The Two-Family House
A Novel
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4.3 • 293 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"An emotional but dreamy novel that...will transport you far, far away from your next dreary Monday morning. You may do a lot of sobbing, but don't worry, you'll be smiling by the end." —Bustle, "12 Spring Break Reads To Help You Escape Normal Life"
**Buzzfeed, "14 Of The Most Buzzed-About Books"
**Popsugar, "6 Books You Should Read"
"A novel you won't be able to put down." —Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author
Brooklyn, 1947: In the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born, minutes apart. The mothers are sisters by marriage: dutiful, quiet Rose, who wants nothing more than to please her difficult husband; and warm, generous Helen, the exhausted mother of four rambunctious boys who seem to need her less and less each day. Raising their families side by side, supporting one another, Rose and Helen share an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic winter night.
When the storm passes, life seems to return to normal; but as the years progress, small cracks start to appear and the once deep friendship between the two women begins to unravel. No one knows why, and no one can stop it. One misguided choice; one moment of tragedy. Heartbreak wars with happiness and almost, but not quite, wins. Moving and evocative, Lynda Cohen Loigman's debut novel The Two-Family House is a heart-wrenching, gripping multigenerational story, woven around the deepest of secrets.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Loigman debut novel is an engrossing family saga set in post-war Brooklyn. It focuses on two families that are inextricably linked by blood, marriage, and a long-held secret. Brothers Abe and Mort took over their family box business when their father died, even though Mort had his heart set on studying mathematics. The brothers share a two-family house with their children and wives. As the story opens in 1947, wives Rose and Helen are themselves as close as sisters, happily bringing up their children together. Rose and Mort have three young daughters, and Helen and Abe, on the top floor, are bringing up four sons. Then, the two women get pregnant at the same time, deliver their babies together during a horrible blizzard, and make an instant decision to swap the babies that will change all of their lives forever. The story follows the brothers, their wives, and the children through decades. Loigman's use of shifting perspectives allows readers to witness first-hand the growing consequences of long-festering secrets and the insidious lies that cover them up. This historical family drama has a dark underbelly, but Loigman's decision to let the reader in on the secret allows the setting and mood of the novel take over as the characters move haltingly toward redemption and peace.
Customer Reviews
Two Family House
It has been a long time since I have read a book that I have been unable to put down. This book was wonderful, it brought me back to my childhood and time spent with my own mother a d aunt. They were as close as sisters as well. While this tragic story was nothing like my own childhood, it did touch me. It was very realistic and I felt these characters.
Beautiful, sweet, emotional
I am not generally a reader of fiction and certainly never one of family dynamics and stories that would resonate more with my wife and her friends than mine. I am, however, a Jew of Eastern European descent, a Father, a Son and a Parent who was able to go back in time through this book and be in the room with my Grandparents as they raised my parents. It was the story of Me and anyone else whose Jewish roots started at Ellis Island, had a family business and is willing to accept the fact that, behind closed doors, both literal and figurative, we are almost all dealing with these issues. Beautiful story, beautifully written, wonderful job, Linda.
Delightful!
I loved this book from beginning to end. I did not want it to end....I felt like I was part of the family.