'
The novel moves between comtemporary sections, describing the sisters'
wary reconciliaton, and flashbacks to theire respective wartime expierences.
Details of time, place and atmosphere are presented with a generous
sympathy that stops short of special pleading.'
Christina Koning in The Times, April
29, 2000
'It is much more than a novel about
the resentment of a country towards its erstwhile enemy. It is about
human character, how it is shaped by external events and the degree
to which individuals retain choice over their actions. It is also gripping,
heart-breaking and humane, leaving open until the very last page the
question of whether old enemies can become friends.'
Joan Smith in The Sunday Times, May
7, 2000
'Tessa de Loo's achievement is to
personalise this still unassimilated period of history.'
Amanda Hopkinson in The Independent,
June 23, 2000
'De Loo speaks with compassion about
the futility of grudges, yet she seems to realize that soms rifts may
be reconcilable. Forgiveness may nog always be possible - for many,
the wounds of war are too deep for that - but some degree of understanding
is the first step toward healing.'
Susan Horsburgh in Time, June 26, 2000
'De Loo's characterizations do not
degenerate into allegory, and ethical questions aren't simplified for
the reader's comfort.'
William Ferguson in The New York Times
Book Review, August 27, 2000
'The tensions and rivalries between
the sisters make for an acute and compassionate exploration of individual
actions against a background of political upheaval and war. De Loo's
approach to history is made more impressive by her deceptively simple
prose.
The Twins is an original, gripping and thought-provoking novel,
which derservedly became one of the biggest Dutch bestsellers of the
1990s.'
Louise Dymoke in Literary Review, August,
2000
'De Loo's considerable achievement
is to not shirk awkward issues of guilt while treating her delicate
subject matter with extraordinary compassion.'
David Vincent in The Observer, April
22, 2001
