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The Secrets of Lizzie Borden
In her enthralling, richly imagined new novel, Brandy Purdy, author of The Ripper’s Wife, creates a compelling portrait of the real, complex woman behind an unthinkable crime. Lizzie Borden should be one of the most fortunate young women in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her wealthy father could easily afford to provide his daughters with fashionable clothes, travel, and a rich, cultured life. Instead, haunted by the ghost of childhood poverty, he forces Lizzie and her sister, Emma, to live frugally, denying them the simplest modern conveniences. Suitors and socializing are discouraged, as her father views all gentleman callers as fortune hunters. Lonely and deeply unhappy, Lizzie stifles her frustration, dreaming of the freedom that will come with her eventual inheritance. But soon, even that chance of future independence seems about to be ripped away. And on a stifling August day in 1892, Lizzie’s long-simmering anger finally explodes… Vividly written and thought-provoking, The Secrets of Lizzie Borden explores the fascinating events behind a crime that continues to grip the public imagination—a story of how thwarted desires and desperate rage could turn a dutiful daughter into a notorious killer.
305 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2016
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2314 people want to read
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January 22, 2016
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
I think this author did a brilliant job of writing this book through the eyes of Lizzie Borden. Now, I know none of us know what she was really like, what she really thought, only what we read in other books or media, historical documents... but this was a damn fine book. You know, I really wish I could have known what she thought and was like... we know her home life wasn't great from what they say. Will anyone ever know if her father treasured her one minute and treat her like a dog the next.. it's a mystery.
Anyway, Lizzie tells her story in this book and it doesn't seem like a happy life. All Lizzie wants is love and to live wealthy and happy and have babies. But alas.....
that is not to be....
In this story I found her sister Emma to be a very hard woman and she was vicious at times. I kind of liked that, if it's true in reality, maybe they all were short a fuse or two, but in this portrayal, the way Lizzie was treated I think would make a lot of people go off their rocker for a moment and start whacking people. Her step mother was nice in the beginning but then she turned cruel as well.
Lizzie did have a few fun times when she got to travel with the group to Europe that the church set up. She got to break free for awhile.
Here is an excerpt from the book that I though was kind of morbid and seemed just like her father!
----->EXCERPT<-----
Nor did they know that most adult men, and a few women too, were consigned to their eternal rest without their feet, and also their jewelry, gold fillings, and teeth, and ladies with particularly handsome tresses habitually entered the Kingdom of Heaven shorn like convicts while Father hastened to sell their hair to a wigmaker in Boston with whom he had a lucrative and congenial arrangement. He had a similar agreement with a dentist who used the teeth of the dead to craft dentures to fill the mouths of the living.
and that's just a little taste of what creepiness her father was up to in the book.
Lizzie had people that she loved come in and out of her life, it seemed they were always going and never staying, which is sad.
And the day comes, she just snaps.. just a little..
----->EXCERPT<-----
Think Lizzie, think! Find a way to save yourself-a silver gilt glimmer caught the corner of her eye. The hatchet! It was practically new. It had been used only once as far as I knew, when Father had killed my pigeons. I took it up. I felt it's weight in my hands. In a peculiar, perplexing way I can't truly explain, it was almost comforting. It gave the illusion of power back to me; it made me feel that I was in control of my own destiny, that it was my own sense of powerlessness that was truly the illusion. The power was in my hands, not theirs: no one else had mastery over me unless I was meek and allowed it!
Lizzie was in jail and on trial for near a year when she was finally set free. Her sister Emma was there for her the whole time even though she figured Lizzie did it.
----->EXCERPT<-----
Our devotion was truly remarkable; no acquitted murderess could ever have wished for a more loyal and ardent champion than I had in my sister, Emma
Once again, I really did love how the author wrote this book. I love when I can get my hands on something regarding Lizzie. I am definitely added this one to my collection.
I leave it on a POSTSCRIPT at the end of the book from the author. Oh and I love that Lizzie loved animals :-)
Lizzie Borden died on June 1, 1927, of complications resulting from her gallbladder operation. She slipped away quietly in her sleep; her heart simply stopped beating. She was sixty-six years old. Though she had spent lavishly, she still left a sizable fortune, the bulk of which was bequeathed to various animal charities, "because their need is great and so few care for them." The Animal League of Fall River was the largest beneficiary.
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
I think this author did a brilliant job of writing this book through the eyes of Lizzie Borden. Now, I know none of us know what she was really like, what she really thought, only what we read in other books or media, historical documents... but this was a damn fine book. You know, I really wish I could have known what she thought and was like... we know her home life wasn't great from what they say. Will anyone ever know if her father treasured her one minute and treat her like a dog the next.. it's a mystery.
Anyway, Lizzie tells her story in this book and it doesn't seem like a happy life. All Lizzie wants is love and to live wealthy and happy and have babies. But alas.....
that is not to be....
In this story I found her sister Emma to be a very hard woman and she was vicious at times. I kind of liked that, if it's true in reality, maybe they all were short a fuse or two, but in this portrayal, the way Lizzie was treated I think would make a lot of people go off their rocker for a moment and start whacking people. Her step mother was nice in the beginning but then she turned cruel as well.
Lizzie did have a few fun times when she got to travel with the group to Europe that the church set up. She got to break free for awhile.
Here is an excerpt from the book that I though was kind of morbid and seemed just like her father!
----->EXCERPT<-----
Nor did they know that most adult men, and a few women too, were consigned to their eternal rest without their feet, and also their jewelry, gold fillings, and teeth, and ladies with particularly handsome tresses habitually entered the Kingdom of Heaven shorn like convicts while Father hastened to sell their hair to a wigmaker in Boston with whom he had a lucrative and congenial arrangement. He had a similar agreement with a dentist who used the teeth of the dead to craft dentures to fill the mouths of the living.
and that's just a little taste of what creepiness her father was up to in the book.
Lizzie had people that she loved come in and out of her life, it seemed they were always going and never staying, which is sad.
And the day comes, she just snaps.. just a little..
----->EXCERPT<-----
Think Lizzie, think! Find a way to save yourself-a silver gilt glimmer caught the corner of her eye. The hatchet! It was practically new. It had been used only once as far as I knew, when Father had killed my pigeons. I took it up. I felt it's weight in my hands. In a peculiar, perplexing way I can't truly explain, it was almost comforting. It gave the illusion of power back to me; it made me feel that I was in control of my own destiny, that it was my own sense of powerlessness that was truly the illusion. The power was in my hands, not theirs: no one else had mastery over me unless I was meek and allowed it!
Lizzie was in jail and on trial for near a year when she was finally set free. Her sister Emma was there for her the whole time even though she figured Lizzie did it.
----->EXCERPT<-----
Our devotion was truly remarkable; no acquitted murderess could ever have wished for a more loyal and ardent champion than I had in my sister, Emma
Once again, I really did love how the author wrote this book. I love when I can get my hands on something regarding Lizzie. I am definitely added this one to my collection.
I leave it on a POSTSCRIPT at the end of the book from the author. Oh and I love that Lizzie loved animals :-)
Lizzie Borden died on June 1, 1927, of complications resulting from her gallbladder operation. She slipped away quietly in her sleep; her heart simply stopped beating. She was sixty-six years old. Though she had spent lavishly, she still left a sizable fortune, the bulk of which was bequeathed to various animal charities, "because their need is great and so few care for them." The Animal League of Fall River was the largest beneficiary.
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
July 13, 2021
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was an interesting look at Lizzie and I liked the reasoning and events that surrounded the murders.
The second half of the book started to lose me with being a bit too drawn out. There was also A LOT of mentions of Lizzie’s “monthly courses.” Like, a lot. It was overkill for me.
The second half of the book started to lose me with being a bit too drawn out. There was also A LOT of mentions of Lizzie’s “monthly courses.” Like, a lot. It was overkill for me.
February 17, 2016
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was sorry, and yet I wasn't. I had done the right thing, even though it was wrong. If only things, if only we- all of us- had been different it might never have come to this. If only, if only, if only...
This book is simply beyond words. All I can say is that I loved it and that Brandy Purdy is a BRILLIANT author. This is the first book that I'm reading by her, but it is most definitely not the last one. I loved her vivid imagination and the powerful writing which compelled me to forget all the facts and believe in the story that she crafted/weaved so artfully.
For a crime author like myself, this book is a piece of art in the most literal sense and I salute the author for pulling off this book on such a talked about crime. She recreated the entire life of Lizzie Borden in such detail that it's crazily scary At more than a dozen places I actually wondered if the author really found some diary or a personal journal of Lizzie in her research for the book. It was that believable!
I won my freedom and baptized it in blood, with Death acting as midwife at the bloody birth that spawned my new life! In one blood-bathed day I was transfigured! I was set FREE! Free, rich, and orphaned all in the same bloody day.
I wish this wasn't a fictitious tale but an autobiography. It definitely felt like one. It seems like Lizzie is one of my old friends and that her deeds were totally justified. Not that I'm a sadist who likes to see people butchered, but I do believe that sometimes motive behind the crime does, in fact, justify it.
If life were a theater play or a novel this is where my story would end- happily, in a spirit of jubilation, with me vindicated and set free.
But life is not like that.
Coming back to the book, I did find it quite lengthy which is quite surprising given that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. But I feel that the reason behind it was the fact that the much-anticipated murders are committed just after the half-way point in the book (around 55%-60%) and, at that point, I was wondering what the hell is left now. But the author smartly told the tale after the murders were committed, which for me, later proved to be the highlight of the book.
Sometimes the sadness still steals over me and I cry for what might have been. How different my life would have been! I would have been lost to history; there would have been no murders at 92 Second Street, no immortal singsong rhyme about forty whacks; no one would have even remembered my name after I died - I would have had a different name; he would have changed that, just like he changed my life.
Each and every fact I read about the Borden murders (in my obsessive research of course) was beautifully weaved into the story and made me believe that this tale is not just a fragment of someone's imagination but the real tale itself. And how I wish it were true, because after reading this book I've found myself sympathizing with Lizzie more than a dozen times. My heart really ached for the lost soul that she was and I kept obsessively thinking about the would haves and the could haves for days after reading this book.
Sometimes, though, the writing seemed a little complex considering the lengthy sentences which sometimes stretched as long as one entire paragraph. Especially in the starting of the book. After the first quarter of the book either the sentences got better or I got used to them and didn't notice them again. Other than this, the writing is superb and I managed to learn a few new words from this book (which is always a plus.)
All I wanted to do was forget. And I wanted everyone to forget too and just leave me in peace to live my life the way I saw fit. I don't go prying into their business and private lives! Why couldn't they accord me the same respect? But I had traded the prison of my father's house for actual prison bars, only to find when I was vindicated and freed from those that I had become a prisoner of my own notoriety and a higher judge had decreed that it should be a life sentence with no possibility of parole. Ostensibly, I was free to come and go and do as I pleased, but I would never be truly free.
And here's the famous rhyme that would have definitely tortured Lizzie to no end:
Lizzie Borden took an ax
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud .
I was sorry, and yet I wasn't. I had done the right thing, even though it was wrong. If only things, if only we- all of us- had been different it might never have come to this. If only, if only, if only...
This book is simply beyond words. All I can say is that I loved it and that Brandy Purdy is a BRILLIANT author. This is the first book that I'm reading by her, but it is most definitely not the last one. I loved her vivid imagination and the powerful writing which compelled me to forget all the facts and believe in the story that she crafted/weaved so artfully.
For a crime author like myself, this book is a piece of art in the most literal sense and I salute the author for pulling off this book on such a talked about crime. She recreated the entire life of Lizzie Borden in such detail that it's crazily scary At more than a dozen places I actually wondered if the author really found some diary or a personal journal of Lizzie in her research for the book. It was that believable!
I won my freedom and baptized it in blood, with Death acting as midwife at the bloody birth that spawned my new life! In one blood-bathed day I was transfigured! I was set FREE! Free, rich, and orphaned all in the same bloody day.
I wish this wasn't a fictitious tale but an autobiography. It definitely felt like one. It seems like Lizzie is one of my old friends and that her deeds were totally justified. Not that I'm a sadist who likes to see people butchered, but I do believe that sometimes motive behind the crime does, in fact, justify it.
If life were a theater play or a novel this is where my story would end- happily, in a spirit of jubilation, with me vindicated and set free.
But life is not like that.
Coming back to the book, I did find it quite lengthy which is quite surprising given that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. But I feel that the reason behind it was the fact that the much-anticipated murders are committed just after the half-way point in the book (around 55%-60%) and, at that point, I was wondering what the hell is left now. But the author smartly told the tale after the murders were committed, which for me, later proved to be the highlight of the book.
Sometimes the sadness still steals over me and I cry for what might have been. How different my life would have been! I would have been lost to history; there would have been no murders at 92 Second Street, no immortal singsong rhyme about forty whacks; no one would have even remembered my name after I died - I would have had a different name; he would have changed that, just like he changed my life.
Each and every fact I read about the Borden murders (in my obsessive research of course) was beautifully weaved into the story and made me believe that this tale is not just a fragment of someone's imagination but the real tale itself. And how I wish it were true, because after reading this book I've found myself sympathizing with Lizzie more than a dozen times. My heart really ached for the lost soul that she was and I kept obsessively thinking about the would haves and the could haves for days after reading this book.
Sometimes, though, the writing seemed a little complex considering the lengthy sentences which sometimes stretched as long as one entire paragraph. Especially in the starting of the book. After the first quarter of the book either the sentences got better or I got used to them and didn't notice them again. Other than this, the writing is superb and I managed to learn a few new words from this book (which is always a plus.)
All I wanted to do was forget. And I wanted everyone to forget too and just leave me in peace to live my life the way I saw fit. I don't go prying into their business and private lives! Why couldn't they accord me the same respect? But I had traded the prison of my father's house for actual prison bars, only to find when I was vindicated and freed from those that I had become a prisoner of my own notoriety and a higher judge had decreed that it should be a life sentence with no possibility of parole. Ostensibly, I was free to come and go and do as I pleased, but I would never be truly free.
And here's the famous rhyme that would have definitely tortured Lizzie to no end:
Lizzie Borden took an ax
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud .
February 4, 2016
The Secrets of Lizzie Borden by Brandy Purdy is a 2016 Kensington Publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unsolved mysteries capture the imagination for many reasons, I think. In this case, the debate has always been about the guilt or innocence of Lizzie Borden. Did she indeed kill her parents? Were there other suspects? Was justice served or not?
In the 1800’s a crime this heinous would have done more than send shock waves through a community. Add the prospect of a female murderer and you had a media firestorm on your hands. This case has held my attention for many years. I have read non-fiction accounts of the crime, seen documentaries and of course, who hasn’t seen the infamous “Legend of Lizze Borden” starring the late Elizabeth Montgomery?
So, when I saw this book up on Netgalley I was instantly intrigued. Reading fictionalized accounts of real people, or based on true events has never been a problem for me. I can distinguish fact from fiction, and usually find these types of books very interesting, just because I like to see what way an author might portray the person in question. However, in some cases fictionalizing a character so enigmatic as Lizzie Borden can fall flat on its face.
Because I have a fair amount of knowledge about this case, I’m afraid I found the author’s portrayal of Lizzie to be a little too far fetched. However, there were also instances when I felt as though the author probably nailed Lizzie’s personality perfectly.
