Herbert Rowbarge

(Paperback)

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Description

Herbert Rowbarge has an identical twin who lives ninety miles away, but he doesn't know he exists. All he does know is that he gets a weird feeling when he looks into mirrors or watches his twin daughters. The only thing that makes him happy is the amusement park that he has created: It was the dream of his childhood, and it is complete with a merry-go-round with many pairs of beasts. Told from the points of view of Herbert and of his daughters, this family story explores what it means to be a self-made man to the exclusion of all others--and the relationship between twins, whether you know you are one or not.

Reviews

"An expertly turned artifact of a story, which is not to deny its human sympathy and penetrating edge." --Kirkus Reviews

"Mrs. Babbitt creates a plausible world and peoples it with believable humans, but the most satisfaction comes from the pleasure of her company as she effortlessly takes the reader in velvet-gloved hand to point out life's coincidences and near misses." --George A. Woods, The New York Times

"It is a totally satisfying literary experience, and I fervently hope adult readers will discover it." --Norma Klein, The Nation

"Herbert Rowbarge has . . . an almost folktale-like tone and plot. Never mind that it contains its share of Buicks and bridge parties; it still possesses the hushed, concentrated, stripped quality of a legend. And like a legend, it draws us in. It's spellbinding." --Anne Tyler, The New York Times Book Review

"It's been a while since I've been so enamored of a book, likening it to falling in love for the very first time. When I am not with this book I am miserable, longing to return to it; it is often in my thoughts. I am constantly talking about it, extolling it to anyone who will listen. The object of such literary passion A stunning novel entitled Herbert Rowbarge." --Barbara Karlin, The Los Angeles Times

Author Bio

Natalie Babbitt is the award-winning author of Tuck Everlasting, The Eyes of the Amaryllis, Kneeknock Rise, and many other brilliantly original books for young people. She began her career in 1966 as the illustrator of The Forty-Ninth Magician, a collaboration with her husband. When her husband became a college president and no longer had time to collaborate, Babbitt tried her hand at writing. Her first novel, The Search for Delicious, established her gift for writing magical tales with profound meaning. Kneeknock Rise earned her a Newbery Honor, and in 2002, Tuck Everlasting was adapted into a major motion picture. Natalie Babbitt lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and is a grandmother of three.