Shelly is our discussion leader this month, and I’ll be butting in from time to time as usual. It’s what I do.

This from Shell:

What made you interested in reading The Girls by Lori Lansens? Was it merely the fact that it was the chosen book for S4L Book Club, or did something else draw you in?

For me, it was the fact that I’ve watched two documentary-ish shows involving conjoined twins. One set of girls is in their teens, going about their lives in normal fashion…learning to drive, going to school, hanging out with friends. This set of twins is joined from approximately the waist down. They each have one leg over which they have control. They share one bladder, one uterus, etc. What strikes me as particularly interesting is that they do not have the urge to empty their bladder at the same time. As a result, they use the bathroom each time either of them says she has to go. Things like that fascinate me.

The other set of twins is girls as well. These women are well into adulthood and, like Rose and Ruby, they are craniopagus twins. These women have varied interests and activities. I wish I could remember more details from the show, but the story remains fuzzy in my brain. What I do recall, however, is that the two shows left me wanting to know more. That curiosity pulled me in to the story of Ruby and Rose.

A bit about Shelly:

Jen and I have been friends since 7th grade. Was it mere circumstance that led us to be friends? The fact that we had so many classes together? I’m not sure. Presently, I’m a stay-at-home mom of four kids. Prior to becoming a mom, I was an ortho/neuro nurse and loved my job. My husband and I had a plan for me to return to nursing, eventually, so that I could earn some $$ for the kids’ college years. We thought I’d return to the work force when our youngest child entered first grade. Bryson, our youngest child, is now a proud 4th grader, but I haven’t quite gotten back to work yet. I can’t figure out how I can work and be on the various boards on which I serve, or go to school in the middle of the day to watch play performances or volunteer for special activities, or go to track meets, baseball games, etc. Maybe one day I’ll be a grown-up again. For now, I love my work as a mom.

From Jen: Shelly is, and always has been, an extreme reader. I know a lot of readers these days, but I don’t know a single one who reads more than Shell.