Strangers, Identical

I heard the incredible story of twin sisters Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein on NPR yesterday. Here’s the blurb from the station’s site:

Separated in infancy and given up for adoption, Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein grew up unaware that they had an identical twin. Their new memoir, Identical Strangers, chronicles their story of separation, reunion and identity.

Records from the adoption agency indicate that the identical twins’ separation and adoption placement in the late 1960s was connected to a psychological study investigating the effects of nature versus nurture.

The segment is a bit long, but it’s absolutely fascinating.

Who is Laila Lalami

Laila Lalami is the award winning and best selling author of six books.

What books has Laila Lalami written?

Laila has written the novels, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, Secret Son, The Moor's Account, The Other Americans, and The Dream Hotel.

What awards has Laila Lalami won?

Laila Lalami has won the American Book Award, the Arab American Book Award, the Hurston-Write Legacy Award, a Guggenheim a Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship, and a British Council Fellowship. Her work has also been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Booker Prize, the Women's Prize, and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.