I won’t tell you how the author presented the case, but I do wish more time had been spent on weaving substantiated facts in with the fiction. I was hoping for a tense courtroom section, but that area was basically skimmed over, as well as many other important points and events. While various theories that were thought to be fact were presented here, there were not as many actual historical facts woven into the story for my taste, with entirely too many liberties taken for it to remain plausible.
Lizzie’s relationships and inner thoughts did dominate the story, though, and the author’s theory of what took place was certainly imaginative, albeit difficult to swallow.
I have very mixed emotions about the book and while I see it has been well received for the most part, it failed to win me over, and mostly I feel disappointed by it. I’m not sure if coming down firmly on one side or the other and then making Lizzie a sympathetic character we are supposed to like, feel sorry for, and condone the actions of, is the best approach. I mean seriously, this crime, no matter who committed it, is seriously messed up.
The one thing I remind readers to remember when approaching a historical fiction novel based on a real person or events, is to keep the fictional part in the forefront of your mind and approach the book with a fresh and open mind. As I read this book, I found it very difficult to practice what I preached.
I do hope those who read the book, no matter what your opinion of it was, will check out the recommend reading or sources the author suggested in the back of the book.
The debate over the case will continue for many generations to come, and from time to time it manages to make its way back into pop culture. The recent attempt to make a television series based on Lizze as well as books like this one, are prime examples.
As for me, I have never been able to decide if Lizzie was guilty, although there is compelling evidence that she was. I have often wondered if there was an accomplice or if there really could have been another explanation.
So, this notorious case will remain in infamy, will continue to be debated, and will still fascinate the public, but will forever remain unsolved.
2 Stars
*If you enjoyed this book, I’m very happy that you liked it, but, please understand my critical review of it, and remember each of us experiences books in a different way. I respect your opinion, so please respect mine.
Unsolved mysteries capture the imagination for many reasons, I think. In this case, the debate has always been about the guilt or innocence of Lizzie Borden. Did she indeed kill her parents? Were there other suspects? Was justice served or not?
In the 1800’s a crime this heinous would have done more than send shock waves through a community. Add the prospect of a female murderer and you had a media firestorm on your hands. This case has held my attention for many years. I have read non-fiction accounts of the crime, seen documentaries and of course, who hasn’t seen the infamous “Legend of Lizze Borden” starring the late Elizabeth Montgomery?
So, when I saw this book up on Netgalley I was instantly intrigued. Reading fictionalized accounts of real people, or based on true events has never been a problem for me. I can distinguish fact from fiction, and usually find these types of books very interesting, just because I like to see what way an author might portray the person in question. However, in some cases fictionalizing a character so enigmatic as Lizzie Borden can fall flat on its face.
Because I have a fair amount of knowledge about this case, I’m afraid I found the author’s portrayal of Lizzie to be a little too far fetched. However, there were also instances when I felt as though the author probably nailed Lizzie’s personality perfectly.
I won’t tell you how the author presented the case, but I do wish more time had been spent on weaving substantiated facts in with the fiction. I was hoping for a tense courtroom section, but that area was basically skimmed over, as well as many other important points and events. While various theories that were thought to be fact were presented here, there were not as many actual historical facts woven into the story for my taste, with entirely too many liberties taken for it to remain plausible.
Lizzie’s relationships and inner thoughts did dominate the story, though, and the author’s theory of what took place was certainly imaginative, albeit difficult to swallow.
I have very mixed emotions about the book and while I see it has been well received for the most part, it failed to win me over, and mostly I feel disappointed by it. I’m not sure if coming down firmly on one side or the other and then making Lizzie a sympathetic character we are supposed to like, feel sorry for, and condone the actions of, is the best approach. I mean seriously, this crime, no matter who committed it, is seriously messed up.
The one thing I remind readers to remember when approaching a historical fiction novel based on a real person or events, is to keep the fictional part in the forefront of your mind and approach the book with a fresh and open mind. As I read this book, I found it very difficult to practice what I preached.
I do hope those who read the book, no matter what your opinion of it was, will check out the recommend reading or sources the author suggested in the back of the book.
The debate over the case will continue for many generations to come, and from time to time it manages to make its way back into pop culture. The recent attempt to make a television series based on Lizze as well as books like this one, are prime examples.
As for me, I have never been able to decide if Lizzie was guilty, although there is compelling evidence that she was. I have often wondered if there was an accomplice or if there really could have been another explanation.
So, this notorious case will remain in infamy, will continue to be debated, and will still fascinate the public, but will forever remain unsolved.
2 Stars
*If you enjoyed this book, I’m very happy that you liked it, but, please understand my critical review of it, and remember each of us experiences books in a different way. I respect your opinion, so please respect mine.
July 14, 2017
Yearning. Lust. Sex. Loneliness.
The only reason Lizzie Borden is the main character is to sell books.
The only reason Lizzie Borden is the main character is to sell books.
December 15, 2015
I don't know if I am the only one who now sees Christina Ricci as Lizzie anytime I read anything related to Borden. This novel was much more erotic than I expected and gory (as it should be). What kept me engaged and up reading it late into the night (with weird dreams as a sort of creepy story hangover) is I felt like I was struggling with Borden's demons, as though I were suffocating from the attentions of her family. Do I think Borden was guilty as SIN- Yes! Do I think the victims drove her crazy... possibly but if that were any excuse to wield an ax, we'd all be in trouble. This novel felt like prying into Borden's diary or being trapped in her tormented mind. Purdy peeled her open and exposed her soul, rotten as it became. I don't feel she was justified, but on the other hand Purdy wonderfully expresses how any woman of that time could feel oppressed. Hmm, maybe all the fainting women did back in the day was more than physical and due from biting tongues and holding breath so they too didn't go on killing rampages (I joke).
Can you imagine the resentment that built living with such a penny pinching, cold, judgmental man? The hell of a hovering sister, a step mother that slowly begins to make plans that could leave you destitute in the future. Always made to feel ugly, inferior to your neighbors (in a time when everyone knew everyone else and their business). One has to wonder how bad did it get, what secrets were hidden, what horrors happened behind closed doors that Borden committed so brutal, so personal a crime? That sort of 'hacking' is a lot of pent up hate, and rage. Did her sister make her paranoid? Truth is, we will never really know the truth but what fascinating speculation we still partake in many many years later.
Would Borden have still killed were she given everything she wanted, adored, or more if her mother had never died? Was she driven to it? Here comes some of that nature vs nurture seesaw. It could well be Lizzie could have had a blessed life in opposition to the tormented one she suffered under her father's roof and still found one person to hate so much and murder. We just don't know, do we? She could have just been the type that if someone pisses her off or looks at her wrong, that's it! Out comes the ax. Maybe it makes it more digestible when these things happen to say ' well surely it's because they were ill treated.' The truth is, crimes are sometimes committed by people who do come from privileged happy homes, so I am not sure I am totally sold on the poor Lizzie Borden camp.
Without a doubt, her father made my skin crawl with his creepy business dealings as an undertaker. I hadn't ever really known about his nefarious thieving of the grieving. He was harsh, an unnatural father if ever there was one. I don't imagine hearing your father 'rutting' with his new wife would be endearing either, anymore that daily humiliation of having more wealth than half the town and yet looking and living like a pauper. Being scolded and treated as if having passions were horrifying. Her father certainly didn't seem to want his children to have a respectable happy life- he just wanted to control and keep them under his thumb and in his watchful sight.
I have to admit, I wouldn't have ever wanted to live in Lizzie's shoes, bloody or not. This is one heck of a story. Creepy, and yet the author manages to fish a little sympathy out of you- but isn't that what makes us human?
