Books like We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Set around the Cooke family—parents, brother Lowell, sister Fern, and mother Rosemary—the novel explores the complex dynamics that arise when Rosemary was raised with a chimpanzee she calls Fern. Raised as a twin and “fun‑house mirror,” Fern’s eventual expulsion and Rosemary’s subsequent withdrawal unravel the family’s sense of belonging, revealing the fragile boundaries between human family and human‑animal companionship. Fowler weaves a thoughtful psychological portrait of her characters, showing how loving but fallible decisions can lead to heartbreaking consequences.
First publish date: 2013
Genre: Coming of Age/Teen Coming of Age
Authors: Karen Joy Fowler
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3.9 (7 community ratings)
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