We Two Boys

‘We Two Boys’ begins in 1910, when the Flemish family De Belder is getting ready for their new future in the promised land, the United States of America. Eventually it is only the young Adrian, however, who makes it all the way to New York. He finds it particularly hard to be separated from his twin brother, from whom he has never been apart. Alienated and isolated at first, the homeless and penniless Adrian needs to make his way in the world. Only gradually does the shy adolescent get to know the advantages and disadvantages of living in an international metropolis: his feelings about New York evolve from disgust to an appreciation for the freedom and opportunities the city offers him as part of an anonymous crowd.

Not only does Adrian discover different aspects of the city-living for the first time detached from his family, he also gets to know a new side of his own personality. The relationship with his roommate, Jack, evolves from friendship to intimacy and love. When his twin brother finally does arrive in New York, Adrian is no longer the boy he used to be. Aline Sax has sketched a lively and convincing portrait of New York City. Adrian’s shift of character is carefully constructed, and his dilemmas are powerfully rendered but, in a daring move, never resolved.