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Overview
The combination of a riveting true story and cutting-edge twin research makes this book an irresistible page-turner. Identical twins Begoña and Delia were born thirty-eight years ago in Spain’s Canary Islands. Due to chaotic conditions at the hospital or simple human error, the unthinkable happened: Delia was unintentionally switched with another infant in the baby nursery. This fascinating story describes in vivid detail the consequences of this unintentional separation of identical twin sisters. The author considers not only the effects on these particular sisters, but the important implications of this and similar cases for questions concerning identity, familial bonds, nature-nurture, and the law. Begoña and Delia grew up never knowing the truth about their birth, and their parents had no idea that an error had been made. When one twin was confused for the other by a friend during a chance encounter in a clothing store, the twins finally met at the age of twenty-eight. Once the startling discovery of the twins’ actual identities was made, the families were traumatized and in shock. The newly reunited sisters were forced to confront shattered identities and deep confusion, as were their parents, brothers, and sisters. Eventually, the case led to worldwide publicity and a lawsuit that dragged on for years. Based on her extensive research into the psychology of twins and exclusive interviews with family members, the author probes the deep implications of this unique situation, exploring many questions of universal human significance: How do mothers know who their biological children are? How much does our family contribute to our sense of self? Are we more like the people who raised us or the people we were born to? Can the legal system ever compensate parents for a mistake that really has no remedy? In exploring these and other thought-provoking questions, the author offers valuable insights into the ways in which our genetic inheritance and familial environments combine to shape the individuals we become. Beyond the case of Begoña and Delia, the author adds context by discussing prior cases of twins and non-twins switched at birth. She also examines custodial decisions concerning children who are the result of donated sperm or eggs by individuals outside the rearing family and offers careful analysis of several options for modifying hospital procedures to prevent the trauma of future baby-switching incidents.
Synopsis
The combination of a riveting true story and cutting-edge twin research makes this book an irresistible page-turner. Identical twins Begoña and Delia were born thirty-eight years ago in Spain's Canary Islands. Due to chaotic conditions at the hospital or simple human error, the unthinkable happened: Delia was unintentionally switched with another infant in the baby nursery. This fascinating story describes in vivid detail the consequences of this unintentional separation of identical twin sisters. The author considers not only the effects on these particular sisters, but the important implications of this and similar cases for questions concerning identity, familial bonds, nature-nurture, and the law.Editorials
From Barnes & Noble
Long-lost siblings have been the subject of numerous novels and films, but real-life stories of such separations possess infinitely more poignancy than any contrivance. Nancy L. Segal's Someone Else's Twin explores surprisingly frequent cases of maternity ward mix-ups and their fascinating long-term consequences. She focuses particularly on separated-at-birth identical twins on what their development tells us about nature vs. nurture, sibling closeness, and personality traits. A fascinating probe of foundlings gone awry.
Publishers Weekly
For more than two decades, psychologist and fraternal twin Segal (Entwined Lives) has studied twins reared together and apart to draw broad conclusions about human development. In this insightful book, she now considers cases of twins unintentionally separated by health-care workers, the frequency of such mistakes, efforts to safeguard infant identity, and the difficulty of gauging adequate compensation. While Segal discusses other instances, much of her book relates her fall 2009 visit to Spain's Canary Islands to interview a pair of separated-at-birth identical twins, who discovered their twinship as adults; their parents; and siblings. With a solid mix of clinical observations (e.g., that genetic influences outweigh environment on personality and intelligence) and compassionate reflections (e.g., that twins suffer from the time of a separation), Segal assesses complex legal, moral, and ethical questions. (Aug.)Library Journal
Twin studies have proven to be a valuable tool for assessing the influence of genetic factors on individual traits and behavior. Here, however, Segal (psychology, California State Univ.; Entwined Lives: Twins and What They Tell Us About Human Behavior), who has an extensive research background in twin studies (and is a twin herself), provides a novel twist on the traditional nature vs. nurture debate. Though other twin scenarios are reviewed, the main focus is a case study of three young women from the Canary Islands who faced the trauma of being switched at birth. Segal covers the complex issues arising from such a scenario—which may affect approximately 20,000 children annually in the United States—including maternal/paternal certainty, infant ID systems, long- and short-term best interests of children, damage assessments, and effects on other family members. Several of these issues may affect other planned and less dramatic forms of collaborative parenting. Original research forms the basis for this book, but the reporting style is more journalistic than technical. Comprehensive notes accompany the text. VERDICT Authoritative and accessible, this is recommended for public libraries and professional collections serving counselors, advocates, and administrators concerned with this unique form of malpractice.—Antoinette Brinkman, M.L.S., Evansville, INKirkus Reviews
Noted twin-study expert Segal (Psychology/California State Univ., Fullerton;Indivisible by Two, 2007, etc.) doubles the fascination with switched-at-birth twin research.
The author's latest study took her to Spain's Canary Islands to interview identical twins Alicia and Blanca, and Blanca's biologically unrelated sister Carla. All three women were born in the same hospital in 1973, but hospital officials mistakenly sent Carla home as Blanca's "identical twin." Alicia, the real twin, was released to a different family and raised as a single child. Over the years, things seemed odd—Carla didn't really look or act like her twin, for one—but the switch was only revealed after a coincidental encounter in a shopping mall when the women were 28. The shocking discovery had many effects, including emotional trauma and a lawsuit that dragged on for years. Both families were thrust into the media spotlight. Segal's study of switched-at-birth twins reveals much insight into the nature-vs.-nurture paradigm. Identical twins Alicia and Blanca had the same walk and gestures, but Alicia also had similarities to her biological mother, whom she had never met—they even wore the same lipstick. Segal, a fraternal twin, spearheaded the study of virtual twins—i.e., "same age unrelated children reared together since infancy."The author references other cases as well, like that of Brent and George, identical twins who met for the first time while at college.
An expert glimpse into the many-faceted world of genetics, family culture and identity.