Product Description

When concert violinist Milan begins to hear musical tapping sounds that seem to be coming from somewhere inside him, he thinks at first that he may be losing his mind. But a scan at the hospital reveals the alarming truth: since birth Milan's body has been harbouring his twin sister a rare medical occurrence termed foetus in foetu. At the centre of a whirlwind of media hype, Milan embarks on the most intimate and unexpected relationship of his life. His new-found sibling Roma believes there are only 147 people in the world. She has never seen the moon, never tasted her favourite wine. But as Milan attempts to introduce her to the world outside, he discovers to his surprise how much she has to teach him in return. Passenger is a surprising, heart-warming novel about love, communication, responsibility - and siblings.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #656918 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Review
A sweet and touching love story --The Guardian

Customer Reviews

Original, inventive, tender and funny
Milan plays the violin in an orchestra, his time taken up with his friend, the artist Andreas and the pursuit of a flute player called Karen. That is until one day when he hears a tapping, seemingly coming from inside his own body, playing Beethoven's ninth. X-rays and MRI scans show that Milan's twin never separated from him and is living inside his body. The novel tells the story of how Milan and Roma learn to communicate with each other and develop a relationship as brother and sister.

This is an incredible novel; touching, tender and funny but also sad in places. I was fascinated that Milan was never disgusted by the thought of having his sister living inside him and how he began to look at things differently because Roma. The novel also explores relationships; not only that of siblings and what that means but also the ways in which people come together and the reasons that relationships can fall apart.

Great books make you look at things differently and this book certainly achieved that for me. Beautiful, tender and very funny in parts, this is one that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Strange and Beguiling
A strange and beguiling tale based on the phenomenon of feotus in fetu.

Cowie's writing style is sparse and simple which gives the story a strange detached feel to it. Although initially I thought that this meant the story lacked something, as I got further into the book it felt like the right approach. Ultimately I was left pondering my own thoughts about the events in the book rather than being overwhelmed by what could have been a very complex story.

If you like books that include detailed descriptions of everything that's going on, with detailed characterisation and back-story information, this book may frustrate you. If you like books that are thought provoking and unusual, then I would recommend this book. I just really enjoyed it's simplicity and beauty. The ending was unexpected and very touching.

I'm looking forward to more from Billy Cowie.

Beguiling debut novel
This is a strange tale of Milan, a musician whose sister, Roma, born foetus in foetu. It is their dialogue that is intriguing, in which he tries to make sense of the world for her. It is at times touching, although I did feel it was slightly undercooked as a story. But I admire the writer's ambition and it is admirably sets itself apart from other literary novels out there at the moment. It is a very good debut. Definitely a writer to watch and I will be checking out what he writes next.