Frankie and Alive, born on the eve of the Great Depression, are identical brothers-not twins, exactly; they’re the survivors of a set of triplets. Though they’re genetically indistinguishable, they’re different as oranges and avocados. Alvie, meek and thoughtful, frets every small decision and feels fairly certain his dead sister is haunting him. Frankie, brash and irrepressible, has a passion for bebop and five-card draw, and he isn’t above standing in for his brother when it suits him. As the two boys grow into men, through deceptions, betrayals, and twists of fate, they bend each other’s destinies. But then they both fall for the same remarkable woman, Lydia-the one soul who sees them both for who they truly are. She’s also the woman who has to choose between them. Read this once, and you’ll read it a second time. Then you’ll put it on the shelf and keep it along with the rest of your favorite books. This is an absolutely authentic portrait of an era and a portrayal of characters whose entangled lives become as hauntingly real as the people you know. -James P. Blaylock, award-winning author of The Rainy Season