Can you imagine the resentment that built living with such a penny pinching, cold, judgmental man? The hell of a hovering sister, a step mother that slowly begins to make plans that could leave you destitute in the future. Always made to feel ugly, inferior to your neighbors (in a time when everyone knew everyone else and their business). One has to wonder how bad did it get, what secrets were hidden, what horrors happened behind closed doors that Borden committed so brutal, so personal a crime? That sort of 'hacking' is a lot of pent up hate, and rage. Did her sister make her paranoid? Truth is, we will never really know the truth but what fascinating speculation we still partake in many many years later.
Would Borden have still killed were she given everything she wanted, adored, or more if her mother had never died? Was she driven to it? Here comes some of that nature vs nurture seesaw. It could well be Lizzie could have had a blessed life in opposition to the tormented one she suffered under her father's roof and still found one person to hate so much and murder. We just don't know, do we? She could have just been the type that if someone pisses her off or looks at her wrong, that's it! Out comes the ax. Maybe it makes it more digestible when these things happen to say ' well surely it's because they were ill treated.' The truth is, crimes are sometimes committed by people who do come from privileged happy homes, so I am not sure I am totally sold on the poor Lizzie Borden camp.
Without a doubt, her father made my skin crawl with his creepy business dealings as an undertaker. I hadn't ever really known about his nefarious thieving of the grieving. He was harsh, an unnatural father if ever there was one. I don't imagine hearing your father 'rutting' with his new wife would be endearing either, anymore that daily humiliation of having more wealth than half the town and yet looking and living like a pauper. Being scolded and treated as if having passions were horrifying. Her father certainly didn't seem to want his children to have a respectable happy life- he just wanted to control and keep them under his thumb and in his watchful sight.
I have to admit, I wouldn't have ever wanted to live in Lizzie's shoes, bloody or not. This is one heck of a story. Creepy, and yet the author manages to fish a little sympathy out of you- but isn't that what makes us human?
January 31, 2016
A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
THE SECRETS OF LIZZIE BORDEN a chilling blend of fact and fiction, a compelling tale of Lizzie Andrew Borden, an American woman who was tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe double murders: Her father and her stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.
“In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants. The other is getting it.”
A haunting life, Brandy Purdy takes us beyond the overall facts to the private thoughts, desires, perspectives, obsession, and disturbing mind of Lizzie Borden, making for a compelling read, as readers re-live a tragic childhood—ruled by desires and rage; leading up to and after the murders. Did she trade one prison for another?
In an era when women were considered the weaker sex and female murderers were nearly unheard of, the trial and subsequent acquittal—of Lizzie Borden made her a media sensation.
Sarah Morse Borden, mother --died when Lizzie was only three years old, her sister Emma was thirteen. She recalls only a few things, possibly from photographs, rather than actual memories. She does recall her stabbing deep stare, and a crude string of coral beads she clung to religiously, superstitiously convinced they would ward away all evil. (definitely some evil going down--smart lady).
The residence at 92 Second Street was located in an affluent area, but the wealthiest residents of Fall River, Massachusetts lived in a more fashionable neighborhood, The Hill; farther away from the industrial areas of the city.
Their mom had been a poor farm girl who had the good fortune to attract a prosperous undertaker. The father, Andrew Jackson Borden was a tenacious, bull-headed Yankee businessman who knew nothing, and cared even less about fashion, only what it cost him; however, Lizzie's mom knew how to make the most of a cheap dress goods sale and knew how to stretch a dollar. Despite his wealth, Andrew was known for his frugality.
In 1865, when Lizzie was only five, their father took them to church and introduced them to their new stepmother, Abby Durfee Gray; thirty-seven years old. She was shy, short, and round. Lizzie liked her; however, Emma did not, and made her choose between them. To please Emma and honor their dead mother’s memory, she hardened her heart against Abby.
Emma thought Abby had only married their father to stake claim to the inheritance that should have been theirs. If their father died, they would be beholden to their stepmom like beggars with their hands out, while Sarah (step-sister) became the princess.
Their life was thrifty. Though their father could easily afford anything, he refused to allow the house to be hooked up to the gas line. Nor were they afforded hot or cold running water and a proper bathroom with toilet and tub. They had to relieve themselves into tin slop pails or lamp in hand down the steep dark stairs.
They did not live like people with money. The total opposite. Their father continued to preach to them all men were fortune hunters, with no social life or little friends. They sat alone at church socials and band concerts, and their dance cards were always empty. Their father called their ideas and desires pretentious and silly. Lizzie was only beautiful in her dreams.
They had money to make their dreams come true, if they could only spend it. Her father always stressed save, save; never spending. They were poor rich girls, prisoners in a day and age when nice respectable girls did not leave their father’s house except to go to their husbands. They were too good and proud to go out and work for a living to actually earn the pennies to pay for the lives they longed for. Lizzie was eager to spread her wings, leave, and fly far away.
She was delighted when she had a bit of freedom, when she was allowed to spend eighteen weeks in Europe (Grand Tour) in the summer of 1890. Her one and only chance to live, to fly, and soar free before she was shut back inside her cage where the bars were the cheapest base metal. An unattainable lifestyle.
She longed for a happy life, and to be called upon by a boy. Their father did not approve of ladies engaging in social activities. Lizzie felt from the start, her life seemed destined to be one of secrets. Every old maid, crabapple virgin, and prim spinster lady has a story, and it is usually a story about love, but it is always a sad one, bittersweet at best, that does not end with a wedding or a happily ever after.
While she was away she met an architect in a second hand bookshop on a rainy day in London—he made her feel alive—she felt reborn and gave her a new name: Lizbeth—rare—elegant. However, back to her dungeon, more disappointments—the years passed, she became an old maid. Lost hope and gave up on love. A dreary prison with no amenities to make life pleasant or bearable.
What if their father changed their will or Abby gave him a son, and then she allowed Emma to counsel her, fueled her fears. The real estate betrayal – giving things to Abby, so they decided that would steal from Abby, as they felt she was stealing from them. Then the pigeons. Bridget the housekeeper. The lesbian affair. David the butcher’s son. He wanted to marry her; however, to marry him would have been to exchange one prison for another. He was dangerous. He forced her. She had been a fool. The hayloft.
Her destiny was in her hands and she would take the power, she had lost. She had been meek and allowed it. Ruled by her crazy thoughts, she is impulsive, emotional; unhinged by rage and panic. Lizzie also had unsuccessfully attempted to purchase prussic acid, a highly poisonous liquid, in the days before the murders. (later they attempted to use this as evidence at the trial).
The famous hatchet. Her hidden pent up anger unleashed. She snapped. Greed. Power. Horror, Sadness. She hated Abby, herself, and David. She hated she had been driven to this murderous madness. They drove her to it she thinks. She saw too much of herself and her future in Abby. She did not want to wake up and discover she had become her. She had married her father for security and a ready-made family. The truth was ugly and viciously unkind.
Then Bridget, the housekeeper realized what happened; a secret she took to her grave. She cleaned up. Lizzie realized she had not made things better. Then the father comes home and she sees the will which has not been signed. Everything would go to Abby. Her father would control them from the grave. She had wasted her youth, miserably and helplessly—watching it pass for nothing. Thirty-two years wasted. Bound by her father, they would be slaves. Everything would go to Sarah, her precious piglet. Enraged. Trapped.
Filled with furry—it was the only way. The hatchet is once again active. The great "Emancipator" had helped her free from enslavement. She had hacked the chains and set them both free. Emma and she were now cold and chilly strangers. Free, rich, and orphaned all in the same bloody day!
Even though she knew she was guilty, she believed implicitly in her innocence. Dark days ahead for ten months in a prison cell. The trial. Trapped. Whereas, before she had felt stifled and trapped, like a prisoner in the grim, outmoded confines of father’s house, now she was confined to a single cell, allowed out only for an hour’s exercise each day and when her presence was required in court. The accommodations made her house on 92 Second street seem luxurious, in comparison.
