Here is an “interview with the authors of MIRROR MIRROR: Two Bodies, One Soul by Identical Twins Allison and Lauren Knight
(1) Why did you write your book?
At the end of 2008 we graduated with Masters degrees in History, and suddenly we found ourselves at a loss with what to do in life. The logical next step, of course, would have been either Teacher’s College or continued graduate work en route to Doctoral degrees, but we knew that teaching as a profession would not suit our incredibly close twinship. Feeling frustrated by the seeming lack of options for us with our unique lifestyle, we decided to write down the reasons why we felt stuck in life. Though we initially wrote with no audience in mind other than ourselves, our time and energy investment convinced us to turn our recordings into more than personal journaling. We came to the realization that if we truly wanted to explain our frustrations to others, we first needed to explain who we are, how we function as twins, and how our past and current struggles have shaped us into the women we are today.
(2) What is your book about?
In MIRROR MIRROR, we describe the many blessings we feel for having been born with a built-in best friend and soulmate, but even more so, we delve into our personal experiences with bullying, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and career and relationship uncertainty. These are issues that touch the lives of countless others, and thus while our book is told through our unique perspective as identical twins, it speaks to a very broad and diverse audience.
(3) What was the hardest part about publishing such a personal story?
The hardest part about publishing MIRROR MIRROR was the fact that the issues we address are not ones which we have overcome and conquered. Rather, they are struggles we still face, and while the severity of our depression, OCD, and anxieties varies from day to day, these are conditions that will likely always play a role in our lives. Along this similar vein, we find ourselves feeling embarrassed and exposed when we think about who potentially could be reading our book. It’s not so much a concern for us to imagine strangers reading it, but when we imagine loved ones, friends, and people we bump into on the street reading it, we think twice about having published MIRROR MIRROR. We have to make a conscious effort not to think this way, because deep down we know that our loved ones support us no matter what and that people can hopefully benefit from our having brought our struggles to light.
(4) What has been the most rewarding part about publishing your book?
The most rewarding part about having published our story is the positive feedback we’ve received from such a diverse group of readers. We have been contacted by individuals who can relate in some ways to the contents of our book even though on the surface they don’t seem to have much in common with us. One need not be a young woman or a twin to know the dark, helpless abyss of depression or the humiliation that stems from the need to perform irrational behaviours. It is such an honour to be able to touch lives and make people who suffer from bullying, mental illness, or social anxiety feel less abnormal and alone.
You can learn more and buy a copy of Mirror, Mirror here :
