Description: From their privileged childhood in Egypt, the paths of once-inseparable twins Taher and Aisha diverge early: When the USSR invades Afghanistan, Taher abandons their shared plans to study medicine in Europe, instead joining their cousin, Ahmed, as a medic for the mujahideen fighting the Soviets. As Aisha's Western perspective grows, so does her fear for her brother, who is becoming increasingly radicalized during the civil war between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. With powerful imagery, Danuta Hinc's When We Were Twins shows how innocence and loyalty to those we love can be twisted by political forces, leading a young man to choose a fateful path that changes the course of history.
Brief description: Danuta Hinc is a Polish American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. She holds an MA in Philology from the University of Gdańsk, where she won Poland's National Competition for Best Dissertation in the Humanities, and she received an MFA in Writing and Literature from Bennington College, where she was awarded the Barry Hannah Merit Scholarship in Fiction. She teaches writing at the University of Maryland.
Review Quotes: "Childhood moments
draw us into the character
of Tahir, a cherished
boy who turns from aspiring doctor to terrorist. With brilliant prose, author
Danuta Hinc unspools his path backwards, holding the readers in suspense. We witness what brought him and his allies
to radicalization and the most unthinkable moments-all while compelling us to
hope for a different future for such a sympathetic character. Great
care was taken with research
to illuminate points
of view we rarely see so close-up."
Sisters' Shoulders