Left all alone in the darkness unable to sleep. Her fate. Justice could not be predicted. That Carnival in New Bedford began on June 5, 1893 (trial) and lasted fourteen days. Innocent. She was free. Not guilty. She was delighted.
“Yesterday I had been Fall River’s vindicated darling; today I was their grudgingly tolerated pariah, their resident leper. Happiness blinded her. She thought all her dreams were finally coming true. Freedom, riches, luxury and at long last love." The house went up for sale.
Maplecroft – her dream home. She bought and immersed herself into spending. Then she felt betrayed by her sister. She accused her sister of being like her father. The minute she was acquitted, Emma left her to fend for herself. She would never go back to the primitive way of living at the house on 92 Second street. A house filled with anger, resentment, greed and control.
With her wealth, she still could hear her father’s voice calling her a spendthrift. She wanted to scream money is made for spending, not hoarding. She had servants. No matter the money, the people did not like her. Nothing she did was right. She was going to step out in a new life with a new name. Lizsbeth A Borden of Maplecroft—the social invitations which never came; the constant curiosity, the shunning, and hostile silences when she went into town.
She loved being caught up in a large city where no one knew her. Then she would be in the news, someone always wanted money. She always returned to Maplecroft, her magnificent empty-halls, mausoleum-palace with her servants. It was now a prison, a sanitarium, and a living tomb for her as well as the palace of all her desires and dreams. Where she would hide behind from the world whenever the curious pressed to close or the newspapers pried too deep.
From her relationships, and romances Lizzie attracted curiosity and controversy. Also the books she burned about herself. She had traded one prison for another. Would she ever be truly set free?
“My life is a life of hard and sad compromises, cruel, and brutal facts, and the splendid isolation of a millionaire leper, fated to live out my days like an aging, withering white haired Rupunzel perched high up in her ivory tower resigning herself to the truth that her price is never going to come and repenting her one attempt to rescue herself because it also ruined all her hopes and chances. Even as I set myself free with that impetuously wielded, fury-fueled hatchet, I made myself a perpetual prisoner, for life, and ever after, destined to walk alone under the dark cloud of suspicion.”
Was it worth it? Scandal-ridden and society-shunned scoundrel, Oscar Wilde, said it best: "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Money cannot buy happiness and it is the root of all evil. Their blood bought her a life of lonely luxury. Lizzie soon learns money is a cold comfort—it can buy things, but not warmth of a lover or devoted husband.
Lizzie always a romantic, dreams of being a woman of the world, sophisticated and fashionable. In reality, she became a woman shunned, and friendless, alone in the world. Things did not turn out the way she planned. She gained the financial freedom she had craved, as well as Emma; however, not the happiness. An example of three different prisons.
As time rolled on, Fall River went into a decline with the economy, similar to Lizzie’s life. She no longer cared about her weight or eating. The bloody deeds made her infamous. She is tired of living and afraid to die. There is always a price to pay for everything. She died at sixty-six after complications from surgery. Her sister died nine days later. She had been frugal, unlike her sister.
Today: Located just fifty miles south of Boston, minutes from Providence or Newport, R.I. and the gateway to Cape Cod, this landmark home is accessible from all major highways and is now the Lizzie Borden Museum and Bed and Breakfast. (As a consultant for inns, B&Bs, and hotels—this would be one assignment, I would kindly turn down). Creepy.
Very impressive, my first read by historical fiction author, Brandy Purdy; well researched and well-written. An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. (included). For fans of historical fiction, Lizzie Borden, mysteries, and psycho-crime thrillers. You will not be disappointed.
JDCMustReadBooks
THE SECRETS OF LIZZIE BORDEN a chilling blend of fact and fiction, a compelling tale of Lizzie Andrew Borden, an American woman who was tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe double murders: Her father and her stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.
“In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants. The other is getting it.”
A haunting life, Brandy Purdy takes us beyond the overall facts to the private thoughts, desires, perspectives, obsession, and disturbing mind of Lizzie Borden, making for a compelling read, as readers re-live a tragic childhood—ruled by desires and rage; leading up to and after the murders. Did she trade one prison for another?
In an era when women were considered the weaker sex and female murderers were nearly unheard of, the trial and subsequent acquittal—of Lizzie Borden made her a media sensation.
Sarah Morse Borden, mother --died when Lizzie was only three years old, her sister Emma was thirteen. She recalls only a few things, possibly from photographs, rather than actual memories. She does recall her stabbing deep stare, and a crude string of coral beads she clung to religiously, superstitiously convinced they would ward away all evil. (definitely some evil going down--smart lady).
The residence at 92 Second Street was located in an affluent area, but the wealthiest residents of Fall River, Massachusetts lived in a more fashionable neighborhood, The Hill; farther away from the industrial areas of the city.
Their mom had been a poor farm girl who had the good fortune to attract a prosperous undertaker. The father, Andrew Jackson Borden was a tenacious, bull-headed Yankee businessman who knew nothing, and cared even less about fashion, only what it cost him; however, Lizzie's mom knew how to make the most of a cheap dress goods sale and knew how to stretch a dollar. Despite his wealth, Andrew was known for his frugality.
In 1865, when Lizzie was only five, their father took them to church and introduced them to their new stepmother, Abby Durfee Gray; thirty-seven years old. She was shy, short, and round. Lizzie liked her; however, Emma did not, and made her choose between them. To please Emma and honor their dead mother’s memory, she hardened her heart against Abby.
Emma thought Abby had only married their father to stake claim to the inheritance that should have been theirs. If their father died, they would be beholden to their stepmom like beggars with their hands out, while Sarah (step-sister) became the princess.
Their life was thrifty. Though their father could easily afford anything, he refused to allow the house to be hooked up to the gas line. Nor were they afforded hot or cold running water and a proper bathroom with toilet and tub. They had to relieve themselves into tin slop pails or lamp in hand down the steep dark stairs.
They did not live like people with money. The total opposite. Their father continued to preach to them all men were fortune hunters, with no social life or little friends. They sat alone at church socials and band concerts, and their dance cards were always empty. Their father called their ideas and desires pretentious and silly. Lizzie was only beautiful in her dreams.
They had money to make their dreams come true, if they could only spend it. Her father always stressed save, save; never spending. They were poor rich girls, prisoners in a day and age when nice respectable girls did not leave their father’s house except to go to their husbands. They were too good and proud to go out and work for a living to actually earn the pennies to pay for the lives they longed for. Lizzie was eager to spread her wings, leave, and fly far away.
She was delighted when she had a bit of freedom, when she was allowed to spend eighteen weeks in Europe (Grand Tour) in the summer of 1890. Her one and only chance to live, to fly, and soar free before she was shut back inside her cage where the bars were the cheapest base metal. An unattainable lifestyle.
She longed for a happy life, and to be called upon by a boy. Their father did not approve of ladies engaging in social activities. Lizzie felt from the start, her life seemed destined to be one of secrets. Every old maid, crabapple virgin, and prim spinster lady has a story, and it is usually a story about love, but it is always a sad one, bittersweet at best, that does not end with a wedding or a happily ever after.
While she was away she met an architect in a second hand bookshop on a rainy day in London—he made her feel alive—she felt reborn and gave her a new name: Lizbeth—rare—elegant. However, back to her dungeon, more disappointments—the years passed, she became an old maid. Lost hope and gave up on love. A dreary prison with no amenities to make life pleasant or bearable.
What if their father changed their will or Abby gave him a son, and then she allowed Emma to counsel her, fueled her fears. The real estate betrayal – giving things to Abby, so they decided that would steal from Abby, as they felt she was stealing from them. Then the pigeons. Bridget the housekeeper. The lesbian affair. David the butcher’s son. He wanted to marry her; however, to marry him would have been to exchange one prison for another. He was dangerous. He forced her. She had been a fool. The hayloft.
