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A review by rballenger
Hell's Half-Acre : The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier by Susan Jonusas
3.0
Type of read: Commuter (listened to and from work)
What made me pick it up: I saw it on a recommended list after I read 'We Carry Their Bones' and thought it looked interesting.
Overall rating: Sometimes I wonder how I'm so oblivious to certain historical happenings. 'Hell's Half-Acre' is an interesting tale of the Bender family and how they somewhat stealthy wreaked havoc on the American frontier. I think for me what made this book especially interesting is that not only have I lived in southwest Kansas and still have family throughout the state, I knew many of the places they referenced. I feel like that gave it an extra sense of reality for me. Although it's a nonfiction work with historical information, 'Hell's Half Acre' is told in a very storybook way, even if there are times where the amount of facts, figures, and names gets a wee bit long. If you're looking for something to get a glimpse into some gruesome Americana, 'Hell's Half Acre' isn't half bad.
What made me pick it up: I saw it on a recommended list after I read 'We Carry Their Bones' and thought it looked interesting.
Overall rating: Sometimes I wonder how I'm so oblivious to certain historical happenings. 'Hell's Half-Acre' is an interesting tale of the Bender family and how they somewhat stealthy wreaked havoc on the American frontier. I think for me what made this book especially interesting is that not only have I lived in southwest Kansas and still have family throughout the state, I knew many of the places they referenced. I feel like that gave it an extra sense of reality for me. Although it's a nonfiction work with historical information, 'Hell's Half Acre' is told in a very storybook way, even if there are times where the amount of facts, figures, and names gets a wee bit long. If you're looking for something to get a glimpse into some gruesome Americana, 'Hell's Half Acre' isn't half bad.