The Conjoined: A Novel - Softcover

Lee, Jen Sookfong

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1770412840 ISBN 13: 9781770412842

Publisher: ECW Press, 2016

Synopsis

Longlisted for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Award

On a sunny May morning, social worker Jessica Campbell sorts through her mother’s belongings after her recent funeral. In the basement, she makes a shocking discovery two dead girls curled into the bottom of her mother’s deep-chest freezers. She remembers a pair of teenaged sisters who lived with the family in 1988 as foster children: Casey and Jamie Cheng troubled, beautiful, and wild. After six weeks, they disappeared; social workers, police officers, and Jessica herself assumed they had run away.

As Jessica learns more about Casey, Jamie, and their troubled immigrant Chinese parents, she also unearths dark stories about Donna, whom she had always thought of as the perfect mother and foster mother. The complicated truths she uncovers force her to take stock of own life her grief, a job she hates, and her tedious but safe relationship.

Moving between present and past, The Conjoined unflinchingly examines the myth of social heroism, how race and class can assign unwanted roles to society’s most vulnerable individuals, and the well-intentioned social service workers who mean to help. Set in the middle-class suburb of North Vancouver, as well as Chinatown and the infamous Downtown Eastside, this compulsively readable novel traces the often hidden fractures that divide our diverse cities.

About this title

Review

“The mystery of how the girls died is not the book’s main focus, but this captivating novel still moves with the pace of a thriller as it deftly fills in the gaps in the lives of several people, each fractured by horrors of their very own, joined as one in betrayal, trauma, and uncertainty.”  ― Publishers Weekly

“The Conjoined is a complex, refreshing and relevant departure from a well-worn approach, one that’s best tackled after surrendering your expectations.” ― The Globe and Mail

“An insightful look at a daughter’s efforts to come to terms with the past.” ― Toronto Star

“Every once in a while, a book comes along that is both universal in its readability and specific in its appeal to Vancouverites . . . This is a page-turner ― guaranteed to be read hungrily in one or two sittings ― but an intensely literary one.” ― Georgia Straight

“Sookfong Lee is a gifted writer, telling a complicated story with depth and insight . . . The Conjoined is a quick, compelling read. But its characters and their stories will linger.” ― Vancouver Sun

“Flawlessly written and a page-turner for sure, The Conjoined is a rare read.” ― Owen Sound Sun Times

“Lee draws from Vancouver’s social history, pop culture and an exploration of family dynamics for a woman-focused, refreshing take on the traditional thriller.” ― Metro Toronto

“Sookfong Lee weaves an intricate and unsettling narrative about identity by pairing seemingly disparate stories into a single work which resists the traditional form of a novel in a way which echoes the messy complexity of real life . . . the novel is fresh, and frank, and infuriating ― a narrative which resists closure and demands compassion.” ― Ottawa Review of Books

“Lee draws from Vancouver’s social history, pop culture and an exploration of family dynamics for a woman-focused, refreshing take on the traditional thriller.” ― Metro Toronto

“Lee’s pen makes dangerous, poetic strokes, creating something both literary and textured, etched in satin and grit. Told in character vignettes too immediate to be called flashbacks, The Conjoined is a hungry and visceral novel, anchored in place and time.” ― Scene Magazine

“With flawless writing and gothic imagination, Lee shows how a forgotten crime can reveal uncomfortable truths about family, class, and racism. The Conjoined is a fearless novel and a compulsive read.” ― Emily Schultz author of The Blondes

“Though the plot races along, I found depths to The Conjoined that moved me . . . This book is a gem of necessary truths.” ― A Bookish Type

“This is a story about family relationships and how they can break and fail. It’s also about identity, suffering, broken social systems, and understanding how the past forms us. There’s a lot going on here, but these themes organically engage and shape one another.” ― Falling Letters

“Creating a protagonist such as Jessica Campbell allows Lee to flesh out in unflinching and sometimes droll ways the hamartia of privilege . . . If one person’s escape is another’s adversity, The Conjoined implies that we can no longer avert our eyes.” ― The Malahat Review

From the Back Cover

Longlisted for the 2018 International Dublin Literary Award

A masterful and gripping novel from "an undeniably talented writer" (Globe and Mail)

On a sunny May morning, social worker Jessica Campbell sorts through her mother's belongings after her recent funeral. In the basement, she makes a shocking discovery -- two dead girls curled into the bottom of her mother's chest freezers. She remembers a pair of foster children who lived with the family in 1988: Casey and Jamie Cheng -- troubled, beautiful, and wild teenaged sisters from Vancouver's Chinatown. After six weeks, they disappeared; social workers, police officers, and Jessica herself assumed they had run away.

As Jessica learns more about Casey, Jamie, and their troubled immigrant Chinese parents, she also unearths dark stories about Donna, whom she had always thought of as the perfect mother. The complicated truths she uncovers force her to take stock of own life.

Moving between present and past, this riveting novel unflinchingly examines the myth of social heroism and traces the often-hidden fractures that divide our diverse cities.

About this edition

• Publisher: ECW Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1770412840
• ISBN 13: 9781770412842
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272