The Conjoined: A Novel

(Paperback)

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Description

On a sunny May morning, social worker Jessica Campbell sorts through her mother s belongings after her recent funeral. In the basement, she makes a shocking discovery two dead girls curled into the bottom of her mother s deep-chest freezers. She remembers a pair of teenaged sisters who lived with the family in 1988 as foster children: Casey and Jamie Cheng troubled, beautiful, and wild. After six weeks, they disappeared; social workers, police officers, and Jessica herself assumed they had run away. As Jessica learns more about Casey, Jamie, and their troubled immigrant Chinese parents, she also unearths dark stories about Donna, whom she had always thought of as the perfect mother and foster mother. The complicated truths she uncovers force her to take stock of own life her grief, a job she hates, and her tedious but safe relationship. Moving between present and past, The Conjoined unflinchingly examines the myth of social heroism, how race and class can assign unwanted roles to society s most vulnerable individuals, and the well-intentioned social service workers who mean to help. Set in the middle-class suburb of North Vancouver, as well as Chinatown and the infamous Downtown Eastside, this compulsively readable novel traces the often hidden fractures that divide our diverse cities.

Reviews

"An insightful look at a daughter's efforts to come to terms with the past." -- Toronto Star
"Flawlessly written and a page-turner for sure, The Conjoined is a rare read." -- Owen Sound Sun Times
"Sookfong Lee is a gifted writer, telling a complicated story with depth and insight ... The Conjoined is a quick, compelling read. But its characters and their stories will linger." -- Vancouver Sun
"The mystery of how the girls died is not the book's main focus, but this captivating novel still moves with the pace of a thriller as it deftly fills in the gaps in the lives of several people, each fractured by horrors of their very own, joined as one in betrayal, trauma, and uncertainty." -- Publishers Weekly
"Though the plot races along, I found depths to The Conjoined that moved me ... This book is a gem of necessary truths." -- A Bookish Type
"With flawless writing and gothic imagination, Lee shows how a forgotten crime can reveal uncomfortable truths about family, class, and racism. The Conjoined is a fearless novel and a compulsive read." -- Emily Schultz author of The Blondes

Author Bio

Jen Sookfong Lee was born and raised on Vancouvers East Side, where she now lives with her son. Her books include The Better Mother, a finalist for the City of Vancouver Book Award, The End of East, and Shelter. A popular radio personality, Jen was the voice behind CBC Radio Ones weekly writing column, Westcoast Words, for three years, appears regularly as a contributor on The Next Chapter, and is a frequent co-host of the Studio One Book Club. Jen teaches writing in the continuing studies departments at both Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia.