What happens when sisterhood is as comforting as it is complicated? In Twins Tangled and Torn, author Susannah Haydn explores the delicate balance of love, rivalry, and self-discovery through the story of Sadie and Arabella. It’s a heartfelt journey that captures the highs and lows of growing up in someone else’s shadow, while learning to find your own light.
We sat down with Susannah to talk about her inspiration for the book, the challenges of writing for a Young Adult audience, and why stories of personal growth resonate so deeply.
Twins Tangled and Torn by Susannah Haydn is available now from Amazon | Waterstones | Bookshop.org
Twins Tangled and Torn beautifully captures the highs and lows of sisterhood. What inspired you to write this book?
I was inspired by a warm, scented bath! Really! I was wallowing in the bath one evening and a picture floated into my imagination of one girl luxuriating self-indulgently, and another girl on the edge of things, on the periphery of life, not really enjoying herself as much. Those girls evolved into twins Arabella and Sadie.
This is your first YA book. What drew you into writing for this audience, and what have you discovered about writing for this audience during the writing process?
I didn’t set out to write a Young Adult novel. I’d been writing a novel for adults but became increasingly drawn to Young Adult writing as a medium for conveying fun, drama, humour and seriousness all at the same time. I liked the idea of dipping in and out of a storyline with light-heartedness and depth.
Through Young Adult writing I’ve discovered that it’s important to write from the heart, whether you’re conveying something happy or sad. For me, it’s not about writing to a formula, or even writing what you think readers want to read. Write what feels authentic and natural, and the rest will take care of itself.
Sadie and Arabella’s bond is close but complicated. How did you approach writing their relationship to feel authentic and emotionally layered?
Great question! I think I approached the twins’ relationship from my own interior emotional landscape, and that of others. I am sensitive to the multifaceted nature of human relationships, and I may have brought this to the twins’ relationship. I am someone who feels strongly, sincerely and complexly, and those characteristics can be helpful to draw on when you are writing a novel.
Are the twins based on anyone in particular?
Not on anyone specific, but I think when you write a novel something of yourself inevitably seeps into the narrative. I don’t see how this can be avoided, unless you are utterly detached in your writing. For example, I’m not a twin, and, in many ways, I am not at all like Sadie or Arabella, but I can still see overlaps with myself, especially with Sadie: feeling lost, needing to find my real self, feeling undermined, and having dark and difficult experiences that are wounding but ultimately strengthening. As for Arabella, well she is that very human mix of bravado and acute vulnerability, which I’ve seen a lot.
The story explores big themes – sibling rivalry, first love, and self-identity. Which did you begin with and did any of these develop as you wrote?
All the above themes were important to me, but the one I set out with was self-identity. I wanted to draw a character – Sadie – who lacked a sense of self, before arriving at a sense of self. Themes of sibling rivalry and first love were brilliant stepping stones for this. Sadie feels merged with Arabella and feels she’s less, and it’s through this feeling Sadie has of not being a person in her own right and not having a life of her own, that it dawns on her things must change.
Sadie often feels like she’s in Arabella’s shadow. So much of Twins Tangled and Torn focuses on her journey and discovering who she is. Why do you think this kind of personal growth story is so important for readers?
Personal growth stories (especially those about finding yourself) can be empowering and reassuring for readers. Readers can identify and empathise with them because they might be going through something similar themselves. The reader starts off with Sadie feeling like she’s little more than an extension of Arabella. As the storyline unfolds, Sadie grows clearer in who she is and what she wants and becomes more independent. She starts to find and live her true self, and I think that’s precious for readers.
You’ve balanced humour and heart really well throughout the book. How important was it to get that right, and did you find it difficult?
Getting the right balance between humour and heart was important to me, as I didn’t want to end up with a lopsided novel, lighter or heavier than planned! It came quite naturally, as though I were drawing simultaneously on the light-hearted side of myself and a deeper, more serious side.
What message do you hope readers walk away with after finishing Twins Tangled and Torn?
No message in particular, but I hope readers will laugh at the lighter bits, feel moved by the sadder aspects, and come away feeling they’ve had a satisfying read. I hope the journey of self-discovery will resonate with readers, and I hope too there will be compassion for Sadie and Arabella, who are as vulnerable as they are strong.
Finally, what advice would you give to young people who feel like they’re still trying to figure out who they really are?
Remember, it’s early days. Don’t rush it; don’t force it. Don’t feel everything has to be worked out instantly. It can take a long time to figure out who you are – well into adulthood sometimes. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re on the journey!
Most important of all, never feel you’re less because you are not as ‘sorted’ as the next person. Chances are that person is not as ‘sorted’ as they appear anyway. And even if they are, we’re made differently, so comparisons don’t serve us and can bring unhappiness.
Twins Tangled and Torn is more than a story about sisterhood – it’s a journey of self-discovery, vulnerability, and strength that will stay with readers long after the final page. If you’re ready to laugh, reflect, and maybe see a little of yourself in Sadie and Arabella, this is a YA novel you won’t want to miss.
Twins Tangled and Torn by Susannah Haydn is available now from Amazon, Waterstones, and Bookshop.org.
