We are All Completely Beside Ourselves is a most unusual family story which takes sibling rivalry and family secrets to a whole new level. The reader meets Rosemary Cooke, protagonist, as a young adult learning to have meaningful friendships. Rosemary’s sister and brother have been estranged from the family, and Rosemary has harbored resentment toward her parents for years. Both parents have serious coping issues that the author reveals once the true identity of Fern, Rosemary’s sister, becomes known.
After a few chapters, it becomes evident that Rosemary’s childhood was unusual since Fern, whom she viewed as her sister, is a chimp. Her father was a psychology professor and raised the two girls as an elaborate experiment. Her brother did not approve of some of the family’s decisions and went astray. The author creates a fascinating story focused on human relationships and relationships with animals. The text certainly made me wonder about human characteristics, emotions, and instincts. She also inspired thought-provoking questions about experiences at the earliest stages of life and their powerful impact upon the human psyche. Of course, taking animals out of their natural habitats and imprinting them as humans is a central and ethical question that is a significant part of the story.
