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In
One Skin, by Kristina Olsson. University of Queensland
Press, 2001. RRP $19.95 |
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The
skin is the largest organ in the human body. It is made
up of cells which complete a miraculous process of self-renewal
every seven years. Human skin is distinctly soft and hairless,
unlike any other from the animal world. Through it we
respond to cold, light, touch and the lack of it; thus,
through our skin are we made vulnerable and uniquely human.
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Kristina
Olsson's debut book In One Skin is therefore aptly
named for its rich exploration of human vulnerability
and the process of change. Essentially a women's story,
it is about the relationship between two sisters Elena
and Evelyn who, abandoned by their mother in childhood,
find the emotional and psychological traumas of their
past resurfacing as they struggle to raise children of
their own.
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The
two sisters are closely bonded yet opposite in every way.
The story begins with Evelyn's mysterious disappearance
and then follows Elena's search for an explanation in
the entries of a diary she has left behind. The story
maps out the two women's differing journeys, the outcomes
of which mirror an important choice we are all given in
life. To simply repeat or 'play out' the patterns of parenting
that were shown to us in childhood, or to choose another
path, one of healing, growth and ultimately, metamorphosis.
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