Synopsis: It’s the oddest of all odd things, when two girls who have never met before suddenly stand before each other at summer camp – and discover that they’re the spitting image of each other. Louise is from Vienna and has long, curly locks; Lottie is from Munich and wears her hair in two severe plaits – but that’s truly the only difference between them. Louise and Lottie decide to discover the secret behind their similarity: when the holiday is over, Louise returns to Munich as Lottie, and Lottie to Vienna as Louise…
Release Date: 1949(Original), 2014(Translated version/This version)
Genres: Historical, Middle Grade, Classics, Children’s Classics, German Literature, Translated Stories,Teen, Family, Friendship,
Pages: 139
Review: When two identical looking girls meet by chance at summer camp their world is turned upside down as they realise they are twins. Each only ever having met one parent, they teach other everything and switch places. Things don’t go as easily as they expected but together they fix their broken family.
I love this story and always have done, it’s always so creative and interesting just what these girls will do to fix their family. I love reading the book and seeing the story in its original form is amazing. The two movies are obviously incredible and are well known and there is a musical production now too all on this beloved story of twins separated as babies and finding each other unexpectedly.
Luise and Lottie are amazing protagonists and were so obviously different which I love. I liked how close they became so quickly without even trying, they just gravitated to each other immediately. They soon became inseparable and had to find out the truth of it all, why are they Identical. Then the switch happens and they get to experience being each other which isn’t that easy as they are different in personality to each other.
The story was so easy, relaxing and fun to read, i love classic children’s books that give you a safe and happy place to escape too.
I liked that their mother had a really good job and was independent, in the era it was set it was great having a powerful female that the girls looked up too. The dad being a musical opera director and composer was really interesting. I wish the relationship between the father and his girlfriend was a bit more detailed it kind of lacked in the book.
I really do love this story and I love the journey the girls go on to discover themselves and to sort out the mess their parents left behind for them. They had to work hard together to avoid being separated again. It’s got great character development for the girls.
The book was actually a lot different to the movies, so if you are going into this thinking it will be the same it’s really not. Some of the events are the same but a lot aren’t, plus there is a lot less detail and less happenings at camp too. Though it doesn’t stop this being an amazing read at all.
About Author: Erich Kästner (1899 – 1974) was a German author, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known for his humorous, socially astute poetry and children’s literature.
A stout pacifist and democrat, he was expelled from the national writers’ guild during the Nazi era, with many of his books being burned in public. Today, he is widely regarded as one of Germany’s most prolific and beloved children’s book authors.
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