So it is with "The Girls," an enchanting, humorous and at times poignant tale by Canadian author Lori Lansens, whose first novel, "Rush Home Road," was a best-seller in Canada.The heroines of this book are conjoined twins, but don't let that turn you off. This is not a story about sideshow attractions. The girls of the title are Rose and Ruby Darlen, sisters joined side-by-side at the head who have learned how to navigate a world that sometimes rejects them, but more often embraces them.From the opening sentence -- "I have never looked into my sister's eyes" -- the reader is hooked into the lives of these craniopagus twins who have two distinct personalities, two sets of talents, hopes and desires.Born just outside Toronto during a tornado and abandoned by their unwed teenage mother, the girls are adopted by their childless nurse and her husband, the loving and practical Aunt Lovey and the kindly Slovak, Uncle Stash. In their small-town farmhouse, the Darlens offer the girls a stable life, treating them like normal kids and encouraging them to reach beyond their limitations, of which, surprisingly, there aren't many.Rose is the taller, stronger twin who carries her smaller sister, the "pretty one," on her hip, one arm around Ruby's waist, Ruby's legs and clubbed feet wrapped around Rose's middle. The girls accept this awkward arrangement without self-pity."We have less natural symbiosis when one of us (usually Ruby) is sick, but mostly our dance is a smooth one," Rose writes. "We hate doing things in unison, such as answering yes or no at the same time. . . . I know Ruby's gestures as my own, through the movements of her muscle and bone. I love my sister as I love myself. I hate her that way too."In another passage, Rose writes about listening to Ruby sing, not only hearing the words, but also feeling the vibration in her head. It is these intimate details that show how much Lansens is in tune with her characters and how eloquently she bestows their uniqueness on the reader. Indeed, the reader easily forgets that these girls aren't real people living down the street.As the book opens, the girls are approaching their 30th birthday and Rose has decided to write their autobiography, tapping away for hours on her laptop. She encourages Ruby to join in, and she does, reluctantly, writing in longhand. The chapters in "The Girls" change with each girl's voice, each one offering different perspectives on situations in their lives.It's Ruby who reveals that Rose has a brain aneurysm that could cause their lives to be cut short at any time, which pushes Rose to finish writing their story. And while Rose is a natural storyteller, Ruby's voice takes on its own strength while their physical nature deteriorates.One of the most compelling chapters deals with the girls' first teenage experience with the opposite sex. When a handsome local boy dallies with them in his bedroom, he kisses Ruby while impregnating Rose. She later gives birth to a baby girl, gives her up for adoption, and spends her later years yearning to find her daughter.The author's unsentimental portrait of the girls -- along with many comic and courageous moments -- drives this novel into the reader's heart. And, as much as you want Rose and Ruby's story to continue, you know it can't. But these unforgettable characters will live on outside the pages of this book.

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