But, alas, the remarkable Bunker Twins, lived in Siam (now Thailand) and in their North Carolina homes from 1811-74 and despite several publications that came out during their lives and some biographies that appeared later (most prominently, The Two, by Irving and Amy Wallace in 1978), not much is known about Chang and Eng. Until now. Author Darin Strauss has taken on the formidable challenge of putting words into the mouth of one of the most famous conjoined twins in history and the result is the impressive, new novel Chang and Eng: a Novel' (Dutton, June, 2000).

It's important to realize that Strauss' new book is pure fiction. Most of the story is based on actual events in the twins lives; their childhood in Siam, their journey to the United States as youngsters and worldwide touring, and most prominently, their courtship of sisters Sally and Adelaide Yates and fruitful marriages that produced a combined 21 children. But Strauss penned his debut novel allowing his fictional historical speculation to be told by one narrator--Eng, and the story truly centers around one man's struggles for love, independence and the meaning of his life.

You wonder how much of what happens in 'Chang and Eng' really happened. Did Eng detest his attached twin as greatly as Strauss hypothesizes? Did Eng harbor a secret love for Chang's wife, Adelaide? Did any of the real-life encounters that the brothers experience in the book with the King of Siam, with PT Barnum and with the Yates Family occur as are detailed in the novel? One of our favorite parts of the book occurs late in the brother's lives, when Eng delivers a spirted speech in front of the North Carolina Ladies Union for Temperance Society on the evils of alcohol, while his twin takes out a flask of whiskey and slowly works himself into a drunken stupor. "Why are you doing this," Eng whispers to Chang in the novel during the incident. "I am thirsty," his brother responds.

The real-life story of Eng and Chang is fascinating in its own right. But Strauss' fictionalized account of their connected lives is even more compelling. In some ways, it draws comparisons to the lesser-known (and out-of-print) 1991 comedic novel, 'She and I' by Eileen Lottman in the story of Sioux City, Iowa fictional conjoined twins, Sheila and Sandy. In that novel, Sandy also yearns for independence, love and success, goals that probably all of us desire.

Strauss tells us that he was able to interview several sets of twins as well as surviving members of the Bunker Family (he'll be attending a Bunker Family Reunion later this summer) in researching his novel, but unfortunately wasn't able to interview any conjoined twins. He also claims to have received numerous emails from twins who have read the book and have enjoyed it.

But some twins may find the relationship between Eng and Chang in the novel to be disturbing. Very few of us will ever know just how difficult life would be as a conjoined twin, but Eng's narration clearly shows a character who despises the emotional and physical bind that connects the two twins. And Eng's yearning for his brother's wife in the book causes as much conflict as some of Chang's based-on-truth physical shortcomings, including his penchance for alcohol, his stroke and his ultimate death which preceded Eng's death by several hours.

Most of us will never know what life would be like as a conjoined twin. It's a subject that has been covered in a few novels and movies (the excellent Twin Falls, Idaho is now available on videotape for home viewing) But Strauss' novel gives us a pretty intensive glimpse at the trials and tribulations of one such conjoining.