Twins, Clemmy and Helen, named by their father after the heroines of Greek mythology, live in a dilapidated cottage in the forest, having little contact with the outside world. Abandoned at birth by their father, a painter, the girls are raised by their mother, who they ignore, living only for each other.
Aged 14, they break into their father’s abandoned studio, discovering a self-portrait he left for them, alongside a note – addressing them as ‘his beauties.’ The discovery opens the first crack in their relationship.
The Other
Aged 16, their mother abandons the twins and the fault lines between them widen. Within a year Clemmy, feeling much guilt, abandons Helen for London. Can they learn to love another? And can Clemmy fulfil her acting dream in London? Helen is alone in the cottage and pregnant by Beautiful Boy. Can fate, and shared motherhood, bring the twins back together?
Sandy Hogarth’s third novel is a story of love in all its facets: the unique love of identical twins who find love outside that bond, and the complex shared love for a child.
Author Bio
Sandy Hogarth, originally from Australia, now lives in North Yorkshire. In her writing, she loves exploring characters under stress, relationships, the unexpected, and ultimately love. And lonely places. Her second novel Because of You I Am (Matador) was long listed for the 2019 Cinnamon Literature Prize.
The Other was conceived as a novel about love and its pain and joy, and was inspired by real life experiences. “Aged 19 I gave my daughter up for adoption when she was at six weeks old,’ explains Sandy. “She found me when she was 25. This was my life’s most important moment and, a little unexpectedly, found its way into my latest novel.’’
Publication Date: 28/10/2023
ISBN: 9781805140542
Price: £8.99