustained dramatic tension, funky gallows humor and some shocking surprises, this sinuous story of one family's dark secrets and recurring patterns of behavior largely succeeds in its ambitious reach. The topics it unflinchingly explores-mental illness, dysfunctional families, domestic abuse-are rendered with unsparing candor. Some may be daunted by its length, its seemingly obsessive inclusion of background details and its many digressions. This much is true for sure: Lamb's second novel (after the bestselling, Oprah-selected She's Come Undone) is a hefty read.
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