Christa ParravaniRecensioni

I'm not going to star this because I hope to come back to it someday. Beautifully written, but so unrelentingly sad that I couldn't go on.

To review the intimate memoir Loved and Wanted is to review the life of its author, Christa Parravani. It has been a rough several years for her. She’s trapped in a bad marriage, deeply in debt, and when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she loses her window to have an abortion due to red tape. Nonetheless, she turns her unfavorable circumstances into a beautifully rendered meditation on marriage, motherhood, and being female in the age of Trump. Highly recommended.

This raw memoir, a love letter to the author's twin, broke my heart. It took me much longer than usual to finish this book because the story drained me emotionally.

After the death of a twin, the surviving sibling's chance of long term survival decreases dramatically. Christa Parravani was on the path to become another statistic after her twin, Cara, died of a drug overdose in her bathroom, but pulled herself out of the spiral of self-destructive behavior and found redemption through the writing process.

Any writer can understand how putting pen to paper has the power to heal. This book made my heart ache but also renewed my faith in the power of words.

Christa writes about growing up as an identical twin, and her special bond to her twin sister. But then, also, about her sister's rape, and descent into drug abuse and death. As she struggles to come to terms with Cara's death, she finds herself lost in a desire to become her deceased sister, and struggles with her own demons and drug use. It is easy, perhaps for the reader to ask, why does she do this?, or why is she making these mistakes? But perhaps we can never know what it is like unless we are a twin, or lose a sibling, especially an identical twin. Christa does eventually come out on the other side, but the story of her journey is a compelling one.

This was an interesting but very sad memoir of an identical twin who loses her sister. Well written and interesting.

When Christa Parravani's twin sister is raped, she changes from a shining star with a bright future to a darkly addicted individual. This is Parravani's account of what transpired with her sister (including bits from her twins own writing), including the rape and subsequent abuse that led to her death. Powerful, moving, and tragic... but written in a way that doesn't seem like the author is parading her tragedy around for attention.

I’m not fond of depressing memoirs, but I will make an exception to this story of identical twins. One never recovers from a brutal rape and finds solace in drugs and eventually dies. The struggle the remaining twin has is so saddening. For those of us who lack someone as close as a twin, this story is a fascinating look with no rose-colored glasses used for the telling of the story.

Her life story is compelling. The pain a woman goes through once raped. The pain a woman goes through after an indentical twin kills herself. However, the writing style was difficult for me to get through. I felt like large parts of the story was omitted. Also there was a new age feeling to the book.

Saw this book in the library after I had just finished The Sisters Antipodes, and thought I'd read something in a similar vein. Maybe it was the comparison that made me dislike this book so much - the raw, ungainly writing that had not the slightest pretext of being transmuted into art. I just got so sick of Cara, of all her problems and about all the minute details of her life that had no relevance to the story (like how long a drink of water she took when her twin was in the restroom, etc. etc.

I love reading about twins, but this was just a slog. I'm sorry her twin died, but writing is just not her milieu. A book of photographs might have been more artful.

A heartbreaking story about twins who both struggle with addiction and life in general. One of the twins experiences a traumatic event and sinks even deeper into her addiction to drugs. Eventually she dies of an overdose. This book was written as an attempt by the surviving twin,Christa Parravani, to make sense of life without her other half.The author is a gifted writer and she will draw you in with her raw honesty and beautiful prose.

Christa Parravani writes about her life with her identical twin, Cara, and her struggle to survive in the aftermath of Cara’s accidental death. It is a memoir that tells a somewhat typical story of a difficult childhood situation, sibling rivalry, a traumatic life-changing event, and substance abuse. However, the story is in no way told in an ordinary manner. Christa’s writing is so rich and vivid, you can almost feel yourself in her place as she tries to convey the deep connection between her and her sister. Her tale of survival echoes the story many of us live when trying to make sense of events that shatter our lives and change us in unexpected ways. It is a wonderfully well written book and I finished it in 2 days.

