Scan barcode
A review by ariellesbookreviews
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold was an excellent examination of society's prejudice towards women, the unhoused, and sex workers. Rubenhold humanizes the five victims who have been overlooked in favor of their murderer.
I first heard of The Five while on a walking tour about women in the East End on a trip to London. Hearing the experiences of different working women throughout the history of London reminded me of forgotten stories often not seen in history books. The tour guide explained how, until recently, there was no memorial marking where Catherine Eddowes died and that while her killer has been sensationalized, Eddowes and the other four victims are often written off as prostitutes, completely dehumanizing them.
This heartbreaking tale goes over the five lives of Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. Rubenhold spends about equal time talking about each victim, except for Kelly, whose early life is obscured. Readers learn about their families and their childhood. These women experienced both bright spots and difficulty while navigating Victorian England. They were all daughters, sisters, mothers, friends, wives, partners, and humans. Rubenhold does not write about the murders or Jack the Ripper. Their stories end with their identification and how their death impacted their family and friends. Rubenhold discusses how society has impacted them during their lives and how its perception of people who are experiencing homelessness, suffering from alcoholism, or participating in sex work has impacted the language we use to discuss these women in the modern day. Nichols, Chapman, Stride, Eddowes, and Kelly are victims of horrendous crimes, but their murderer has become a legend.
I would highly recommend this book. Rubenhold’s extensive research and knowledge shine through the book. It was heartbreaking to learn about how these women have been treated both at the time of the murder and during the century and a half afterward.
I first heard of The Five while on a walking tour about women in the East End on a trip to London. Hearing the experiences of different working women throughout the history of London reminded me of forgotten stories often not seen in history books. The tour guide explained how, until recently, there was no memorial marking where Catherine Eddowes died and that while her killer has been sensationalized, Eddowes and the other four victims are often written off as prostitutes, completely dehumanizing them.
This heartbreaking tale goes over the five lives of Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly. Rubenhold spends about equal time talking about each victim, except for Kelly, whose early life is obscured. Readers learn about their families and their childhood. These women experienced both bright spots and difficulty while navigating Victorian England. They were all daughters, sisters, mothers, friends, wives, partners, and humans. Rubenhold does not write about the murders or Jack the Ripper. Their stories end with their identification and how their death impacted their family and friends. Rubenhold discusses how society has impacted them during their lives and how its perception of people who are experiencing homelessness, suffering from alcoholism, or participating in sex work has impacted the language we use to discuss these women in the modern day. Nichols, Chapman, Stride, Eddowes, and Kelly are victims of horrendous crimes, but their murderer has become a legend.
I would highly recommend this book. Rubenhold’s extensive research and knowledge shine through the book. It was heartbreaking to learn about how these women have been treated both at the time of the murder and during the century and a half afterward.