I’m always looking for nonfiction books to add to my classroom library. This is an excellent and thorough account of violet and Daisy’s story. I also find the subject of conjoined twins interesting enough to grab students’ attention.

Violet and Daisy is such an intriguing story. The twins were born conjoined in 1908. I felt drawn to the story because it was hard to fathom how young children could be treated so cruelly. The girls were adopted by Mary Hilton and used as a way of making money. At the time Circus Shows and Freak Shows were accepted as entertainment to show off different or disabled people. The girls become enormously popular when Myer Myers takes over their act. He decides to display them as beautiful girls to come and see. They travel all over the world. He makes an enormous amount of money off them, yet each is given very little of the money. So, these girls who grow into young women have always had to preform and were exploited their entire childhood. This was quite sad.

Fortunately, Violet and Daisy are smart and realize they deserve to be free of this. The story covers their entire lives. They are able to become free of people exploiting them and are in charge of themselves. Both Violet and Daisy always wanted to remain conjoined and could never imagine being apart. They have different personalities, so different friends and also date. They continue to do appearances and shows. The bond between the sisters in quite unique and it is obvious each feels so much love for the other. This was heart warming to know that they were able to live a functional life and enjoy it. It was impossible for them to ever imagine being apart.

So, I recommend this to readers who like to understand how being different does not have to mean unhappy or dysfunctional. These women figured out how to make life work perfectly for them even though conjoined. It was an amazing story from the harsh days of childhood all the way up until the end of their lives.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Miller, and Random House Children’s Publishing for a copy of this book.

This is a really empathetic story about the conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton, and their lives since birth when their mother gave them up. After a life of submission and slavery to their guardian, they finally, with the help of a lawyer, find freedom, freedom from torment and abuse. This book by Sarah Miller, is a telling story of the lives of these two "sideshow" sisters who were exhibited all their lives. Thank you to Netgalley and Scwartz and Wade publishing for the egalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Violet and Daisy. A great non-fiction title, I found it very interesting and appreciated the way author Sarah Miller carefully stuck to what could be verified through primary and secondary sources. I also appreciated how the twins were written about, with firm honesty amid the exaggerations and showmanship lies, yet also with evident compassion. Miller manages to pain a really nuanced picture of two complicated women with complicated lives and circumstances.

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.

This was an interesting book. I appreciated the author’s approach of using direct quotes, newspaper articles and other primary sources to create the narrative while also providing the context of where some of what was said may be inaccurate. It was really interesting seeing the account that Violet and Daisy told and where the other evidence either supported or disputed the story of their lives. It did however feel like certain basic aspects of their lives was gone over so many times that it slowed the narrative down. This reflects how much the account of their life story changed depending on who was telling it and when but was still a bit frustrating at times. That said I overall found this to be great approach to creating the history from unreliable sources and the author created and thoughtful and intriguing narrative of their lives.

I was fairly new to the story of Violet and Daisy but I do have an interest in the history of sideshows and Vaudeville, so I was invested in this story pretty early on. Miller makes it easy, presenting their story in a largely narrative structure. The book mostly proceeds in chronological order, backtracking on a few occasions to explain some context. It's not strictly factual, as Miller occasionally editorializes about motivations though she is clear on the difference between recorded fact and her own opinion or when a source is unreliable. While Violet and Daisy are largely presented as victims, manipulated and controlled for most of their lives, Miller is not afraid to point out the negative aspects of their personalities: their tendency to lie and extreme self-importance. The tone is fairly conversational, a style familiar to frequent podcast listeners. While this is something of a niche topic, it's a fairly compelling read.

I’m not sure what to say about this book. Violet and Daisy’s life is interesting, in fact I looked up a lot of stuff that was mentioned including their movies. But the reading was slow for me and I just can’t put my finger on why.

Another 320 page book that took me forever to finish because I just wasn't into it. No lie - the last book I read was also 320 pages and I could have sworn it was 500. This one wasn't to that magnitude, but it just wasn't captivating. Honestly, it wasn't the author's fault - I think it was just that Violet & Daisy seemed to have promise to be a very interesting story and it ended up just being lackluster.

