You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone

You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a poignant and complex story about the relationship between eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah. The two sisters, despite sharing a competitive nature, lead vastly different lives. Adina, a talented viola prodigy, dreams of becoming a soloist and seeks validation from her demanding music teacher. Tovah, a driven overachiever, is focused on securing her spot at Johns Hopkins to eventually become a surgeon. Their carefully crafted futures are thrown into turmoil when they undergo genetic testing for Huntington's disease, a rare and fatal degenerative disorder that has already devastated their mother.

The test results reveal a devastating truth: one twin is negative for the disease, while the other is positive. This dramatic split, forces the sisters into a rift of guilt, jealousy, and betrayal, further complicating their already strained bond. While Tovah turns to their Jewish faith for solace, Adina rejects it in rebellion. Both sisters grapple with feelings of uncertainty, fear of the future, and the intoxicating first experience of love. As they struggle to understand each other and confront their own identities, the novel explores themes of life, death, and the complex nature of familial relationships.

Solomon's debut novel is a heartfelt exploration of the fragility of life and the sometimes painful but ultimately redemptive journey of mending broken connections.