26a

Diana has written a book that completely pulls you in to her characters. You know them, love them and feel every bit of their emotions within your soul. Her writing is beyond amazing. I read books every day of my life. This one is a keeper. Her skills are far beyond her years. I'm looking up her other books right now. Wish she had 30 more to read!

As an identical twin, I completely identified with the two main characters in this story (Bessi and Georgia). I also recognised the difficulties of Kemmy, the younger sister who finds herself outside the golden circle, and think that the parents are both excellently described, three-dimensional characters, seen as they are through the eyes of the young people. For me, the stay in Nigeria is a strong part of the story, and I took it as laid out before me, without questioning its accuracy, which I don't think is too important in this story anyway it's not a travel guide to the parts of the world that can be seen, but rather to those that can only be sensed beneath it. The relationship between the twins is a truly authentic one for me, even down to the way one comes to accept the current life while the other, unnerved by what happened in Nigeria, is unable to. I also found the supernatural touches to be completely believable, hovering on the edge of the story the way so many of these things do in our apparently ordinary lives. Family myth and reality often blend like this, so that a new chronology is created by the vision of the person creating the story. The strange thing for me is that it is the dead twin, Georgia, who seems to be the stronger character of the two, while the one who remains in the known world becomes a little flatter and less clearly seen as a result. Shadows can often pick out hidden seams of richness that the light sweeps over and fails to touch. If it is true that this novel is autobiographical where it concerns the relationship between the twins, then the more worldly Bessi has a deep understanding of how easily interchangeable she and her sister are in their feelings and experiences.

This book can fool you with its magical writing, because it handles some pretty heavy topics (like depression and abuse) so well. It is realistic and true without losing a mystical feeling of "oneness" that permeates the sisters and also their Nigeria, even while trying to fit in at school and in their young lives. The characters are beautiful and thoroughly written. Just a wonderful book. I look forward to reading more from this author!

In this magnificent debut, Diana Evans captures the magic and complexity of childhood with such honesty and candor it will take you right back to your own memories. To quote an excerpt: "On the outside of their front door Georgia and Bessi had written in chalk '26a', and on the inside 'G + B', at eye level, just above the handle. This was the extra dimension. The one after sight, sound, smell, touch and taste where the world multiplied and exploded because it was the sum of two people. Bright was twice as bright. All the colours were extra. Girls with umbrellas skipped across the wallpaper and Georgia and Bessi could hear them laughing." Georgia and Bessi are identical twins growing up in Neasden, London. Their mother is a Nigerian immigrant who pines after her homeland and converses with 'spirits' while their father, an English accountant, drowns his sorrows in the bottle. Despite these difficulties, Georgia and Bessi grow up as confident and imaginative girls, escaping in their own world of fantasy and possibility. What makes this novel so successful is the ultra-delicious writing, sprinkled with unusual linguistic devices and elements of 'magical realism'. Add to that animated, well-crafted characters and a story line that is hard to put down! Part hilarious, part endearing, part sobering, 26a is a moving ode to childhood, the pains of growing up and the magic of 'twinhood'.

I found this book rather randomly, as I was browsing bookshelves in no particular order, and I reading it made me very grateful that I still find the time to visit brick & mortar bookstores! Even though this is the story of two biracial girls living in London, even though their Nigerian roots are strong, Evans never makes the novel about race. Rather, being biracial, having a Nigerian mother who believes in spirits, these are important, influential parts of who they are. Its not portray as an obstacle or a difficulty, which I appreciated. But even better than this story of a family of women with exceptional connections and insight into the human spirit and across continents and physical boundaries, the language is this novel is what makes it stand out. The language of this novel is what makes it move. I think I will be dreaming of the last few chapters, "the last bit," as Evans might say, for days. The characters were real and interesting, the story was moving, and the writing just took my breath away. Evans has a real gift for poetic prose and imagery. The clash of cultures especially vivid, and the pain and confusion of depression -- I just can't even imagine how Evans was able to portray it so vividly. I can't wait for more.

As a voracious reader, 26a stopped me in my tracks. I would have to stop reading it to savor the richness and then quickly return to it. The fluency and reality of this novel blew me away. How could someone as young as Ms. Evans write so exquisitely? The story line I could relate to even though I'm not British nor have I been to Niger nor have I a twin. But I believed every character. Ms. Evans brought the characters to life. So often authors forget about the minor characters once they are introduced, but Kemy was well-rounded. Errol and Dean instantly came to life. I can't wait for the next novel. My hat goes off to Diana Evans!