I Know This Much Is True

Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by Thomas, the paranoid schizophrenic twin he both loves and resents. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into distinct yet connected entities in small-town Connecticut. From childhood, Dominick fights for separation and wholeness in a house of fear.

But Dominick's talent for survival comes at enormous personal cost. And it will be put to the ultimate test when his brother commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's life. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked within himself. He will have to search for the courage and love to forgive, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin.

This deeply moving and profoundly satisfying novel and illuminates our most urgent needs and fears: our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive, our yearning for self-determination. From anger through confusion to resolution, Dominick's journey will leave no reader untouched.

'Wally Lamb's achievement is to fore you to feel Dominick's pain … the events in his everyday nightmare are presented with a sneaky simplicity which generates emotional tension and even a subtle eroticism'
DAILY TELEGRAPH

'Every now and then a book comes along that sets new standards for writers and readers alike. Wally Lamb's latest novel is stunning – and even that night be an understatement'
ASSOCIATED PRESS