Finding Ruby Starling by Karen Rivers (review)

Thanks to online image-searching, twelve-year-old adoptee Ruth Quayle has found stylish Ruby Starling, her identical twin sister living in England. As Ruth and Ruby correspond with each other and their respective parents and friends in this email-based epistolary novel, the circumstances of Ruth’s adoption emerge, as do the many emotions and occasional secrets that accompany the adoption process, from initial surrender to potential reunion. While the girls wrestle with why Ruth was given up for adoption in the United States while their biological mother returned to the UK with Ruby, they also seek to reassure their loved ones who, in turn, struggle to support them while coping with their own feelings of shock and concern. Though the initial premise conjures images of Hayley Mills (or, for the younger set, Lindsay Lohan), this very human novel wisely turns instead to a deeper exploration of familial bonds. The story is sympathetic to all members of the adoption triad—biological parent(s), adoptive parents, and adoptee—without losing the magic of discovering a twin, and it’s easy to forgive any implausibility. Budding romances and supportive friendships for both girls round out the details of their preteen existence, smartly combining relatability, levity, and emotional depth to leave readers wanting only the best for Ruth, Ruby, and the people in their lives.