The Foursome

Sarah and Adelaide are two sisters living on a plantation in Wilkes County, North Carolina. After a family scandal, the sisters find themselves socially ostracized and no longer viewed as the desirable marriage prospects they once expected to be. In 1839, Chang and Eng Bunker arrive in town and set up a farm. Known as the original “Siamese twins” — from Siam, now Thailand — the brothers just finished a sensational world tour that brought them fame and fortune. Despite being joined at the sternum, these conjoined brothers traveled the world, spoke multiple languages, and were remarkably active and adventurous. They were ready to settle down, and marrying the Yates sisters seemed like the perfect opportunity to live together as a foursome in peace. Over the decades, the families lived side by side and raised twenty-one children. The details of how they lived, farmed, hunted, and managed daily life are truly amazing. It is something I never could have imagined, and I honestly could not stop looking up facts about them while I was reading. As the Civil War approaches, the Bunker family faces complicated struggles involving identity, privacy, love, physical limitations, and the painful realities of slavery in this part of the South. Based on actual people, this fascinating novel is beautifully written and filled with so many issues to talk about. It would make an incredible book club pick. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