Language: G; Mature Content: PG (reference to intimacy); Violence: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Violet and Daisy Hilton were conjoined twins who were born in the early years of the 20th century. Given up by their mother, they were adopted by the midwife who delivered them and immediately put on display. The girls spent their childhood on exhibit, eventually performing in Vaudeville as teenagers. But were the crowds there to see their talents or to see the girls, joined at the back of their spines? Exploited by their caregivers, agents and other people they should have been able to trust, Violet and Daisy knew show business, but could they survive on their own, away from the footlights?
Sarah Miller is an amazing researcher, many of the sources (including the twins) were unreliable, so gathering all the interviews, court reports, news articles etc. and putting it together into this engaging and historically accurate biography was quite a feat. I really liked it. An interesting story to have in the high school library, but the reader interest may be limited unless its other issues are addressed: individual identity, exploitation, early 20th century entertainment, and the treatment of people who are different. Includes photographs, source notes and an index.
Lisa Librarian
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