My Soul Twin by Nino Haratischvili Published by Scribe US on 12/6/2022
Genres: Contemporary, Literary Fiction
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Source: Seven & One
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A modern-day Wuthering Heightsfrom the author of international bestseller The Eighth Life.
Two families, one devastating secret, and an epic story of forbidden love.
Eight years have passed since Stella last saw Ivo, but when he returns, the reunion of their unconventional family will change the course of her ordinary life. As children, Stella and Ivo grew close as their parents embarked on an affair that would shatter both families. Later, as teenagers, their own relationship would be the cause of further scandal. Now, as adults, they set out on an odyssey to uncover the truth about another family's past, and to understand their own.
My Soul Twinis an intense love story about forbidden desire, the ties that bind us, and whether we can ever truly forget what we leave behind.
This was definitely an interesting book to read. It took a minute to get into the writing style, as how stories are written varies from country to country. The flow of the story went back and forth between the past and present, so I had to make sure I was on top of where I was in the novel and the time period of the story. Other than that, the writing of the story was absolutely beautiful! I’d never heard of Haratischvili before this book, yet, how she tells a story is heartbreaking and wonderfully written.
The characters themselves in the book all annoyed me at one point or another, Stella and Ivo the most, of course. As someone with depression, I understand the dark cloud that can come around you at any point; however, I kept wanting Stella not to choose Ivo. It’s especially annoying because she even describes their love as something that hurts and scars. That’s not love! Stella had managed to get away from Ivo and found a life for herself, which most women of domestic violence don’t. Yet, when he comes back, she’s right back with him. My feelings about this whole relationship are quite complicated and contradictory. The adults in the novel, or at least the adults when Ivo and Stella were kids, should’ve handled their issues much better. Stella’s dad and Ivo’s mom having an affair while their children were in the house was messed up and traumatic for the kids. Tulia was the only one who stepped up to care for these kids when Stella’s dad ignored his responsibilities, and Stella’s mom ran off to America. But it was fascinating how they never had a meaningful conversation about what happened when they were growing up. Again, my feelings in this novel are all complicated and make me think about families and keeping secrets and how, in the end, facing our problems is so much better.
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