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Book Review of Jacob Have I Loved

Jacob Have I Loved
reviewed on + 100 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


A review from Amazon.com:
The title makes perfect sense after reading the book (a biblical reference to the brother Jacob, who was favored over Isau), but I orignally thought this book would be about a lost love or something.

Anyway, the story deals with the resentment one twin sister, Louise, feels towards the other, Caroline. Yet both are portrayed sympathetically - one can't help but like Caroline at least a little, even though you feel how justifiably Louise is jealous and resentful of her. But through the relationships Caroline has with others, you see how fundamentally decent she is, even as Louise is never able to respond to that.

Caroline is a gifted musician/singer, and grows up to be supremely successful and even marries Louise's childhood friend. The real beauty of this book is that Louise ultimately finds her unique and satisfying place in the world. It is vastly different from where her sister ends up, but then, she was always vastly different from her sister.

The story is also quite interesting for its portrayal of a life on a small Maryland island.