MY SISTER’S VOICE
What do you do when you discover your whole life was a lie? In Mary Carter’s unforgettable new novel, one woman is about to find out.
At twenty-eight, Lacey Gears is exactly where she wants to be. An up-and-coming, proudly Deaf artist in Philadelphia, she’s in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her difficult childhood in a home for disabled orphans. That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, “You have a sister. A twin to be exact…”
Learning that her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey’s grief,
What do you do when you discover your whole life was a lie? In Mary Carter’s unforgettable new novel, one woman is about to find out.
At twenty-eight, Lacey Gears is exactly where she wants to be. An up-and-coming, proudly Deaf artist in Philadelphia, she’s in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her difficult childhood in a home for disabled orphans. That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, “You have a sister. A twin to be exact…”
Learning that her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey’s grief, and she angrily sets out to find Monica and her biological parents. But the truth about Monica’s life, their brief shared past, and the reason for the twins’ separation is far from simple. And for every one of Lacey’s questions that’s answered, others are raised, more baffling and profound.
Complex, moving, and beautifully told, My Sister’s Voice is a novel about sisterhood, love of every shape, and the stories we cling to until real life comes crashing in…
- Kensington Paperback
- Paperback
- June 2010
- 336 Pages
- 9780758229205
Buy the Book
$15.00
About Mary Carter
Mary Carter lives and writes in New York City where she is currently working on a new novel.
Praise
“Gripping, entertaining and honest. This is a unique, sincere story about the invisible, unbreakable bonds of sisterhood that sustain us no matter how far they’re buried.”—Cathy Lamb, author of Henry’s Sisters and Julia’s Chocolates
Discussion Questions
How are Monica and Lacey alike? How are they different?
How does Lacey feel about being Deaf? What kind of discrimination or misconceptions about deafness does she face?
Do you think Lacey would have reacted differently to Monica if they were biological sisters but not identical twins? If yes, how so, and why?
What do the professions chosen by Lacey and Monica say about their personalities? In what ways is each successful in her career, and in what ways has each been holding back?
Who do you think had the worse childhood? Why?
Was one twin betrayed more than the other by their parents? If yes, which twin?
What role do secrets play in the book? Which twin is more likely to keep secrets?
If Monica had been sent away and Lacey raised by Richard and Katherine, do you believe Monica would have had the same reaction to being given up that Lacey had?
Which twin is the happiest?
Would Lacey have the same personality if she were hearing?
Would Monica have the same personality if she were Deaf?
Do you understand Katherine’s decision to give Lacey up? Why or why not? Was Richard a passive voice in the decision, or an active participant? Does it make him more or less responsible?
Would Monica have stayed with Joe if she had never met Lacey?
Would Lacey and Alan have parted ways if Lacey had never met Monica?
What influence did Aunt Grace have on Monica’s life? On Lacey’s?
Besides speaking and signing, what methods does Lacey employ to communicate with hearing people?
Which twin is more jealous of the other?
If they had been raised together, would one twin have overshadowed the other? If yes, which twin and why?
Will Monica and Lacey ever confront all the family secrets, or will they perpetuate the cycle?
Is it normal for Lacey to want a Deaf child?
Which has had more influence on the twins: nature or nurture? Which commonalities prove or disprove either side of the debate?
Which twin changes the most by the end of the book?