Ofelia & Norma
Buy the Book: Regal House Publishing,BookshopPublished by: Regal House Publishing
Release Date: September 29, 2026
Pages: 250
ISBN13: 978-1646037896
Overview
Large-bodied twin sisters Ofelia and Norma have always been inseparable, yet their shared identity begins to fracture in community college. As Ofelia loses weight through long, solitary walks, Norma senses the twin bond slipping away and leaves for an out-of-town transfer college, forcing each to confront alone life as a large-bodied woman in an often unkind world.
Ofelia’s deliberate weight loss spirals into disordered eating and an eye-opening mishap, provoking her to move out and leave their emotionally distant mother, Lyla, to fend for herself. Norma finds solace in the solitude of the college pool until she suffers a traumatic experience she cannot share, deepening the rift with Ofelia.
When the sisters finally reconnect, deeply held secrets surface, and Ofelia, shocked by what Norma has endured, vows to help her find resolution—even revenge.
Praise for Ofelia and Norma
“Formally daring and emotionally exacting, Donna Miscolta’s Ofelia and Norma fractures time and voice to tell the story of twin sisters who drift apart in the aftermath of private and public violences. Navigating a world that polices and punishes female bodies, each woman forges her own survival on opposite sides of the same wound. What begins as separation becomes strategy, as the sisters chart their own paths toward reckoning. The result is a fierce, unblinking portrait of rupture, return, and the radical power of shared vengeance. Miscolta deftly illustrates how resistance, in the hands of women, can reshape the world.”
—Alex Espinoza, author of The Sons of El Rey
“Miscolta is a talent who makes storytelling seem effortless. In Ofelia and Norma, she brings us into the lives of twin sisters pitted against each other by a misogynistic and fatphobic world. Though they face daily challenges because of their size, the twins find power in their bodies and agency in their own paths, which diverge but ultimately lead back to their inextricable bond. It’s a pleasure to get to know Ofelia and Norma, and to see them double down on their right to take up space as big brown women in pursuit of joy.”
—Jen Soriano, author of Nervous: Essays on Heritage and Healing
“Ofelia and Norma is a powerful novel, destined to both break and mend your heart, told with love and deep insight, anger and compassion. Norma and Ofelia are heroines to root for as they grow from large girls into women of stature. Some readers will feel seen; others will have their vision corrected. Either way, this is a book that will change you.”
—Erica Bauermeister, New York Times bestselling author of No Two Persons
“In Donna Miscolta’s delightful Ofelia and Norma, twin sisters struggle to fit into a world that requires women to shrink both literally and figuratively. This is a novel of discovery, revenge, reunion, and so much more. Miscolta, with her facile prose and spirited humor, will have you cheering for these talented sisters—and for all girls who yearn to fully inhabit their own bodies and to claim their rightful places.”
—Rachael Swearingen, author of How to Walk on Water and Other Storie
“Donna Miscolta has written a thoughtful, empathetic exploration of how two sisters figure out what they want, embrace who they are, and heal their wounds, both shared and separate. This novel asks hard, moving questions about how we might truly see ourselves even while other people see us through the distorted lens of their own assumptions.”
—Caitlin Horrocks, author of Life Among the Terranauts
“Ofelia and Norma is a beautifully written, moving story of unforgettable twin sisters who are driven apart by a shocking event but eventually find self-acceptance – and revenge. I highly recommend this affecting novel of sisterhood, growing up, and healing."
—Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of Community Board