Violet and Daisy

March 15, 2021
The story of a pair of conjoined twins who became an American vaudeville sensation in the 1920s. Violet and Daisy were born in England in 1908 to a young, unwed mother and adopted by their midwife, Mary Hilton. Hilton exhibited the twins from infancy, taking them on the road to Germany, Australia, and finally the United States, where they performed at fairs, carnivals, and circuses. In contrast to other sideshows, their act was considered wholesome, designed to emphasize their musical abilities, beauty, and charm. When they weren't performing, the twins were sequestered from the world, and their social isolation kept them ignorant of the ways in which they were being exploited. By 1925, Violet and Daisy made the incredible leap from the sideshow to the vaudeville stage, where they debuted to extraordinary success. Catapulted to instant fame, they fascinated the press and earned a fortune for their management. Yet their outwardly sunny dispositions masked their growing turmoil at their virtual imprisonment, which finally led to a court battle that marked a watershed moment in their lives. Though related somewhat repetitively, Violet's and Daisy's story shines when describing their deep respect for each other's privacy and individuality and their mutual harmony despite their differences. The twins had a tendency to sensationalize their own story for publicity, and the text is careful to point out the incidents in their account that remain unsubstantiated. A story of two individuals worth the telling. (author's note, sources, notes) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

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April 1, 2021

Gr 6-8-Violet and Daisy Hilton were white conjoined twins born in 1908 to an unmarried woman in Brighton, England. In this era, medical professionals did not treat most birth defects and assumed the babies would die. Kate Skinner, their 21-year-old mother, wanted nothing to do with the girls. Mary Hilton, Skinner's midwife, saw an opportunity to capitalize on the twins' condition. Hilton adopted the sisters and put them on display. After appearing in carnivals and exhibitions in England and Australia, Violet and Daisy were taken to the United States. They became vaudeville stars and retired in their 40s. They eventually lived quiet lives in Charlotte, NC, and worked in a grocery store. This is a sad story, full of people who sought to take advantage of two children and use them for personal gain. Miller is quite frank in her delivery; she explains that the facts she includes might be "ballyhoo" or lies because Violet and Daisy liked to paint a rosy picture of their difficult experiences. Middle grade readers will appreciate the pictures, which help contextualize the dense text. VERDICT Miller provides a peculiar narrative nonfiction work that may capture the interest of curious readers, but the extensive text is overly detailed.-Kim Gardner, Fort Worth Country Day Sch., TX

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April 5, 2021
This intriguing history chronicles the stardom and travails of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton, born in Brighton, England, in 1908. When Kate Skinner, an unwed mother, gave birth to twin girls joined “by a single shared tailbone,” she deemed them “freaks” and allowed her boss, a hardhearted bar owner named Mary Hilton, to adopt them. With deserved outrage, the text documents how the mercenary, abusive woman, and subsequently other promoters, saw potential in exploiting the girls. With their musical talents and onstage presence fostered, the twins premiered in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and eventually the U.S., where they appeared in carnivals, later vaudeville, and even a feature film flop. In chronicling the twins’ engrossing ups and downs, Miller (The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets) effectively sketches broad themes, including how the siblings preserved harmony from an early age, tuned out the other to grant privacy (including for dating), and fed their appetite for publicity, which sometimes translated into stunts, such as their weddings. Though the twins’ personalities remain obscure, this engaging, linear narrative transcends spectacle to portray their storied career with sensitivity. Ages 12–up.