Title: Wood You Believe: The Twinless Self
Author: Fr. Jim Cogley
Publisher: Matchstick Literary
ISBN: 978-1642544367
Pages: 158
Genre: Non-Fiction
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington

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I have to admit that The Twinless Self is my most favorite book in the “Wood You Believe” series. Anyone who has read this book can attest that it is not only exceptional but also outstanding. The author talks about the real world in the clearest way possible. I especially enjoyed reading about the birth of twins and multiple pregnancies.

Backing his text with statistics, the author widely explained twin births and survival rates from a therapeutic perspective. Reading about fraternal twins, identical twins, and womb twin dynamics was informative. I learned a lot about what happens when a twin dies during pregnancy. Reading this wasn’t a pleasant experience as I imagined all the cases of women who bleed and the pain they go through when it happens. The author is clearly knowledgeable in this subject, as he explained in detail how such unfortunate cases should be taken care of. I’m glad I came across this book as I was able to grasp twin births and the complications that may occur to an expectant mother.

“When we listen, something new is born.” This text appeared under a carved drawing of a piece of wood which took the shape of an ear, how apt. When talking about echoes of womb memories, Fr. Jim Cogley discussed the carving of the ear and its representation of the wood. I really enjoyed reading this part. The small exercise where phrases were listed for one to answer was fantastic. I read through the phrases, giving my genuine answers, and it helped me understand how I feel about myself and life in general.

I was previously unaware that one could tell the gender of a twin who was lost during pregnancy. Reading this book opened my eyes; I can now attempt to tell the gender of a lost twin. There is so much to learn about in the book, as much as the subject covered is sad and sometimes makes the reader emotional. Fr. Jim Cogley was bold enough to talk about topics which are often referred to as sensitive.

I recommend this book to everyone who would love to know more about twin births, their connection, and the mother’s relationship to the surviving twin after one passes, and many other realities we face in our world. As much as the book mainly covers issues about females, I would recommend it to male readers too. You will end up more knowledgeable about the discussed issues.

Reading on awakenings to deepen realities was a delight. Thanks to this book I now know the types and effects of different awakenings, and how humans relate with all. How do you forgive? How do you embrace assertiveness? How does past trauma affect you? All these questions are answered in the book. One also learns about dealing with losses and the new journey to self-discovery. People apply different coping mechanisms after an accident. The author explicitly explained how to deal with grief. “The Twinless Self” is a fantastic book that will help bring awareness in our society.