Her destiny was in her hands and she would take the power, she had lost. She had been meek and allowed it. Ruled by her crazy thoughts, she is impulsive, emotional; unhinged by rage and panic. Lizzie also had unsuccessfully attempted to purchase prussic acid, a highly poisonous liquid, in the days before the murders. (later they attempted to use this as evidence at the trial).
The famous hatchet. Her hidden pent up anger unleashed. She snapped. Greed. Power. Horror, Sadness. She hated Abby, herself, and David. She hated she had been driven to this murderous madness. They drove her to it she thinks. She saw too much of herself and her future in Abby. She did not want to wake up and discover she had become her. She had married her father for security and a ready-made family. The truth was ugly and viciously unkind.
Then Bridget, the housekeeper realized what happened; a secret she took to her grave. She cleaned up. Lizzie realized she had not made things better. Then the father comes home and she sees the will which has not been signed. Everything would go to Abby. Her father would control them from the grave. She had wasted her youth, miserably and helplessly—watching it pass for nothing. Thirty-two years wasted. Bound by her father, they would be slaves. Everything would go to Sarah, her precious piglet. Enraged. Trapped.
Filled with furry—it was the only way. The hatchet is once again active. The great "Emancipator" had helped her free from enslavement. She had hacked the chains and set them both free. Emma and she were now cold and chilly strangers. Free, rich, and orphaned all in the same bloody day!
Even though she knew she was guilty, she believed implicitly in her innocence. Dark days ahead for ten months in a prison cell. The trial. Trapped. Whereas, before she had felt stifled and trapped, like a prisoner in the grim, outmoded confines of father’s house, now she was confined to a single cell, allowed out only for an hour’s exercise each day and when her presence was required in court. The accommodations made her house on 92 Second street seem luxurious, in comparison.
Left all alone in the darkness unable to sleep. Her fate. Justice could not be predicted. That Carnival in New Bedford began on June 5, 1893 (trial) and lasted fourteen days. Innocent. She was free. Not guilty. She was delighted.
“Yesterday I had been Fall River’s vindicated darling; today I was their grudgingly tolerated pariah, their resident leper. Happiness blinded her. She thought all her dreams were finally coming true. Freedom, riches, luxury and at long last love." The house went up for sale.
Maplecroft – her dream home. She bought and immersed herself into spending. Then she felt betrayed by her sister. She accused her sister of being like her father. The minute she was acquitted, Emma left her to fend for herself. She would never go back to the primitive way of living at the house on 92 Second street. A house filled with anger, resentment, greed and control.
With her wealth, she still could hear her father’s voice calling her a spendthrift. She wanted to scream money is made for spending, not hoarding. She had servants. No matter the money, the people did not like her. Nothing she did was right. She was going to step out in a new life with a new name. Lizsbeth A Borden of Maplecroft—the social invitations which never came; the constant curiosity, the shunning, and hostile silences when she went into town.
She loved being caught up in a large city where no one knew her. Then she would be in the news, someone always wanted money. She always returned to Maplecroft, her magnificent empty-halls, mausoleum-palace with her servants. It was now a prison, a sanitarium, and a living tomb for her as well as the palace of all her desires and dreams. Where she would hide behind from the world whenever the curious pressed to close or the newspapers pried too deep.
From her relationships, and romances Lizzie attracted curiosity and controversy. Also the books she burned about herself. She had traded one prison for another. Would she ever be truly set free?
“My life is a life of hard and sad compromises, cruel, and brutal facts, and the splendid isolation of a millionaire leper, fated to live out my days like an aging, withering white haired Rupunzel perched high up in her ivory tower resigning herself to the truth that her price is never going to come and repenting her one attempt to rescue herself because it also ruined all her hopes and chances. Even as I set myself free with that impetuously wielded, fury-fueled hatchet, I made myself a perpetual prisoner, for life, and ever after, destined to walk alone under the dark cloud of suspicion.”
Was it worth it? Scandal-ridden and society-shunned scoundrel, Oscar Wilde, said it best: "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Money cannot buy happiness and it is the root of all evil. Their blood bought her a life of lonely luxury. Lizzie soon learns money is a cold comfort—it can buy things, but not warmth of a lover or devoted husband.
Lizzie always a romantic, dreams of being a woman of the world, sophisticated and fashionable. In reality, she became a woman shunned, and friendless, alone in the world. Things did not turn out the way she planned. She gained the financial freedom she had craved, as well as Emma; however, not the happiness. An example of three different prisons.
As time rolled on, Fall River went into a decline with the economy, similar to Lizzie’s life. She no longer cared about her weight or eating. The bloody deeds made her infamous. She is tired of living and afraid to die. There is always a price to pay for everything. She died at sixty-six after complications from surgery. Her sister died nine days later. She had been frugal, unlike her sister.
Today: Located just fifty miles south of Boston, minutes from Providence or Newport, R.I. and the gateway to Cape Cod, this landmark home is accessible from all major highways and is now the Lizzie Borden Museum and Bed and Breakfast. (As a consultant for inns, B&Bs, and hotels—this would be one assignment, I would kindly turn down). Creepy.
Very impressive, my first read by historical fiction author, Brandy Purdy; well researched and well-written. An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. (included). For fans of historical fiction, Lizzie Borden, mysteries, and psycho-crime thrillers. You will not be disappointed.
JDCMustReadBooks
January 28, 2016
"The Secrets of Lizzie Borden" is a historical fiction book that takes on the infamous Lizzie Borden, a woman most well known for killing her father and stepmother. After watching the Lifetime drama starring Christina Ricci last year, I was anxious to read a historical fiction on Borden (the book is always better, you know). This book really gets in the head of Borden and is a book that I will be thinking about for a long time!
Told from the perspective of Lizzie herself, this book gives you a front row view to all of the things that Lizzie is struggling with. This character is struggling with some inner demons to say the very least. We see Lizzie struggling with wanting to so badly get out from under her father's thumb. We see her trying to figure out love and who she is attracted too, which is further complicated by her being attracted to people inappropriate to society's norms of the day. The author does a great job of building her character into one that is real and complicated. This is a dark and twisty book that gave great insight into a woman who was incredibly complicated.
The writing of the book is good. I've read several of Purdy's other books and really like how she uses her writing to really envelop the reader and have them experience the character's world. This would be a great pick for those who like their historical fiction on the darker side.
Told from the perspective of Lizzie herself, this book gives you a front row view to all of the things that Lizzie is struggling with. This character is struggling with some inner demons to say the very least. We see Lizzie struggling with wanting to so badly get out from under her father's thumb. We see her trying to figure out love and who she is attracted too, which is further complicated by her being attracted to people inappropriate to society's norms of the day. The author does a great job of building her character into one that is real and complicated. This is a dark and twisty book that gave great insight into a woman who was incredibly complicated.
The writing of the book is good. I've read several of Purdy's other books and really like how she uses her writing to really envelop the reader and have them experience the character's world. This would be a great pick for those who like their historical fiction on the darker side.
Read
April 5, 2016"In her enthralling, richly imagined new novel, Brandy Purdy, author of The Ripper’s Wife--
I'm gonna stop you right there.
Reached around 30% and just skimmed the rest.
