Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld

It is true, this would very likely be labeled 'chick lit', and while that is not a genre that I am overly fond of, I love everything this author has written. So it is really no surprise that I loved this book as well.

Violet (Vi) and Daisy are identical twins who have a mother who never wanted or loved them and a predilection to see the future, which estranged them from almost everyone (including their mother) except each other.  Vi embraces her psychic gift, even though she is the less gifted of the two, but Daisy shuns it--in order to do so, she starts going by her middle name, Kate, and she leaves her depressed mother and her middle school traumas behind to start a new life.  When Vi tries to bring herself back into Kate's sphere, Kate drives her back to their childhood home and leaves her on the doorstep.  Literally.  As a result, the divide between the twins widens. 

Kate grows up to be a stay at home mother with a university professor husband who is practically perfect and Vi never finishes college.  She struggles with romance up until the time she comes out of the closet, at which point she starts to relax and blossom under the loving gaze of another woman.  There are several plot points that keep the reader on the edge of their seat, but really, the best part of the story is in the telling--Sittenfeld is a joy to read, her prose is so natural, hitting all the right tones.  A wonderful read.