Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
dark
sad
slow-paced
3.5 stars
True story two wealthy British heiresses, Claire and Dora Williamson, who underwent a fasting treatment under the care of Dr. (and I use that title loosely) Linda Hazzard. After only being allowed tomato water and asparagus water, both women became severely emaciated and near death's door.
What shocks me is that people paid her for this treatment. Once under her care, patients became prisoners to her daily water enemas, pounding of the body, and boiling water baths.
Story is a little long, a little repetitive (at times I thought I had skipped back a few chapters) but I finished it so that was a plus.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. #StarvationHeights #NetGalley
True story two wealthy British heiresses, Claire and Dora Williamson, who underwent a fasting treatment under the care of Dr. (and I use that title loosely) Linda Hazzard. After only being allowed tomato water and asparagus water, both women became severely emaciated and near death's door.
What shocks me is that people paid her for this treatment. Once under her care, patients became prisoners to her daily water enemas, pounding of the body, and boiling water baths.
Story is a little long, a little repetitive (at times I thought I had skipped back a few chapters) but I finished it so that was a plus.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. #StarvationHeights #NetGalley
The subject matter is intriguing, but Olsen's writing style is filled with so many long-winded similes that they become comical. The placement of reminiscences of townspeople or character histories twenty or thirty years outside of the narrative were also distracting.
I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the rest, partly because most of the mystery aspect - the suspense - is in the beginning, but mostly because I was weary of Olsen's deliberate "technique."
Comparing this book to a work of classic fiction, this was like viewing a house staged by a Realtor as opposed to entering into a house in which someone lives.
I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the rest, partly because most of the mystery aspect - the suspense - is in the beginning, but mostly because I was weary of Olsen's deliberate "technique."
Comparing this book to a work of classic fiction, this was like viewing a house staged by a Realtor as opposed to entering into a house in which someone lives.
An interesting book for several reasons. First, it is based on a true story of what people in the book have referred to as medical quackery and others as murder. I'm still not sure what I would call it, since I think the convicted "doctor" was not right in the head anyway. Second, the thought that people would submit themselves to "medical" treatments, especially one based on starvation, is something that amazes me. Third, that this fake doctor, even after causing the death of so many people who sought her out for her "starvation diet," she still had people who believed in what she did. I think it proves what charisma can do to lead people astray. This woman had some kind of a hold on people and this personality trait allowed her to dupe people out of life, property, and self.
DNF at 25%, it’s boring. The story itself is interesting but Olsen wanted to write as many pages as possible and it’s just unnecessary.
I was given this book to read because I just moved into a small town not far from Olalla. Supposedly the site of Wilderness Heights is a recipient of paranormal rumors.
http://www.wspir.com/0405.htm
This strong-minded female "Doctor" Linda Hazzard had quite the gig going on wherein she believed in the "Fasting for the Cure of the Disease," a homegrown homeopathic all the rage in the early 1900's. She proclaimed "Overeating is the vice of the whole human race."
Her treatment? A fast, over the span of 30 days to 2 months or until the patient was dead. It included tomato broth, sometimes embellished with asparagus tips, an occasional sip of orange juice, much walking, and she would pummel her patients with her fists on their backs, necks, forehead to keep their circulation stimulated. All the while yelling "eliminate eliminate eliminate!" And the best part? Enemas, some that would last over an hour and over 12 gallons of water. "Head to chest!" she would proclaim.
A sample schedule from one of her patients, Earl Erdman:
_____________________________________
February 1- Saw Dr. Hazzard and began treatment this date. No breakfast. Mashed soup dinner. Mashed soup supper.
February 5 through 7- One orange breakfast. Mashed soup dinner. Mashed soup supper.
February 8- One orange breakfast. Mashed soup dinner. Mashed soup supper.
February 9 through 11- One orange breakfast. Strained soup dinner. Strained soup supper.
February 12- One orange breakfast. One orange dinner. One orange supper.
February 13- Two orange breakfast. No dinner. No supper.
February 14- One cup of strained tomato broth at 6 p.m.
February 15- One cup hot strained tomato soup night and morning.
February 16- One cup hot strained tomato soup a.m. and p.m. Slept better last night. Head quite dizzy. Eyes yellow streaked and red.
February 17- Ate three oranges today.
February 19- Called on Dr. (Dawson) today at his home. Slept well Saturday night.
February 20- Ate strained juice of two small oranges at 10 a.m. Dizzy all day. Ate strained juice of two small oranges at 5 p.m.
February 21- Ate one cup settled and strained tomato broth. Backache today just below ribs.
February 22- Ate juice of two small oranges at 10 a.m. Backache today in right side just below ribs.
February 23- Slept but little last night. Ate two small oranges at 9 a.m. Went after milk and felt very bad. Ate two small oranges 6 p.m.
February 24- Slept better Wednesday night. Kind of frontal headache in a.m. Ate two small oranges 10 a.m. Ate on and a half cups hot tomato soup at 6 p.m. Heart hit up to ninety-five minute and sweat considerable.
February 25- Slept pretty well Thursday night. Ate one and a half cups tomato broth 11 a.m. Ate one and a half cups tomato broth 6 p.m. Pain in right below ribs.
