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A review by bookmaddie
The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Jennifer Jordan, Liza Rodman
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
This is a really great blend of memoir and investigative journalism, and quite the blast from the past. Rodman and Jordan recreate the late 1960s so perfectly on these pages and it was so interesting to see how much (and, in some cases, how little) society has changed since then. I also loved the inclusion of music from the summers Rodman spent in Provincetown—it really helped ground me in the story and time period.
I think what is most interesting in this book, besides Tony's bizarre and horrifying serial killing, is the contrast that Liza experienced in Tony—an adult who made her feel safe and valued, versus the evil person who brutally murdered multiple women. Rodman casts both an investigative, mature eye on this contrast and examines it from the perspective of her childhood. This duality served the story well and the moments of inconsistency between the two perspectives helped drive meaningful observations about human nature and family.
This made me think of the dichotomies in my own life, and how what we know and come to learn about someone can serve to either save or destroy your memories and opinion of someone. We see that in practice in Rodman's experience with Tony and her mother. It was powerful to read Rodman's memory of her "aha" moment with her mother, and how that helps her develop an understanding so that they could continue their relationship in adulthood. Meanwhile, what she learns about Tony rightfully fractures her memories of him and adds this dark specter over their time together. Unexpectedly, I found this book to offer a meditation on what it means to come to terms with the whole of a person, and what those consequences of that can be. This element really added to my reading experience and made this entire story more meaningful to me.
If you're interested in memoirs, true crime, and family relationships, then I'd definitely pick this one up. It explores so much besides a horrific series of crimes, and truly captures a time and place.
Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy!
I think what is most interesting in this book, besides Tony's bizarre and horrifying serial killing, is the contrast that Liza experienced in Tony—an adult who made her feel safe and valued, versus the evil person who brutally murdered multiple women. Rodman casts both an investigative, mature eye on this contrast and examines it from the perspective of her childhood. This duality served the story well and the moments of inconsistency between the two perspectives helped drive meaningful observations about human nature and family.
This made me think of the dichotomies in my own life, and how what we know and come to learn about someone can serve to either save or destroy your memories and opinion of someone. We see that in practice in Rodman's experience with Tony and her mother. It was powerful to read Rodman's memory of her "aha" moment with her mother, and how that helps her develop an understanding so that they could continue their relationship in adulthood. Meanwhile, what she learns about Tony rightfully fractures her memories of him and adds this dark specter over their time together. Unexpectedly, I found this book to offer a meditation on what it means to come to terms with the whole of a person, and what those consequences of that can be. This element really added to my reading experience and made this entire story more meaningful to me.
If you're interested in memoirs, true crime, and family relationships, then I'd definitely pick this one up. It explores so much besides a horrific series of crimes, and truly captures a time and place.
Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, and Violence