From the first page, Twice the Family by Julie McGue pulled me into a world both intimate and expansive, written with a grace that mirrors the warmth of the adoptive home Julie and her twin sister, Jenny, grew up in. The memoir exudes quiet strength, unfolding gently yet powerfully, capturing the nuances of belonging, identity, and the deep, often unspoken currents of adoption.
What struck me most was the compassion woven into every chapter—for the adoptive parents who built a life of love, for the siblings who navigated their own roles within the family dynamic, and for the unspoken presence at the heart of it all: the twins’ birth mother, absent yet ever-present in the gaps between the lines. As an adoptee myself, though from South Africa and outside of the Roman Catholic faith that shaped Julie’s upbringing, I found myself utterly absorbed in the traditions, values, and expectations that framed her world.
The memoir is propelled by unexpected twists and turns, yet through it all, one truth remains unshakable—the extraordinary, unwavering bond between Julie and Jenny. I couldn’t help but wonder, with a quiet shudder, what if? What if they had been separated? What if this story had not been Twice the Family, but Half the Family? That haunting thought alone speaks to the depth of this journey—one of love, loss, and the unbreakable thread that ties us to where we come from, and more importantly, to each other.
This is more than a memoir. It is a testament. And it will stay with me for a long, long time.
Buy the Paperback on Amazon or Buy the Kindle Edition on Amazon