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The Five: The Lives of Jack the Ripper's Women
by Hallie Rubenhold
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed By Jack The Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold is a book I have been waiting for. This book documents the lives of the five victims of Jack the Ripper: Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Kate, and Mary Jane. This book is not about Jack the Ripper. This is about his victims, so their names will not be forgotten. Polly was a mother of 6, ended up in workhouses and dealing with alcoholism. Annie grew up around soldiers, watched 4 siblings die, also suffered from alcoholism and then watched her own 7 children die. Elizabeth was an unmarried mother and dealt with domestic abuse. Kate was born into a large family and into extreme poverty. Mary Jane lived within the sex trade. These women were more than the legend of their killer and their names have been drowned out by the legend of their killer. This book is to make their names known.
“In order to keep him alive, we have had to forget his victims.” -The Five by Hallie Rubenhold
This book is everything. I think with everything going on within our society and politics right now, this is a book we need to read. This book shows how women are viewed and treated by their social status. Alcoholism was very common since water in the Victorian Age was usually contaminated. Mental health and addiction meant nothing. Women of poverty, without a man to protect them, were viewed as worthless. The fact that history describes the victims just as “prostitutes.” If these women were of higher social standing and married to respectable men, would they have been judged throughout history in the same way?
One of the best parts of this book is the depth of the research. The author leaves no stone unturned. Not only that but the book documents these women and their final days without putting Jack the Ripper in the forefront. These women were brutally murdered and did not deserve their fate and they do not deserve to have their names forgotten.
If I could rate this book 10 out of 5 stars, I would. Alas, I could only rate this 5 out of 5 stars. A Must-Read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Hallie Rubenhold, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy of the book.
“In order to keep him alive, we have had to forget his victims.” -The Five by Hallie Rubenhold
This book is everything. I think with everything going on within our society and politics right now, this is a book we need to read. This book shows how women are viewed and treated by their social status. Alcoholism was very common since water in the Victorian Age was usually contaminated. Mental health and addiction meant nothing. Women of poverty, without a man to protect them, were viewed as worthless. The fact that history describes the victims just as “prostitutes.” If these women were of higher social standing and married to respectable men, would they have been judged throughout history in the same way?
One of the best parts of this book is the depth of the research. The author leaves no stone unturned. Not only that but the book documents these women and their final days without putting Jack the Ripper in the forefront. These women were brutally murdered and did not deserve their fate and they do not deserve to have their names forgotten.
If I could rate this book 10 out of 5 stars, I would. Alas, I could only rate this 5 out of 5 stars. A Must-Read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Hallie Rubenhold, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for a copy of the book.