The Foursome A Novel

Named One of Oprah Daily's 24 Best Books of Summer

"Kline has set herself a formidable task in The Foursome, [and her] success can be attributed to her choice of narrator: the initially reluctant, always questioning Sarah .... Kline doesn't shy away from the awkward logistics of Sarah's extraordinary domestic arrangement, but what's remarkable is her ability to downplay its sensational aspect in favor of its emotional complexity." -The New York Times Book Review

"Remarkable and captivating...Incredibly, the wonderful historical novelist behind Orphan Train is a descendant of the pair, and brings their Civil War-era story to life with vivid detail and rare empathy." -Oprah Daily

"[Kline's] portrait of Sarah convincingly captures what it would be like to be a woman with few options....[She] skillfully straddles the divide between the rarity of the conjoined brothers and the conventionality of their marriages." -Star Tribune

"Extraordinary." -People Magazine

"Mesmerizing...A gripping story about identity, relationships, prejudice, and more." -Real Simple

"A daring and deeply empathetic tale." -The Millions

"Emotionally moving, hard to put down ... Written with compassion and sensitivity, [The Foursome] gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the once perceived scandalous lives of the two Yates-Bunker families." -Library Journal (starred review)

"A riveting and insightful story." -Kirkus (starred review)

"Avoiding sensationalism and hewing closely to the historical record, Kline subtly and often poetically documents the small, daily choices that shape these lives. It's remarkable." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Christina Baker Kline has the heart, the wisdom, and the courage to tell the story of these twins and their wives not as some weird relic plucked from America's cabinet of curiosities, but as a great love story: human, awkward, puzzling, complex, battered by time and circumstance, and yet, somehow, enduring." -Alice McDermott, National Book Award winning author of Charming Billy

"Christina Baker Kline is a masterful storyteller with an extraordinary subject in The Foursome. Chang and Eng can literally never be apart, which means that their wives-Addie and her sister Sarah-are also held in an impossible proximity to each other. What a wonderful study of intimacy of all kinds, of love and tolerance, of growing together and growing apart. In short, of what it is to be human." -Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Hello, Beautiful

"The Foursome explores the complexities of marriage, sisterhood, and raising children at a time and place where conformity was the norm and change was just beginning to stir. Kline weaves a beautiful tapestry of love, doubt, identity, and resilience in a world that left little room for differences. I really loved this book." -Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Keeper of Lost Children

"The Foursome is a triumph of empathy and imagination, a wildly engaging, morally-complex story made even richer by Christina Baker Kline's fascinating connection to the real-life Chang and Eng Bunker." -Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins

"The Foursome is a breathtaking dive into identity, history and romantic love set against the backdrop of a country in turmoil. Chang and Eng Bunker are conjoined twins who marry Addie and Sallie and build their lives in pre-Civil War North Carolina. Emotional, often raw, the story of two families buffeted by physical impediments and societal constraints is told over decades that bring massive changes that upend their world. This novel is an unforgettable page turner replete with the author's immersive style. The Foursome stands as the jewel in the crown of Christina Baker Kline's dazzling career." -Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The View From Lake Como

"Christina Baker Kline has taken the story of the famous 19th century conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker, and their wives the Yates sisters, and transformed this often sensationalized slice of history into a deeply felt, meticulously observed exploration of the mystery of marriage and family that portrays the ways in which good-hearted people can both reflect the prejudices of their era and question them in a community beset by a brutal civil war. I have loved all Kline's books; this beautiful, thought-provoking novel is her best yet. A rare and courageous marvel." -Alice Elliott Dark, author of Fellowship Point