Diary of a Lone Twin: A Memoir by David Loftus

From Goodreads

A heart-rending memoir of love, loss and the unique relationship twins share.

More than thirty years ago, David Loftus’s cherished identical twin, John, passed away. Ever since, a day hasn’t passed without David feeling the loss. In 1987, after recovering from a brain tumour, John contracted meningitis and found himself back in hospital for treatment. David, as always, was by his side. They were opening their twenty-fourth birthday presents when a fatally miscalculated routine injection forced John into a coma. He died within two weeks.

Over the past year, David has spent an hour every day remembering John and recording his story by hand. Diary of a Lone Twin is the product of that daily ritual – a powerful and deeply personal account that covers everything from enchanting and charmingly evoked childhood vignettes to the acute loneliness and raw pain that followed John’s death.

In sharing this beautifully written diary, award-winning and internationally acclaimed photographer David Loftus provides a rare insight for anyone who wishes to understand the bond between identical twins, and the unique bereavement of a lone twin that few people will ever experience.

My thoughts

I found this book on BorrowBox the digital lending side of my local Library.

I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10.

I have found recently that I am reading more non fiction books than I used to do. I was drawn to this one by the fact that I have cousins that are twins, in their case they are non identical but one of them was diagnosed with Kidney failure and was on dialysis for a number of years before a compatible organ donor was found. He missed his 21st Birthday celebrations as he had his Kidney transplant around that time. What greater gift could he have received?  He is now 53. He was one of the lucky ones and his life could so easily have taken a turn for the worse at any time due to his Kidney failure. The loss of any sibling is hard, but the bond between twins and especially the bond between identical twins must be that much greater. This shines through in this diary, David Loftus has shared his experiences of life as a lone twin, his thoughts and life since losing his twin brother.

I found this an enlightening look at life as a surviving twin and how being a twin in general has impacted on him.  The suffering that his twin brother went through as a result of his illness and the impact on the family.  

Sadly, one of my brothers died as a result of a benign Meningioma. So I have some idea of the impact that such an illness has on a family and can empathise with what David and his family went through

If you get chance to read this book, then please do as it's not all doom and gloom at all.