A review by ninasbooks57
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

4.0

“The cards were stacked against Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate, and Mary Jane from birth. They began their lives in deficit. Not only were most of them born into working-class families, they were born female.” Such a sad background of these 5 women. It is sad to see how extremely worthless these women were labeled. Now a days there are programs that would help them but in London in the 1880s they were just cast out and left to fend for themselves. One thread that ran through all their stories was alcohol abuse- that alone can ruin lives. I gave it a four because it was hard keeping all the names straight. I guess the only names used in London 1880s were- George, John, William, Elisabeth, or Mary!!
Very good read!