DESCRIPTION:
Everyone knows, but no one talks.
Identical twins Dolores and Mita grow up in lockstep in rural Brazil, speaking their own secret language, dancing together, inseparable even when they sleep. But at age seven, they discover that Mita has a degenerative condition—and Dolores does not. On the cusp of adolescence, Mita's illness becomes debilitating, and without telling Dolores, their parents send Mita across the Atlantic Ocean to a hospital in their father’s native London.
The rest of the family moves to Rio and begins to live a bourgeouis lifestyle, but Dolores is miserable there. She misses her small-town and most especially her twin, who her parents seem to have forgot ever existed. And she has no way to contact Mita—particularly since, at twelve years old, Dolores still cannot read or write. She is desperate to speak to her again—and desperately alone and unhappy at her posh new school. But everything begins to change when she meets a brave, headstrong girl from the favelas who shows Dolores a new side of Rio, and how to survive it.
Tensions are on the rise with the dictatorial government cracking down on protesters and dissenters. Both at home and in the country at large, there are cover-ups at play—and Dolores pushes to find the truth about right and wrong, her lost sister and her place in life. In a setting where repression and silencing were part of everyday life, Liar’s Dice is about the secrets we hold, both personal and political, and the consequences of keeping them. Atmospheric and intimate, Juliet Faithfull's coming of age novel captures the intensity of forming your own identity, and the courage and love required to forge a different life.
Liar’s Dice tells the story of Dolores, who knows one thing with absolute certainty - she loves her twin sister, Mita, without reservation. Sadly, Mita suffers from serious illnesses, and eventually their parents make the painful decision to send her to a hospital in London in hopes that she might finally recover. Although their parents deeply love both daughters and want the best for Mita, Dolores is left heartbroken and lonely. While the rest of the family continues their lavish lifestyle in Rio, Dolores struggles with Mita’s absence and longs desperately for her sister’s return. It is perhaps that loneliness and desperation that lead Dolores to form a new friendship and receive an unexpected lesson about life.
Juliet Faithfull has done a remarkable job with this debut novel. It is a moving and beautifully written coming-of-age story filled with emotion and heart. I became deeply invested in both sisters and found it impossible not to care about what happened to them. The novel balances heartbreak, family dynamics, and personal growth in a way that feels both authentic and compelling. I am very much looking forward to reading more of Faithfull’s work in the future.
Many thanks to Random House / A Thousand Voices and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
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