The Unintended
Publisher: Atlas Contact
A gripping novel about twins who were separated after birth
The Roman-Catholic Dutch province of Limburg, 1960s. A time when adoption is still in its infancy and the Mother Church calls the shots. The birth of twins Aaf and Annemarieke was not planned and they were given up for adoption against the wishes of their birth mother. The girls grow up in different families, unaware of each other’s existence. Only at the threshold of adulthood is this secret unveiled, and so their search begins. First for each other, then for the past they missed out on. The Unintended is a poignant story of promises, misses and gaps, of the unruly truth and its own instrument: chance.
Praise:
‘A rich and extraordinarily engaging, tightly composed novel (…) based on true events, a circumstance used by the author to play an ingenious game.’ – NRC
‘You cannot avoid becoming emotional when reading The Unintended; (…) based on true facts, this overwhelming story is about our lives and the loss we feel.’ – Limburgs Dagblad
‘In this novel about twins who were separated, Cobi van Baars makes the unbelievable believable. (…) Is it possible to miss the absent ‘other half’ if you don’t know them? These are questions commonly asked in separated–twin books, but the author’s skill make them feel new here. (…) Van Baars also cleverly manages to avoid all clichés and the ever–present risk of sentimentality that goes with the subject. With thanks to her witty, often laconic narrative style. (…) Almost automatically you follow the friendly–directive author. (…) You feel that you are being manipulated, but you surrender. Anyone who can do that, is undeniably an accomplished writer. (…) An impressive and moving book that demonstrates Cobi van Baars’ strong psychological insight and shows her to be a great author.’ – de Volkskrant, ****
