Niffenegger’s ‘Fearful Symmetry’ completely captivating

  The lives of twins, especially identical twins, always have been interesting to a mostly “singular birth” society. But “mirror” or asymmetrical twins are considered to be exceptionally rare. In Audrey Niffenegger’s latest novel, “Her Fearful Symmetry,” she takes a look at this unique sibling relationship and how it affects everyone involved, both living and dead. 
  When Elspeth Noblin dies, she leaves her London flat to her twin sister’s twin daughters, Julia and Valentina, with a provision that the girls must live in the apartment for one year before they can sell it, and that their mother and father may never enter the place. The girls had never met their English aunt. They only knew that their mother, who had moved to American and was estranged from her sister, would not talk about her. So, anxious to escape their parents' dull suburban life, the twins set out on what they hope is an adventure, but what would soon turn out to be a life-changing experience for everyone involved.
  The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders famed Victorian-era Highgate Cemetery. They become acquainted with the building's other residents: Martin, a brilliant crossword puzzle setter suffering from crippling obsessive-compulsive disorder whose wife, Marjike, has left him because she can no longer cope with his eccentricities; and Robert, their aunt Elspeth's former lover, who is working on a thesis about the neighboring cemetery and can’t seem to get over his grief. Robert is amazed at the young set of “mirror” twins, and is a little frightened at how much they resemble his beloved Elspeth.
  As the girls become settled into their new life, they discover they have an elusive roommate — the ghost of their aunt, who can't seem to leave her old apartment and life behind. At first benevolent, Elspeth soon becomes very demanding and frustrated in her attempt to contact the outside world, to let someone know she is still there, still aware of her surroundings and the dramas playing out before her.
  Six years after the release of her best-selling novel “The Time Traveler's Wife,” Niffenegger delights and fascinates her readers with “Her Fearful Symmetry,” a mesmerizing and intriguing novel set in and around the famed Highgate Cemetery area in London. Part romance, part ghost story, and completely captivating, this is a story that grabs your attention from the first chapter and doesn’t let go until the surprising ending. There is never a dull moment here as Niffenegger explores the unique life of this family of twins and their obsessive search for identities of their own.
  Particularly interesting is the information and facts Niffenegger includes throughout the story about Highgate Cemetery, where she often guides tours among the famous and infamous dead who permanently reside there.
  Deliciously spooky, “Her Fearful Symmetry” is a novel readers won’t soon forget.