Harper Collins, 1998, 859pp
Dominick is an identical twin. His brother, Thomas, suffers from schizophrenic disorder, and for much of their lives, Dominick carries the burden of his brother’s illness. A dramatic and self-destructive act on the part of Thomas tips the balance even further, catapulting Dominick into a journey which begins to take on epic proportions.
His search is a search for identity and understanding, a need to make sense of the way in which the actions of others can have wide reaching repercussions on our lives. As the story unfolds, we are ushered through the pain of a damaged childhood in an urban poor neighbourhood. The story fluctuates between past and present as Dominick unravels his history while dealing with difficult relationships in the here and now. Meanwhile, he is also fighting a constant battle with the bureaucracy for the rights of his brother who is, by now, incapable of doing anything to help himself or give anything in return.
As Dominick’s own story unfolds, he comes across the story of his Italian grandfather and the reader is taken to Sicily in yet another story within a story. The revelations are not only gripping, but also startling as more pieces of his jigsaw begin to fall into place.
There are tragedies to confront in this book, not only in the present, but also from the past, and loss is a strong theme running throughout. It also deals with issues of immigration and inter-racial relations, loyalty, friendship and support. We are introduced to the indigenous Wequonnoc concept of the circle of wholeness as well as the Hindu Shiva – the god who destroys in order that new life may be born. Ultimately, there is love and forgiveness and Dominick discovers that while God can be “ironic as well as merciful”, “….God exists in the roundness of things.” (859)
This is a powerful and gut-wrenching book. The story is extremely confronting and the language often strong. However it highlights the fact that although tragedy is often part of life, redemption and healing can be found by those who have the courage to search for them.
Lynne Roberts © 2008
