electrolite 's review for:

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale

4.0

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This isn't a salacious re-telling of the story of a child murderer (a la the Daily Mail). It's the story of how contemporary psychology viewed children and their development, of Broadmoor and its treatments, and about the Great War and redemption. The last third of this book is rather poignant and somehow beautiful.