February 26- Did not sleep so very well Friday night. Pain in right side just below ribs in back. Pain quit in night. Ate 1 and a half cups tomato broth at 10:45 a.m. Ate two and a half pump small oranges at 4:30 p.m. Felt better afternoon than for the last week....
__________________________________________
Who wouldn't want this type of treatment? She targeted the wealthy,isolated them as part of the treatment, would wait until they were in a weakened state of mind and then have them sign their assets over to her.
When they died, she would perform autopsy on them there at her sanitarium. It was renamed Starvation Heights during the trial.
She was finally convicted, went to prison for 2 years, came out and finally died of her own treatment.
It is said over 40 died under her care.
Fascinating local folklore.
The author is a talented writer, I liked his turn of phrase. But he got too convoluted about a 1/3 of the way into the book, taking too many irrelevant and unnecessary diversions that kept the story less than crisp in its telling.
http://www.wspir.com/0405.htm
This strong-minded female "Doctor" Linda Hazzard had quite the gig going on wherein she believed in the "Fasting for the Cure of the Disease," a homegrown homeopathic all the rage in the early 1900's. She proclaimed "Overeating is the vice of the whole human race."
Her treatment? A fast, over the span of 30 days to 2 months or until the patient was dead. It included tomato broth, sometimes embellished with asparagus tips, an occasional sip of orange juice, much walking, and she would pummel her patients with her fists on their backs, necks, forehead to keep their circulation stimulated. All the while yelling "eliminate eliminate eliminate!" And the best part? Enemas, some that would last over an hour and over 12 gallons of water. "Head to chest!" she would proclaim.
A sample schedule from one of her patients, Earl Erdman:
_____________________________________
February 1- Saw Dr. Hazzard and began treatment this date. No breakfast. Mashed soup dinner. Mashed soup supper.
February 5 through 7- One orange breakfast. Mashed soup dinner. Mashed soup supper.
February 8- One orange breakfast. Mashed soup dinner. Mashed soup supper.
February 9 through 11- One orange breakfast. Strained soup dinner. Strained soup supper.
February 12- One orange breakfast. One orange dinner. One orange supper.
February 13- Two orange breakfast. No dinner. No supper.
February 14- One cup of strained tomato broth at 6 p.m.
February 15- One cup hot strained tomato soup night and morning.
February 16- One cup hot strained tomato soup a.m. and p.m. Slept better last night. Head quite dizzy. Eyes yellow streaked and red.
February 17- Ate three oranges today.
February 19- Called on Dr. (Dawson) today at his home. Slept well Saturday night.
February 20- Ate strained juice of two small oranges at 10 a.m. Dizzy all day. Ate strained juice of two small oranges at 5 p.m.
February 21- Ate one cup settled and strained tomato broth. Backache today just below ribs.
February 22- Ate juice of two small oranges at 10 a.m. Backache today in right side just below ribs.
February 23- Slept but little last night. Ate two small oranges at 9 a.m. Went after milk and felt very bad. Ate two small oranges 6 p.m.
February 24- Slept better Wednesday night. Kind of frontal headache in a.m. Ate two small oranges 10 a.m. Ate on and a half cups hot tomato soup at 6 p.m. Heart hit up to ninety-five minute and sweat considerable.
February 25- Slept pretty well Thursday night. Ate one and a half cups tomato broth 11 a.m. Ate one and a half cups tomato broth 6 p.m. Pain in right below ribs.
February 26- Did not sleep so very well Friday night. Pain in right side just below ribs in back. Pain quit in night. Ate 1 and a half cups tomato broth at 10:45 a.m. Ate two and a half pump small oranges at 4:30 p.m. Felt better afternoon than for the last week....
__________________________________________
Who wouldn't want this type of treatment? She targeted the wealthy,isolated them as part of the treatment, would wait until they were in a weakened state of mind and then have them sign their assets over to her.
When they died, she would perform autopsy on them there at her sanitarium. It was renamed Starvation Heights during the trial.
She was finally convicted, went to prison for 2 years, came out and finally died of her own treatment.
It is said over 40 died under her care.
Fascinating local folklore.
The author is a talented writer, I liked his turn of phrase. But he got too convoluted about a 1/3 of the way into the book, taking too many irrelevant and unnecessary diversions that kept the story less than crisp in its telling.
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
Wow what a chilling read.
This book was so thorough and written in a way that it was gripping the whole time. Despite being on the longer side, there was so much detail and research that went into this book and as a reader you can tell.
Thank you Netgalley, publisher and Gregg Olsen for the audio ARC of this book.
This book was so thorough and written in a way that it was gripping the whole time. Despite being on the longer side, there was so much detail and research that went into this book and as a reader you can tell.
Thank you Netgalley, publisher and Gregg Olsen for the audio ARC of this book.
Wow some times it’s hard to imagine that these books are based on real stories and this one was frankly terrifying. The sad story of two sister who seemed to have been plagued by illness all their lives or they believed they were who brought into an extreme fasting treatment that ultimate left one of them dead and the other one on deaths door before she could escape this doctors clutches. This true story may keep you up at night as this really is a dark and sad story.