Symmetry is definedas balance, but in Niffenegger’s narrative the characters’ elaborate,interconnected relationships do not always result in perfect equilibrium;rather, symmetry provides both a sense of harmony and discordthroughout the book.
In HerFearfulSymmetry, Niffenegger has created a ghost storythat is also a coming-of-age account of 20-year-old twins searching forseparate identities. It isn’t a “spooky” ghost story, but rather a tragic andcompelling tale, one that expresses the human desire to communicate with thosewe love after they die. The book follows twins Julia and Valentina, semi-normalAmerican teenagers who learn that they have inherited the London apartment of their late aunt. Oncethey take up residence in England,the twins befriend a series of complex characters and learn family secrets thatthreaten to destroy the balance of their lives. Filled with quirkypersonalities that include graveyard tour guides, a crossword puzzle creatorwith severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and a dead aunt who can’t seemto leave her apartment, Niffenegger’sinventive plot comes alive through its details and creative twists.
Niffenegger isthe author of the acclaimed best seller TheTime Traveler’s Wife, a surprise hit following its 2003 release that soldmore than 2.5 million copies in the United Statesand United Kingdom.Niffenegger is also a successful visualartist and the author of two illustrated novels. She received training atthe Art Institute of Chicago and later earned her MFA from Northwestern University.Niffenegger, a resident of the Windy City, serves as a facultymember at Columbia College Chicago.
Niffeneggerwill kick off her January speaking tour with an appearance at the Milwaukee Public Library on Jan. 14 at7 p.m. This event, sponsored by Boswell Book Co., is free and open tothe public.