July 8, 2019
The Canadian musician authors focus on their high school years in this moody memoir set in the mid-1990s. The twin sisters tell their story in alternating chapters whose topics include first loves, coming out as gay, and making music. They heartbreakingly recall the girls they fell for and the discomfort that came with hiding their romantic relationships from critical adults. Even though the two bickered as teenagers (“It didn’t matter what it was; everything was a battlefield,” Sara writes), music always brought them together. Their life-changing moment came when they found their stepfather’s guitar and played it for the first time. Their descriptions of touching the guitar match up strikingly. Writes Tegan: “Its thick body pressed into my thighs... the desire to play it felt instinctive.” Adds Sara: “The weight of the wood felt intimate, touching almost all of me at once.” The sisters began composing songs and eventually entered a contest that would get them a deal with PolyGram Records. The narrative ends as they gear up to make a name for themselves as artists. This quiet memoir—which includes family photos—will appeal to fans interested in the duo’s formative years.
