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A review by nadia
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
What a fantastically-researched, heart-breaking book this was!
It was even more chilling for me because I was born in Whitechapel and recently spent a few years living in the areas where the stories in this book took place. These grisly events happened only 132 years ago — not long at all!
Once we get into the stories of the women, I was captivated. Hallie Rubenhold knows how to convey a lot of information, whilst still presenting the reader with a compelling narrative. I learnt so much about what life was like for those in poverty at this time and it was incredibly sad, especially to have been born a woman.
Why not 5 stars? The Five was a little dense and slow to start. While fascinating, there is a lot information chucked at the reader from the get-go. And that pattern continued a little bit within each woman's story. On top of that, especially towards the latter chapters, I found it harder to distinguish each story in my mind, especially given some very similar themes in each woman's life. I also felt like a lot of the stories ended abruptly, though I understand that Rubenhold didn't want to dwell on the aftermath of each murder.
It's an incredible book. I highly recommended it to history fans, true crime enthusiasts, or those who think "oh yeah, he killed prostitutes" when they hear the name "Jack the Ripper".
It was even more chilling for me because I was born in Whitechapel and recently spent a few years living in the areas where the stories in this book took place. These grisly events happened only 132 years ago — not long at all!
Once we get into the stories of the women, I was captivated. Hallie Rubenhold knows how to convey a lot of information, whilst still presenting the reader with a compelling narrative. I learnt so much about what life was like for those in poverty at this time and it was incredibly sad, especially to have been born a woman.
Why not 5 stars? The Five was a little dense and slow to start. While fascinating, there is a lot information chucked at the reader from the get-go. And that pattern continued a little bit within each woman's story. On top of that, especially towards the latter chapters, I found it harder to distinguish each story in my mind, especially given some very similar themes in each woman's life. I also felt like a lot of the stories ended abruptly, though I understand that Rubenhold didn't want to dwell on the aftermath of each murder.
It's an incredible book. I highly recommended it to history fans, true crime enthusiasts, or those who think "oh yeah, he killed prostitutes" when they hear the name "Jack the Ripper".