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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook copy.
Starvation Heights is the story of Dr Linda Hazzard and her "starvation cure". The events take place is 1911 when two British sisters found information on Dr Hazzard's starvation cure and thought it might relieve their supposed ills. After traveling to Dr Hazzard's home for treatment, one of the sisters eventually died of starvation. It soon was discovered that the "Doctor" and her husband has swindled the women out of a fair amount of their money and had forged documents to amend their will. This hadn't been her first time killing a patient while also stealing money from them.
A good true crime story! I didn't know anything about this particular story before reading. What a fascinating case! It baffles me now to hear about some of the treatments people believed in in the past. Some of her patients were as small as 50 pounds before they died. It's hard to fathom that anyone could believe that was the road to health!
Starvation Heights is the story of Dr Linda Hazzard and her "starvation cure". The events take place is 1911 when two British sisters found information on Dr Hazzard's starvation cure and thought it might relieve their supposed ills. After traveling to Dr Hazzard's home for treatment, one of the sisters eventually died of starvation. It soon was discovered that the "Doctor" and her husband has swindled the women out of a fair amount of their money and had forged documents to amend their will. This hadn't been her first time killing a patient while also stealing money from them.
A good true crime story! I didn't know anything about this particular story before reading. What a fascinating case! It baffles me now to hear about some of the treatments people believed in in the past. Some of her patients were as small as 50 pounds before they died. It's hard to fathom that anyone could believe that was the road to health!
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I was wandering around the library and picked it up on a whim (those always end up being the best books)
The underlying story is fascinating, but the writing wasn’t great and was weirdly sympathetic to Samuel Hazzard who definitely seems to have been complicit in any crimes and also a terrible person, no matter how “henpecked” he was.
Starvation Heights is dark, disturbing and compelling but what makes it especially disconcerting is that real people were involved. The sanitarium in Olalla, Washington which housed patients of Dr. Linda Hazzard and her husband over a hundred years ago burned to the ground several years ago, taking with it evidence and memories. Everyone involved then is dead. Now it is the stuff of legends and mystery. Drawing from copious research including photos, author Gregg Olson brings this heinous story to life, one which I did not know existed. I thank him for that.
British heiress sisters Claire and Dora Williamson were so close that they decided not to marry as they did not wish anything to become a thorn in their relationship. They were open to improving their health and could not resist the thought of "fasting for the cure of disease" to rid their minds and bodies completely of anything detrimental. After journeying to America they were fed lie after lie and manipulated like crazy. But the sisters were so keen to begin treatment they overlooked what should have been red flags. Their trust in Dr. Hazzard did not waver and only grew. She was kind (!), motherly and perceived as trustworthy but her husband was not. The sisters began treatment immediately and it became apparent the cure was not helping but worsening. Still, they stuck to the daily internal baths, pummelling and tomato broth as they were hopeful for their futures. Interestingly, Dr. Hazzard's patients were all wealthy. Wonder why?
Patients began dying and signed their financial lives away to the Hazzards. Some realized the trouble they were in, others were resigned. But all suffered slowly at the hands of this detestable couple who serial killed patients under their care, mentally and physically, under terrible pretenses and brainwashing. I like that the author includes what happened to the patients, especially the sisters, and the Hazzards in the criminal investigation and deaths.
If True Crime intrigues you, do not miss this book. Details can be difficult to read...this is a true story...but it is an important one. The more I learn about such stories the more I wish to learn.
My sincere thank you to Thread Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this stellar book.
British heiress sisters Claire and Dora Williamson were so close that they decided not to marry as they did not wish anything to become a thorn in their relationship. They were open to improving their health and could not resist the thought of "fasting for the cure of disease" to rid their minds and bodies completely of anything detrimental. After journeying to America they were fed lie after lie and manipulated like crazy. But the sisters were so keen to begin treatment they overlooked what should have been red flags. Their trust in Dr. Hazzard did not waver and only grew. She was kind (!), motherly and perceived as trustworthy but her husband was not. The sisters began treatment immediately and it became apparent the cure was not helping but worsening. Still, they stuck to the daily internal baths, pummelling and tomato broth as they were hopeful for their futures. Interestingly, Dr. Hazzard's patients were all wealthy. Wonder why?
Patients began dying and signed their financial lives away to the Hazzards. Some realized the trouble they were in, others were resigned. But all suffered slowly at the hands of this detestable couple who serial killed patients under their care, mentally and physically, under terrible pretenses and brainwashing. I like that the author includes what happened to the patients, especially the sisters, and the Hazzards in the criminal investigation and deaths.
If True Crime intrigues you, do not miss this book. Details can be difficult to read...this is a true story...but it is an important one. The more I learn about such stories the more I wish to learn.
My sincere thank you to Thread Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this stellar book.
sad
slow-paced
dark
informative
medium-paced
This was kinda a slog to get through. But the second half was really, really intriguing!
Don't know if I would recommend it. It was okay, but nothing spectacular.
Don't know if I would recommend it. It was okay, but nothing spectacular.
This book follows the true story of a quack "fasting specialist," 2 spinster sisters who tried her cure, one who was killed by it, and the ensuing trial.
This was a fascinating book of one of those "trial of the century" scandals that then faded into obscurity in the following years. Olsen does a good job of sketching out each personality, piecing together timelines and conversations, and even doubling back to impart the "ghost stories" that used to be told about Dr. Hazzard by the children and grandchildren who lived near Starvation Heights.
There were a few moments of slowness, primarily where various British officials were writing back and forth arguing about jurisdiction and I just wanted to yell "Get to the trial already!" but overall it was a definite page turner and not your typical "true crime" book.
4.5 stars
This was a fascinating book of one of those "trial of the century" scandals that then faded into obscurity in the following years. Olsen does a good job of sketching out each personality, piecing together timelines and conversations, and even doubling back to impart the "ghost stories" that used to be told about Dr. Hazzard by the children and grandchildren who lived near Starvation Heights.
There were a few moments of slowness, primarily where various British officials were writing back and forth arguing about jurisdiction and I just wanted to yell "Get to the trial already!" but overall it was a definite page turner and not your typical "true crime" book.
4.5 stars