Someone Else's Twin: The True Story of Babies Switched at Birth [Hardcover]

Nancy L. Segal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2011

Foreword by Dr. Thomas J. Bouchard Jr.
Director of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart
Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Minnesota

Identical twins Delia and Begona were born thirty-seven years ago in Spain's Canary Islands. Due to chaotic conditions at the hospital or simple human error, Delia was unintentionally switched with another infant in the baby nursery.

In this fascinating story, Dr. Nancy L. Segal, herself a twin and an expert on twin research, describes the consequences of this unintentional separation of identical twin sisters. She considers not only the effects on these particular sisters, but the implications of this and similar cases for questions concerning identity, familial bonds, nature-nurture, and the law.

Delia and Begona grew up never knowing the truth about their birth, and their parents had no idea that an error had been made. When one twin was confused for the other by a friend during a chance encounter in a clothing store, the twins finally met at the age of twenty-eight. Once the startling discovery of the twins' actual identities was made, the families were in shock. The newly reunited sisters experienced mixed emotions and deep confusion, as did their parents, brothers, and sisters. Eventually, the case led to worldwide publicity and a lawsuit that lasted for years.

Based on her extensive research into the psychology of twins and interviews with family members, Dr. Segal explores many questions of universal human significance: How do mothers know who their biological children are? How much does our family contribute to our sense of self? Are we more like the people who raised us or the people we are born to? Can the legal system ever compensate parents for a mistake that really has no remedy?

Beyond the case of Delia and Begona, Dr. Segal discusses prior cases of twins and non-twins switched at birth. She also examines custodial decisions concerning children who are the result of donated sperm or eggs by individuals outside the rearing family. She further elucidates the benefits to children from adoption.

The combination of a riveting true story and cutting-edge twin research makes Someone Else's Twin an irresistible page-turner.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Insightful . . . with a solid mix of clinical observations . . . and compassionate reflections[,] Segal assesses complex legal, moral, and ethical questions." --Publishers Weekly

"On its face Someone Else's Twin is a gifted researcher's exploration of the moral and legal crises that resulted when a hospital failed at a routine task and switched twins at birth, denying them each other. But the book is also a profound and heartbreaking mystery story that confronts the issue of personal identity and provides answers to questions that have stumped us all: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?" --John Ed Bradley, author of Tupelo Nights and Restoration

"With the frequency of twinning almost doubling in the last thirty years, Segal's thorough yet affecting work serves as a modern window into nature versus nurture and the wrenching consequences of inadvertently twisted family ties. In some cases, the black sheep of a family is not a black sheep at all, just a misplaced one." --Preston Williams, Washington Post staff writer

"As an identical twin, Someone Else's Twin is a very personal story for me. I was struck by how Nancy Segal so poignantly portrayed the plight of twins switched at birth. It's beyond belief to me that the closeness I've come to share with my twin sister might never have been possible had this kind of switch happened to us. Truly a nightmare. Segal's attention to detail and professional and personal insight make this a fascinating read." --Nancy Stern Winters, Lookalike Productions

"Nancy Segal introduces the reader to a thought-provoking examination of who we are as individuals, demonstrating how easily that can all change through the carelessness of another. As a parent of monozygotic twins, and as a volunteer dedicated to improving the lives of multiple-birth individuals and their families, it is heartbreaking and overwhelmingly sad to see the long-term impact a mistake at birth can have on the lives and relationships of everyone involved." --Kimberley Weatherall, Chair, International Council of Multiple Birth Organizations (ICOMBO); acting executive director, Multiple Births Canada (MBC)

"Noted twin-study expert Segal... doubles the fascination with switched-at-birth twin research... Segal's study of switched-at-birth twins reveals much insight into the nature-vs.-nurture paradigm... An expert glimpse into the many-faceted world of genetics, family culture and identity." --Kirkus Reviews