The early years were interesting enough. The thought that a mom would just give up her conjoined twins to practically a stranger because she thought they were ugly is just crazy. Also, the fact that this woman immediately saw them as a way to make money and could "will" them to someone else to make money in the event of her death is also crazy. But this was also a long time ago and the procedures weren't the same as they are now.

Honestly, after the early years, the book just dragged on because there wasn't much to write about. I think that should be an indication that maybe there isn't enough there to write a whole book on.

First sentence: Of course their mother screamed when they were born. She screamed so loudly and for so long on February 5, 1908, the neighbors pounded on the wall to command her to stop. But twenty-one-year-old Kate Skinner could not help but scream. After fourteen hours of unrelenting pain, her baby had not come. It had not even seemed to budge. The midwife, Mary Hilton, began to fear that the unborn infant had died. She ran downstairs and out of the house to call for the doctor.

Premise/plot: Violet and Daisy is nonfiction biography. It is listed as being YA Nonfiction, but honestly I can see adults reading it too. So Violet and Daisy were conjoined twins who--for better or worse, mainly for worse I imagine--lived life in the spotlight from an incredibly young age. Think toddlers. Born in 1908, the two lived at a time when it was all but impossible for 'freaks' not to be exploited or gawked at. I use the word freaks not because I genuinely believe they were freaks of nature and 'monstrous' but that is how they were perceived at the time by many.

Miller's biography chronicles their lives. It's not an easy task but a layered one full of puzzles and mysteries. You see, Violet and Daisy were "raised" (not nurtured by any stretch) by people who told flim flams as often as they breathed in and out. In other words, from an extremely young age, the two learned that truth was flexible and ever-changing. It wasn't so much what is actually-actually-actually true but what can bring in the most publicity and thus the most money. The "truth" being sold (or peddled) depended entirely on the audience and the day.

Piecing together their lives a century later requires much discernment and some intuition.

My thoughts: I found it compelling and fascinating. Also bleak--very bleak. Sarah Miller seems to be drawn to stories that are darker in nature, OR incredibly sad, or infuriating. Perhaps a bit of all three. Her nonfiction works include: The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century, The Miracle and Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets, and Violet and Daisy: The Story of Vaudeville's Famous Conjoined Twins. I think she treats all her subjects with dignity--even though especially with the last two books the subjects were often exploited or taken advantage of. Miller is great at capturing the humanity of her subjects. And to be fair, that means the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Not literally ugly).

It's a bleak read, I won't lie. There were highs, for sure, moments when the two seemed to be actually truly authentically happy to be living their lives just as they wanted on their own terms. But mostly, this is a bittersweet story of two misunderstood often exploited souls who were seen as money-making tools.

It's sad in many ways. But no matter how I emotionally react to Miller's story, I found it engaging.

Miller does a great job telling the story of the Hilton sisters, especially when you consider how much is truly unknown. Their lives were filled with fabrication, and sensationalism. From the first moment they were presented to the public, their backstory was altered. Miller clearly states throughout that some "facts" may not be true, even if they come from the Hilton sisters themselves, and does her best to let the reader judge for themselves whether or not they believe. It's a difficult story to write, and I think Miller does it justice in the end. Overall the lives of Violet and Daisy Hilton are fascinating, and disheartening. The struggles they faced were clearly presented, as was their perseverance. Violet and Daisy may have a rare, and specific situation, but their story gives insights into many issues which are relevant to everyone like being taken advantage of, and understanding finances. At the same time it gives the reader insight into issues that many won't ever encounter, such as never truly being alone, and navigating life as an individual and part of unbreakable pair simultaneously. As a non-fiction book written for YA it is an easy and understandable read, that can be enjoyed by both teens and adults.

I tend to love unusual stories such as this one, however, I found it really difficult to get drawn into this book. I was expecting it to read more like a story, but instead it was easy to tell that this was entirely a nonfiction peice. It was written like a very long news article and while this style may entrance some readers, it didn't easily hold my attention. I'm very sorry to not be able to finish this, but I hope this book finds it into the hands of those that will love it.

4 stars

Violet and Daisy is a well-researched and compelling portrait of two women just trying to live under extraordinary circumstances.

