Reef & Beef

There are many books written for twins, but not many books written by twins! What is it like to live your life as an identical twin? How do nature and nurture influence you when you have identical DNA? Twins Jacki and Kylie tell their organic Australian story, revealing the good, the bad, and the ugly side of being a twin. While being treated as the sons their father never had, they endure perms and puberty before the struggles of individuality emerge. Both twins feel the tug of togetherness and the pull of separation, while navigating the instability of an alcoholic father, heart-breaking domestic violence, and escalating tragedy. After being sworn in as the first New South Wales Police female twins, they migrate to the city, establishing separate careers in a male-dominated profession while confusing criminals and witnessing the darker side of Sydney. Once entwined, they are now forced apart by circumstances, and their identical lives are set on different paths. One moves to the idyllic mid-north coast of New South Wales, the other to an expansive and remote cattle station in far western New South Wales, with 1000 kilometres separating them. Experiencing death threats and drought, sexism, and snakes, they are best friends and companions and occasionally rivals. Years later, the twins reconnect, and with backpacks and blisters, they walk the rigorous Camino Santiago, a 799km physical and spiritual pilgrimage across Spain. Together, they observe and analyse each other, discovering what parts of their contrasting life experiences have changed them. They are no longer 'the twins'; they are 'Reef and Beef'. This is a co-authored memoir from two quintessential Australian women, which includes some stories that are 'laugh out loud funny'.