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A review by kimbofo
The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial by Maggie Nelson
5.0
First published in 2007, Maggie Nelson’s The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial is a highly original true story that refuses to be pigeon-holed into any single genre.
In this powerful book, Nelson examines the unsolved murder of the aunt she never knew — her mother’s younger sister, Jane Mixer, was murdered in 1969 — and the reopening of the case following the discovery of new evidence 35 years later.
Part memoir, part true crime, it’s a fiercely intelligent — and sometimes painfully honest — look at the criminal justice system, the use of DNA evidence and the pursuit of justice and redemption. It’s also a frank appraisal of family relationships — of broken marriages, love affairs, adultery and divorce, of sibling love and rivalry, of the two-way connection between parents and their children — and our inability, as a society, to look beyond our obsession with the murder of young women to find a solution to its cause.
To read my review in full, please visit my blog.
In this powerful book, Nelson examines the unsolved murder of the aunt she never knew — her mother’s younger sister, Jane Mixer, was murdered in 1969 — and the reopening of the case following the discovery of new evidence 35 years later.
Part memoir, part true crime, it’s a fiercely intelligent — and sometimes painfully honest — look at the criminal justice system, the use of DNA evidence and the pursuit of justice and redemption. It’s also a frank appraisal of family relationships — of broken marriages, love affairs, adultery and divorce, of sibling love and rivalry, of the two-way connection between parents and their children — and our inability, as a society, to look beyond our obsession with the murder of young women to find a solution to its cause.
To read my review in full, please visit my blog.