'Segal writes clearly and passionately, and yet she rarely strays from the precise language of a social scientist. The result is an engaging narrative intertwined with a careful attempt to draw sound conclusions from the facts... The book has much to tell us about the ways in which genes, environments and their interactions shape who we are.' --Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com, Bookshelf) Sept 14, 2011

About the Author

Nancy L. Segal, Ph.D. (CA), is a professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton, and the director of the Twin Studies Center, which she founded in 1991. She is the author of Indivisible by Two: Lives of Extraordinary Twins and Entwined Lives: Twins and What They Tell Us about Human Behavior, and the senior editor of Uniting Psychology and Biology: Integrative Perspectives on Human Development. She is also an associate editor of Twin Research and Human Genetics, the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies. Dr. Segal's media appearances include Today, Good Morning America, 20/20, the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Martha Stewart Show, Discovery Health, and the Diane Rehm Show on NPR.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 301 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (July 19, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616144378
• ISBN-13: 978-1616144371
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Twins & Multiples
  • #51 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Relationships > Siblings

More About the Author

Nancy L. Segal, Ph.D. (CA), is a professor in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton, and the director of the Twin Studies Center, which she founded in 1991. She is the author of Indivisible by Two: Lives of Extraordinary Twins and Entwined Lives: Twins and What They Tell Us about Human Behavior, and the senior editor of Uniting Psychology and Biology: Integrative Perspectives on Human Development. She is also an associate editor of Twin Research and Human Genetics, the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies. Dr. Segal's media appearances include Today, Good Morning America, 20/20, the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Martha Stewart Show, Discovery Health, and the Diane Rehm Show on NPR.

Author photo by Michael Keel

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stranger Than Fiction; An Amazing Twin Tale, July 6, 2011

By 

Joan Friedman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Someone Else's Twin: The True Story of Babies Switched at Birth (Hardcover)

I just finished reading Someone Else's Twin - a great title, by the way!
Nancy Segal is a truly gifted investigative reporter - her research skills and knowledge add a tremendous sensibility to her lively writing style.
It is very evident that this book is a labor of love; it defines Segal's focused dedication to understanding the underpinnings of twinship.
Twenty-eight year old female identical twins inadvertently discover that they were switched at birth. The book chronicles how the lives of the twins and their families were impacted by this discovery. Segal discusses in vivid detail the psychological, legal, and sociological ramifications of such an event. Her tale is moving, and Segal does an excellent job describing how such a discovery can have both positive and negative outcomes. She presents the material in an evenhanded manner, bravely examining the joy as well as the sadness and emotional trauma involved in such a discovery in adulthood.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Segal does it again, August 30, 2011

By 

Abigail Pogrebin "Easily-bored reader" (new york, ny) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Someone Else's Twin: The True Story of Babies Switched at Birth (Hardcover)

Top twins researcher, Nancy Segal, has, once again, managed to find the incredible drama and suspense in true twins stories. As an identical twin myself, and a journalist who recently explored the intensity and complexity of being born double, I found "Someone Else's Twin" riveting from start to finish. Segal simply has no peer when it comes to a command of multiple human beings in the world. I can't recommend it more highly.
- Abigail Pogrebin, author of "One and the Same: My Life as an Identical Twin and What I've Learned about Everyone's Struggle to be Singular."

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars From a Reader not Astroturf, September 6, 2011

By 

N. Podolsky "N." (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Someone Else's Twin: The True Story of Babies Switched at Birth (Hardcover)

As an adopted child, I'm extremely interested in the topic, yet Ms. Segal's dry style and repetitiveness of the information in the book bored me. In the hands of a more creative writer, the stories would've been more suspenseful and enjoyable to read. Ms. Segal spent too much time on the setup, on how she'd gotten to Canary Islands, on how wonderful her translator was, e.t.c. The speech of the family members involved in the switch sounded as if they had a Ph.D. instead of being cooks and dishwashers; it lacked authenticity.

If you're not an academic, skip this book. If you are, I can't give you advice.