In 1919 Sian Busby's great-grandmother, Beth, gave birth to triplets. One of the babies died at birth and 11 days later Beth drowned the surviving twins in a bath of cold water. She was sentenced to an indefinite term of imprisonment at Broadmoor.The murder and the deep sense of shame it generated obviously affected Beth, her husband and their surviving children to an extraordinary degree, but it also resounded through the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It gave rise to a collective anxiety about their family's ability to parent and an obsessive fear of hereditary insanity and depressive illness.In Sian's case, ill-suppressed knowledge of the event manifested itself in recurring nightmares and contributed to a prolonged bout of post-natal depression. She decided to investigate the story once and for all and lay to rest the ghosts which have haunted the family for 80 years.
Sian Busby Books
Siân Elizabeth Busby was a writer drawn to exploring the darker aspects of human nature and history. Her work frequently delved into real events and historical figures, examining the psychology of crime and its societal repercussions. With a keen eye for detail and psychological depth, Busby pulled readers into compelling narratives that questioned the boundaries between sanity and madness. Her ability to bring the past to life and explore complex character motivations makes her a distinctive voice in both historical fiction and non-fiction.
London, July 1946. A woman's body is found in a disused bomb site off the Holloway Road. In this deeply evocative crime drama, Sian Busby strips away the veneer of stoicism and respectability in post-war Britain to reveal a society riven with disillusionment and loss.