I recently read the book, and it gives way more back story than just 'she showed up, and the brother cut her, etc'. It was really ambiguous in the film, and it didn't need to be.
Vida Winter (in the book) talks about how Charlie was a sadistic child, probably from lack of attention from their parents, who doted on younger Isabelle. Everyone loved Isabelle, but for Charlie it was more. As they got older, she let him cut her and hurt her, and implied eventual incest. It was great comparison to how the twins personalities are also 2 halves of a whole, but of course this gets lost in narration here. Eventually Isabelle wants out, but Charlie is still obsessed with her. It's implied again that she's pregnant, and runs away with another man named March, who Isabelle later says the twins are March's babies. But they look more like Charlie.
It said at the beginning that March died while at war, and she had to come back to have someone raise the twins, which happened in the book. As well as being wrapped up in her brother until she's carted away to an asylum for attacking the woman.
As for the biographer's back story, the whole book is first person narration by Margaret except for the story told by Vida Winter. She has tons of story that was completely ignored by this film, and her twin was lost in childbirth.
"You can food anything if you just eat it." ~ Bucky Katt
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