This is book is clearly not for my taste. I find the writing tedious and the characters annoying. Plus, due to some weird mojo, my tastes doesn't run to lesbian stories. Give me a M/M romance and I'm okay but F/F is..*shrugs*
I'm still interested in other Lizzie Borden books though because
Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
January 25, 2016
Review: THE SECRETS OF LIZZIE BORDEN by Brandy Purdy
An intriguing account of the life and times of one Lizzie Borden, of Fall River, Massachusetts, THE SECRETS OF LIZZIE BORDEN unfolds from the bird's eye view, a first-person narrative related by Lizzie herself. I was struck by the ongoing misery of the household of Andrew Borden. A wealthy man, he might have provided proficiently for his first wife and daughters, and later for his second wife. Instead the family lived as if poverty-stricken, with the only acknowledgement of wealth being Andrew' s constant remonstrances against devious fortune hunters. Lizzie seems a failed person, never able to achieve joy or happiness or ever to find love.
An intriguing account of the life and times of one Lizzie Borden, of Fall River, Massachusetts, THE SECRETS OF LIZZIE BORDEN unfolds from the bird's eye view, a first-person narrative related by Lizzie herself. I was struck by the ongoing misery of the household of Andrew Borden. A wealthy man, he might have provided proficiently for his first wife and daughters, and later for his second wife. Instead the family lived as if poverty-stricken, with the only acknowledgement of wealth being Andrew' s constant remonstrances against devious fortune hunters. Lizzie seems a failed person, never able to achieve joy or happiness or ever to find love.
January 15, 2016
This was not the first book about Lizzie Borden I have read but it was the first I have read where it seems as if she is telling her own story. Even though she was a grown woman when she committed these crimes this story gave more of a back ground to her childhood as she would have experienced it. Her father was very strict and her mother did not do much to make the girls lives easier and by all accounts her life was not an easy one. No one knows what really happened on the day her parents were killed but this story is very compelling and I have to say it was a great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
February 10, 2016
5 axe stars
So I loved the portraying of Lizzie Borden by Richie and decided I needed to know more. So this is historical fiction no I can't even separate what could be real from what was real...maybe that's why the murderess Lizzie Borden has stayed famous. It was interesting seeing her being portrayed in this and never would I have guessed how old she was I thought she was a teenager when she committed the crimes . I can't really reveal anything else without it being a spoiler but it was a great read for me. The author is quiet the expert
So I loved the portraying of Lizzie Borden by Richie and decided I needed to know more. So this is historical fiction no I can't even separate what could be real from what was real...maybe that's why the murderess Lizzie Borden has stayed famous. It was interesting seeing her being portrayed in this and never would I have guessed how old she was I thought she was a teenager when she committed the crimes . I can't really reveal anything else without it being a spoiler but it was a great read for me. The author is quiet the expert
September 10, 2016
I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this book.
There was an excessive and unnecessary amount of description of every single article of clothing as well as home decor. It got very monotonous and slowed the pace of the story. That being said, I did love the inclusion of bisexual Lizzie narrating her story. A woman shown freely expressing her sexuality in her own way is very important, especially given the time period. However, her constant negative self image became very tiresome and distracting as it appeared at the oddest moments. Due to this, the book read as a cautionary tale of how if you're fat, you're unlovable (which is, of course, patently ridiculous).
I had such high hopes for this book but it didn't live up to my expectations.
There was an excessive and unnecessary amount of description of every single article of clothing as well as home decor. It got very monotonous and slowed the pace of the story. That being said, I did love the inclusion of bisexual Lizzie narrating her story. A woman shown freely expressing her sexuality in her own way is very important, especially given the time period. However, her constant negative self image became very tiresome and distracting as it appeared at the oddest moments. Due to this, the book read as a cautionary tale of how if you're fat, you're unlovable (which is, of course, patently ridiculous).
I had such high hopes for this book but it didn't live up to my expectations.
December 27, 2016
This book has more blood than a gory horror story.
So much blood.
And so much complaining.
I couldn't get past Lizzie's "Woe is me" attitude. She seemed to think the world owed her something.
I could go on but then I would sound like Lizzie going on and on with a long list of complaints. Only difference would be that her complaints are actually readable. That is if you can stand it.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
So much blood.
And so much complaining.
I couldn't get past Lizzie's "Woe is me" attitude. She seemed to think the world owed her something.
I could go on but then I would sound like Lizzie going on and on with a long list of complaints. Only difference would be that her complaints are actually readable. That is if you can stand it.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
January 25, 2016
This is the second book I picked up by Brandy Purdy and I was not disappointed. I will admit I was initially and immediately drawn to this title by the subject matter as I seem obsessed with all things Lizzie Borden, or maybe I am just drawn to serial killers in general. Hmm...what might that say about me? I couldn't wait to find out more about Lizzie and while I know it is a work of fiction, from reading "The Ripper's Wife" I knew Purdy would include so many historical references that I would feel as if I was actually living in Fall River, Massachusetts on The Hill, watching the horrendous murders unfold.
Most people know the story of Lizzie Borden and can probably recite the chant by heart. But this book delves into the mind of Lizzie which I never experienced before in the shows I have watched or the previous information I have gathered. I remain amazed at the amount of work Purdy must put in to complete a historical fiction book like "The Secrets of Lizzie Borden." The book is packed full of details and keeps the reader engrossed to the very end. It looks at all angles of the murders which took place, and at times, actually makes me feel sorry for Lizzie. I imagine Lizzie had to be a complex character when she was alive, and most portrayals show her being extremely manipulative, but even so, I am sure if she was living in the modern world, she would have a few diagnoses and her own reality show and people would not treat her like the pariah she was back then.
I love the cover of this novel and find it extremely haunting. And although I will always imagine Lizzie Borden as Christina Ricci (thanks Lifetime!), Purdy's Lizzie seems much more realistic. The only drawback, and this really isn't a knock on this novel at all, is that I want to learn more about Emma, Lizzie's sister. It seems she had a lot of issues of her own, and I think it would be interesting to see the history of Lizzie shown from another point of view.
This is a glorious piece of historical fiction. Maybe I am not fully qualified to say that as I don't read much historical fiction, or perhaps it is true because I don't read a lot of historical fiction, yet I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the story it tells. If you love history, strong writing, or have a fascination with serial killers or Lizzie Borden in particular, definitely grab this on release day.
I was provided a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Most people know the story of Lizzie Borden and can probably recite the chant by heart. But this book delves into the mind of Lizzie which I never experienced before in the shows I have watched or the previous information I have gathered. I remain amazed at the amount of work Purdy must put in to complete a historical fiction book like "The Secrets of Lizzie Borden." The book is packed full of details and keeps the reader engrossed to the very end. It looks at all angles of the murders which took place, and at times, actually makes me feel sorry for Lizzie. I imagine Lizzie had to be a complex character when she was alive, and most portrayals show her being extremely manipulative, but even so, I am sure if she was living in the modern world, she would have a few diagnoses and her own reality show and people would not treat her like the pariah she was back then.
I love the cover of this novel and find it extremely haunting. And although I will always imagine Lizzie Borden as Christina Ricci (thanks Lifetime!), Purdy's Lizzie seems much more realistic. The only drawback, and this really isn't a knock on this novel at all, is that I want to learn more about Emma, Lizzie's sister. It seems she had a lot of issues of her own, and I think it would be interesting to see the history of Lizzie shown from another point of view.
This is a glorious piece of historical fiction. Maybe I am not fully qualified to say that as I don't read much historical fiction, or perhaps it is true because I don't read a lot of historical fiction, yet I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the story it tells. If you love history, strong writing, or have a fascination with serial killers or Lizzie Borden in particular, definitely grab this on release day.
I was provided a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2016
The cover of this book is what first piqued my interest. I found it to be creepily haunting and I wanted to know more. The cover and my appreciation for the hours of research that must have occurred are the two most positive aspects of my impression of this book. The author is very talented with her descriptions of the mode of style, settings, and emotions of the characters. Her description of the oppressive life the Borden girls lived would seemingly make almost anyone snap at some point.. though perhaps not the degree that Lizzie Borden did.
