June and Jennifer were born identical twins in 1963. Their father was an assistant air traffic controller in the RAF; their mother was kept busy with the twins and their three siblings. When the twins were young, the family moved to Haverfordwest in South Wales. They were the only black family in the whole town. From an early age the twins had a close, almost psychic relationship. As they grew up this developed so that they became silent. They would not talk to anyone else. Communication with other people was impossible (they did all their shopping by mail order) and they were sent to a special school. They had no friends, they were operated on, their tongues were cut in the mistaken belief that they suffered speech impediment. When they were 16, they had nowhere to go except on the dole. This is the true story of the "silent twins" who turned to arson and ended up in Broadmoor.
- ISBN10 0701127120
- ISBN13 9780701127121
- Publish Date 1 November 1988 (first published 15 October 1986)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 20 October 2011
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Vintage Publishing
- Imprint Chatto & Windus
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 224
- Language English