A very honest memoir about Prravani's life and loss of her identical twin sister. The book takes you through her life growing up with Cara and the bond they had as twins, to Christa's life after Cara's sudden death. I loved how effortlessly Cara's writings were incorporated into the book. This book was sad, loving, and beautiful.½

The Urban Dictionary defines a "hot mess" as "When [one's] thoughts or appearance are in a state of disarray but [he or she] they maintain[s] an undeniable attractiveness or beauty." Hot mess is just the term for twins Cara and Christa Parravani. Abandoned by their father as children, the two sisters spent their twenties going from man to man and substance to substance. They had a seriously codependent relationship with each other; Cara begged Christa and her new husband to let her (Cara) join them on their honeymoon. After Cara was the victim of a devastating rape, she fell into a downward spiral that ended in her death. Surviving twin Christa, the author of this affecting memoir, had to learn a new way of living as a "twinless twin". I highly recommend this beautifully written and compelling memoir.

This is a raw and devastating memoir about what it means to lose an identical twin. After being raped Cara Parravani fell into deep depression and substance abuse, which culminated in her suicide. Cara's identical twin, Christa, was left to pick up the pieces. for those who are not twins, this is a fascinating read about what it is like to have another person who feels like part of your body. In grief Christa faces her own depression and addiction.

This is a deep and emotional memoir. It highlights the prevalence of abuse-- the Parravani girls are abused as children, and Cara is raped as an adult. It shows the dangers and miseries of substance abuse, and the overwhelmingness of grief. This memoir is both elegantly written and affecting.

Christa Parravani's memoir of her twin's death helps the reader understand how the earth seemed to shift underneath the author as she navigated a twinless life. One way Parravani's conveys this is by structuring the first third of the memoir non-linearly. Readers learn, almost haphazardly, about the twins's parents' marriage, Cara's death, Cara's rape, each sister's marriage, and the girls' childhoods. Consequently, readers always feel as if the narrative and, by extension, Christa's life, is unsettled -- which is exactly what the author then shows in the later two-thirds of the book. A strong showing, but I prefer linear memoir.

First Published on We Should Make T-Shirts

This one goes down as the best book I've read so far this year. The writing is beautiful and incredibly tragic. It was actually a little painful to read at times, but I couldn't stop because I was so hooked.

Christa tells the story of her sister's death and her own resulting breakdown interspersed with italicized passages of Cara's writing. Even though Cara's words are marked differently, they weave so easily into Christa's that it was easy to forget who's voice I was currently reading in.

I'm very close to my brother, Michael, who is four years younger than me. My mom often jokes that we were supposed to be twins and my brother was just late. So, a lot of Christa's struggles with drifting apart from Cara hit pretty close to home. The idea of losing my brother is unimaginable; it would be like losing a part of myself. So I can't even begin to understand what it must be like to lose someone who is literally one half of you. Christa writes about all of our worst fears; only they really happened to her.

This book would be an excellent read for anyone that has experienced or is experiencing slowly losing someone to an addiction. It's a reminder that none of us is alone, and that we can only help our loved ones when they are ready to help themselves.

I typically judge how much I like a book by how likely I am to read it again. I want to say that this is one I'd reread, but I would have to wait awhile before I do. It's heartbreaking, but SO beautifully written.

Favorite Quote:

"So be it. I love her, like I love no one else. I am in love with Cara. If I couldn't die with her, I could write my sister back to life."

Truly terrific book. I am only about 8 chapters in, but I am impressed at the sensitivity and beauty of the writing. I am close to my sisters, but can not imagine what it is like to have a twin and lose her.
I am done with the book, and still thought it was beautifully written, but was engulfed by the sadness Christa felt. I am at a loss for words, the agony went on and on, the self hatred for being the one left alive was palpable. The people involved in her life must truly have suffered as well. My only wish for the book was that I wish there had been some photos of the 2 girls together. So many of them were talked about, it would have been nice to be graced by the beauty of the narrative. I did win an advanced copy, so I hope photos are included in the finished book.½

Her, a memoir by Christa Parravani was absolutely stunning. Stunning in the most fucked up way. Stunning in how I had to read parts of it out of the corner of my eye because I simply couldn't deal with it. There is so much emotion and pain and grief and sickness and just . . . humanness. The worst side of humanness.This is a memoir about Christa and her identical twin sister, Cara, who tragically died as the result of an overdose. There's a lot more going on though than just a tale of one drug-addicted twin and her sister. I have always been sympathetic to those who struggle with addiction - probably because I am myself a recovering alcoholic - but this is a story that really gets to the heart of what we run from when we run with drugs and/or alcohol.

I don't want to say too much about the content of the plot, but I will say that the pacing was excellent, the writing tight, and the story very affecting. You know from the first few pages that Cara dies, but then we're taken back a number of years to watch her decline. As the time of her death neared I found it harder and harder to read.

