Jacob Have I Loved

I read this book as a kid and it really got inside my head. It actually still bubbles up in my memory from time to time, probably because the issues of belonging and fitting in that first drew me to the book are ones that still plague me today.

Louise and Caroline are twins, but they are nowhere near identical. In Louise's eyes, it is Caroline who is brilliantly talented and it is Caroline who is beautiful; Louise finds it is Caroline who is given special privileges and treats while Louise is given nothing. The story is told from Louise's point-of-view so it is hard to tell whether Caroline's special treatment is real or is just the way it is seen from the eyes of a jealous sister. In some ways, it is obvious that Louise is cast aside; Louise's grandmother has nothing but disdain for her. Whatever the reality of the preferential treatment, it is very real to Louise. I couldn't help feeling deep sorrow for Louise as she is continually set aside and set aside for a sister perceived as lovelier and more gifted.

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't quite as good as I thought it would be. I did like the anti-hero quality of Louise; who among us has not felt put down and overshadowed in every way by someone who seemingly has it all and cannot lose? I could feel Louise's horror and pain as her life unfolded and her needs continued to be put behind those of her star sister, Caroline.