Twins in the World The Legends They Inspire and the Lives They Lead

by Piontelli, Alessandra

• ISBN13: 9780230605978
• ISBN10: 0230605974
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-15
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Twins in the World is a fascinating tour of the way twins are perceived by different cultures. Some societies revere while others abhor them. Crisscrossing the globe from Paraguay to Ethiopia to Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Alessandra Piontelli weaves together an illuminating narrative about the role multiple siblings play in ethnic traditions and customs. On a deeper level, it's a piercing story about family bonds and parental love that tells us much about the human condition. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Alessandra Piontelli is Professor of Child Neuropsychiatry and Researcher in the Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the University of Milan. She is also the author of Twins: From Fetus to Child.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction: A Personal Journey	p. 1
Our Twins	p. 11
Voodoo Twins	p. 25
Stone Idols	p. 41
The Big Shock	p. 53
Keepers and Outcasts	p. 67
Forced Adoption and the Sex Trade	p. 83
Let Nature Take Its Course	p. 99
The Hold of Superstition	p. 117
Heart of Darkness	p. 137
One Gender and One Only	p. 159
Abuse and Neglect	p. 173
Till Death Us Do Part	p. 185
Conclusion: Bringing It All Back Home	p. 203
Notes	p. 221
Bibliography	p. 235
Index	p. 247
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