A Face for Picasso

Ariel Henley’s memoir recounts growing up with her identical twin sister, Zan, after both were diagnosed as infants with Crouzon syndrome, a rare condition in which skull bones fuse too early. The sisters underwent numerous procedures that altered their appearance. Surgeries involved breaking bones in their heads and faces to create room for growing organs. The book connects this medical history with their experiences as twins and with ideas about beauty and appearance.