When I finally got to the chapter where Cara's death was described, I had to put the book aside for a few days before I could read it. I just wasn't ready to lose her yet. I felt such genuine sadness for this girl, and for her sister who was completely lost without her twin.

This book is not recommended for those who like to read as an escape, because it will make you uncomfortable and sad and angry and any number of other emotions. I would highly recommend it to many other people though, including those who are interested in addiction, twins and hauntingly beautiful tales. If you are the type who likes to read a memoir and feel as though you're reading someone's diary and their innermost thoughts, then this is a book you should run out and get.

This was a heart-breaking, yet amazing read. I have close friend who is a twin. She lost her sister and this really opened my eyes to the very close bond that twins share. It's such a heart felt story. Anyone who has lost someone will appreciate and identify with the grief process. I highly recommend this book. Just make sure you have some tissues handy.

My latest memoir read and early review installment is the captivating tale of Christa Parravani, one half of a set of identical twins.

Her book tells the narrative of two girls who go through life together and when one of them dies tragically, the other is left to discover what it means to be alone. I have never understood so thoroughly what being a twin must be like, and I found that the parts of the narrative that discuss the power of identity and the ties of love specifically between twins to be the most interesting part of this memoir. I felt real pain for Christa as she attempted to navigate life without her other half.

Reader's should be warned that there is a horrifying rape scene in the early chapters of the book, that was written by the rape survivor, Cara, the twin who died (by drug overdose). The author of this memoir included several excerpts from the deceased twin's journals to illustrate many points of their lives together. Among those excerpts is the description of the rape that led Cara to the circumstances of her eventual death. I loved the extra point of view of the twin's lives together. Cara had a captivating voice as well and it is a tragedy that her life ended early.

This story is sad, beautiful and worthwhile reading. The message, corny as it sounds, rang clear and true: love always wins over death.

Her is a powerfully written memoir that explores the relationship between identical twin sisters through life and into the death of one of the sisters. The sisters seem to experience an almost gothic series of troubles, from an abusive parent to a harrowingly violent rape to drug abuse, with bouts of depression and anorexia thrown in. Parravani is a compelling narrator, though, and her experiences and emotions are conveyed powerfully without much reliance on melodrama or self-pity. Her is not easy to read but it is compelling and thought provoking.

Christa and Cara are identical twins who embody the myth of closeness - two people, one soul. Their bond is not only forged from biology and the womb but strengthened by overcoming a difficult childhood and all adversities that come with poverty and abuse.
But, what happens when one twin starts to spiral out of control? Does the other twin remain independently strong or does she get dragged down with her mirror image sibling? When Cara survives a brutal rape the violence never leaves her mind and she embarks on a journey full of drugs and self destruction. The more Cara sinks into depression and recklessness the more Christa struggles to stay above her sister's chaos. Christa wrestles with finding the delicate balance between loving her sister and wanting to save herself. This becomes especially dangerous when she is desperate to save her sister at the risk of losing herself. Finally, when faced with failure Christa has the seemingly insurmountable task of extracting her life from that of her sister's. To look into Cara's coffin was to see herself. Part Two of her is Christa's journey to find herself; to crawl out from under the mountain of grief; to be her own singular person.

Postscript ~ Being very familiar with the area where Cara was raped I refrained from looking at Christa's photography until I was finished with the book. I have to be honest, the photographs are so striking I kept returning to them. They add an air of quiet melancholy and bring Cara and Christa's "twinness" into sharper focus. I would say to add more of these photographs to the memoir would make the story even more haunting (if that was even possible).½

Her is a memoir written by Christa Parravani. Christa's sister Cara died from a drug overdose sending her sister spiraling into grief. This is very well written and quite possibly one of the saddest books I've ever read. After just a few pages in I had to go look for myself of the photographs of Christa and Cara on the website mentioned in the letter that accompanied the book. I think this will be one of those books that I think about long after the last page.

Christa Parravani's twin sister Cara died after an accidental drug overdose, a battle with mental illness, and surviving a brutal rape. This is Christa's story of life, loss, and survival. It's honest, at times brutally so. Lots of tough stuff is given in detail. It's a challenging read, but I was glad to persevere through it. A minor quibble - the book's cover image is fantastic and well composed - I wish there were a note somewhere in the book that told me for certain if this is the winter in Massachucetts photo described in the narrative, and not some posed and polished book cover art.