Having worked on the musical Side Show several times, I had more than a passing familiarity with the tale of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton. However, as the book points out, the musical takes many liberties with the story of their lives. It is clear from the beginning of this book that Sarah Miller is intent to stripe away the artifice to get as close to the truth as possible.

What this book does very well is demonstrate how much of an ordinary life that these girls led, throwing in sharp contrast the way in which the rest of the world treated them. Despite their fame, they loved dogs, playing sports, and wanted to live just like everyone else. From their humble beginnings to darlings of the vaudeville stage, the one thing that endured was their deep love for each other and the desire to stay connected forever.

Once we reach the second part of the book, I do have to admit that the pace does drop a bit. However, that is through no fault of the author since the events covered in that portion were simply not as glamorous. Miller does a wonderful job trying to bolster the material, but the decline of the Hilton sisters is just not as interesting as the rise. Even so, this book is an absolutely invaluable source for anyone studying American entertainment and a fascinating look into a very unconventional story.

I read the first two chapters of this book and could not continue. This nonfiction piece feels disjointed and poorly organized, if not poorly researched, and reads very dry and "tell"-heavy, as if the author is simply regurgitating facts. For such a sensitive, underrepresented topic - the lives of two very real people who were abused, misunderstood, and mistreated their whole lives - I was hoping for something a little more tactful and immersive. DNF.

Sarah Miller tells the well-researched and humanizing story of conjoined twins in Violet and Daisy. I love the possibilities for this book in thinking about acceptance, differences, and portraits of notable folx from history. This is a book to belongs in classrooms and in young readers' hands. It is thoughtful, detailed, and fascinating in many ways.

*** Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of Violet & Daisy by Sarah Miller in exchange for an honest review.***

Violet & Daisy takes a look at the lives of conjoined twins Violet & Daisy Hilton, who were born in the early 1900s. Given up at birth by their mother, the twins are taken in by Mary Hilton, who adopts the twins in order to exploit them for personal gain by showcasing them all over the world.

The book does a great job of telling the stories that they found about the twins but letting us know when there is proof that such things happened or not. But reading these tales only to find out they were false does become old after a while. It is, however, a fascinating story of the girls' rise to vaudeville fame and how it all came to an end.

“Violet and Daisy” just didn’t work for me. I’m sure there is an audience out there, it just isn’t my middle school library. I found the lack of substantiated evidence frustrating, especially when one of our big lessons in our school is looking at the works cited to differentiate between fiction and nonfiction and understanding the research process. If the information had been really engaging I would have also considered it, but there wasn’t enough of a “wow” factor to captivate me.

I loved this book. It brought humanity to the girls and really shared the story as it should’ve always been told. The idea that anyone ever viewed them as “freaks” seems so unreal with the world we live in now but back then, it was their reality. My heart just broke for them.

This was an interesting, yet heartbreaking, story of the lives of Violet and Daisy Hilton, conjoined twins forced by circumstances and greed to live a life on stage. Abandoned by their biological mother, the girls were adopted and immediately used as a way to bring in money for their adoptive mother. The girls were literally sold into the public eye at 3 weeks old. When their adoptive mother passed away, the girls were willed to their adoptive sister and her husband. Given away through a will just like property. Eventually the girls did bring an emancipation action and were awarded their freedom from that guardianship, but that came with a huge financial loss as well as highlighted the fact that they had never been taught how to manage money or fend for themselves.

The author's note at the end clearly indicates that the events portrayed in the book are thought to be mostly accurate but acknowledges that there is simply no way to know the true story of the lives led by Violet and Daisy Hilton, as even the girls themselves were known to make up stories for the sake of publicity.

Overall, this is a well written and well researched book. The story itself is heartbreaking to me and I am left feeling incredibly sorry that two girls were used as a means to an end. I hope that the unknown portions of the stories truly did involve happiness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for the opportunity to review this advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The author obviously put a lot of time and did a lot of research on this book. The beginning is interesting but unfortunately the back half of the book drags. It also tends to read more like a research book than a novel. However, the story is interesting enough to keep reading. All opinions are my own, thank you to netgalley for the ARC.