I struggled to enjoy this book. I didn't not like it, I truly felt at the end it was simply an "ok" kind of read. The character of Lizzie was made to be one of sexual, sensual, and companionship oppression. Lizzie longs to be like the other girls in her town and begins to slowly harbor resentments that fester as time passes by. Purdy portrays her as bisexual and it seems like all her issues stem from deprivation of love and physical expression of love. Freud would love this book. It really began to get tedious as she develops odd crushes and fantasies over the decades of her life. I was left with the impression of a woman driven by emotion and not a lot of common sense. Which completely supports the male view of the female species for this time period; so thanks Lizzie Borden for that support of the stereotype. I'm also still not sure why Lizzie's menses was mentioned so frequently throughout the book ( of course she was having her menses when she snapped and committed murder). The book starts describing her mother's awful "time of the month"history and it continues describing Lizzie's. If anything, the author made a concerted effort to portray a deeply personal, raw account of Lizzie Borden's story. Though acquitted in the trial for her father and step mother's brutal slaying with an ax; the general public finds her guilty and loves a good sensation. Lizzie is unable to find the love that she has spent her entire life seeking, usually in the wrong places, but is ultimately able to answer the question, was it all worth it?
I would like to thank Kensington Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review of it. I am appreciative of the opportunity.
January 5, 2019
This was a critical and opinionated novel that was drawn out and boring to read. I found that the way Lizzie Borden was depicted was as confusing as her story. What should have been a more darker and twisted tale, turned out to be a cringe-inducing mess with lust, sex, and periods. It’s only redeeming qualities was the last few chapters where her older life is described. I was hoping for a better story, but this book disappointed me immensely.
December 29, 2015
My dislike of this book has nothing to do with lack of anything within the pages, and everything to do with my disinterest in the way that Lizzie Borden is portrayed.
Read full review @ http://wordgurgle.blogspot.com/2015/1...
Read full review @ http://wordgurgle.blogspot.com/2015/1...
November 25, 2018
Interesting fictional take on Lizzie Borden
I know very little of the actual facts concerning the murders of Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother, and I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I could recognize what was absolute fiction and what was embellishment of the truth. But still, it was a good read.
The story is written chronologically beginning right before the murders and continuing through Lizzie’s life after. I enjoyed the chapters about the trial the most.
I know very little of the actual facts concerning the murders of Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother, and I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I could recognize what was absolute fiction and what was embellishment of the truth. But still, it was a good read.
The story is written chronologically beginning right before the murders and continuing through Lizzie’s life after. I enjoyed the chapters about the trial the most.
August 3, 2024
I had a hard time getting into the book I felt like the author talked about Lizzie's monthly cycle way too much the book didn't hold my attention.
February 13, 2016
"I can only tell you this, for whatever it is worth to you, all those old adages about money embroidered on so many samplers are absolutely true; it cannot buy happiness and it is the root of all evil."
This, a quote from Lizzie Borden in the book, entirely sums up the story of Lizzie, at least as told in this book. This fictional account of Lizzie and the murders of her parents is so excellently told, it reads like it was written by Lizzie herself. I am thoroughly impressed with how engaging it is and the amazing polarity of the character of Lizzie. Purdy has outdone herself.
As one long fascinated with the story of Lizzie Borden, I, like many others, have often speculated on whether she truly committed the murders (I have always leaned toward yes) and if she did, what was her motivation. Unlike the many stories I've watched about Borden in the television medium, this telling fully develops Lizzie as a person. We learn of her inner fears and wants. We learn of a life with very little love from a miserly father and a grave and cold sister. And not only was her father a miser, but he was also condescending and always quick to inform Lizzie of her naivety and lack of worth in the eyes of others, except as a source of getting to his wealth. Lizzie was a woman so desperate for love and affection that trying to grasp it in any way she could was what ultimately led her to the rash decision and terrible acts that would change her life forever.
Going back to the quote above, Lizzie thought that she would be free...and she was. She was free to spend money and live the way she always wanted. And yet, although she was acquitted of the murders, no one ever truly believed she didn't do it and that stain would follow her the rest of her days. She could never feel truly loved because someone always seemed to have ulterior motives of getting close to her to get her story, or for notoriety. Sadly, the one time she had a chance at happiness was dashed because of her notorious past. She was destined to spend the rest of her life alone.
That Lizzie was a bisexual woman is neither here nor there. There are plenty of people in history that I'm sure were the same. In Lizzie's case, instead of being liberated by loving who she wanted, because of the norms of the time, and her upbringing to feel shame, she could never truly be happy, or feel good about herself and how she felt toward other women. Suppressed sexuality can lead to volatile feelings and this may be another clue to the motivations of her committing the murders.
We will never truly know if she did it or not. Since she was acquitted by a court of law, one wants to believe that perhaps she was innocent. However, in my mind, I must go along with the portrayal in this book, which coincides with what I've always believed. Do I think what Lizzie did was wrong? Yes, I do. Do I feel she was not punished properly? Yes, I do. Lizzie received a far worse punishment than if she would have been sentenced to hang. She sentenced herself to a life of loneliness and self-loathing. To me, that was punishment enough.
The Secrets of Lizzie Borden really is a must read. I can't even begin to express how much I enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it.
This, a quote from Lizzie Borden in the book, entirely sums up the story of Lizzie, at least as told in this book. This fictional account of Lizzie and the murders of her parents is so excellently told, it reads like it was written by Lizzie herself. I am thoroughly impressed with how engaging it is and the amazing polarity of the character of Lizzie. Purdy has outdone herself.
As one long fascinated with the story of Lizzie Borden, I, like many others, have often speculated on whether she truly committed the murders (I have always leaned toward yes) and if she did, what was her motivation. Unlike the many stories I've watched about Borden in the television medium, this telling fully develops Lizzie as a person. We learn of her inner fears and wants. We learn of a life with very little love from a miserly father and a grave and cold sister. And not only was her father a miser, but he was also condescending and always quick to inform Lizzie of her naivety and lack of worth in the eyes of others, except as a source of getting to his wealth. Lizzie was a woman so desperate for love and affection that trying to grasp it in any way she could was what ultimately led her to the rash decision and terrible acts that would change her life forever.
Going back to the quote above, Lizzie thought that she would be free...and she was. She was free to spend money and live the way she always wanted. And yet, although she was acquitted of the murders, no one ever truly believed she didn't do it and that stain would follow her the rest of her days. She could never feel truly loved because someone always seemed to have ulterior motives of getting close to her to get her story, or for notoriety. Sadly, the one time she had a chance at happiness was dashed because of her notorious past. She was destined to spend the rest of her life alone.
That Lizzie was a bisexual woman is neither here nor there. There are plenty of people in history that I'm sure were the same. In Lizzie's case, instead of being liberated by loving who she wanted, because of the norms of the time, and her upbringing to feel shame, she could never truly be happy, or feel good about herself and how she felt toward other women. Suppressed sexuality can lead to volatile feelings and this may be another clue to the motivations of her committing the murders.
We will never truly know if she did it or not. Since she was acquitted by a court of law, one wants to believe that perhaps she was innocent. However, in my mind, I must go along with the portrayal in this book, which coincides with what I've always believed. Do I think what Lizzie did was wrong? Yes, I do. Do I feel she was not punished properly? Yes, I do. Lizzie received a far worse punishment than if she would have been sentenced to hang. She sentenced herself to a life of loneliness and self-loathing. To me, that was punishment enough.
The Secrets of Lizzie Borden really is a must read. I can't even begin to express how much I enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it.
May 11, 2025
this ended up feeling like bad fanfic and i was very disappointed unfortunately
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February 10, 2016I would think most everyone has heard of Lizzie Borden, acquitted of murdering her stepmother and father in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts in 1892. Acquitted because at that time there just was not enough evidence to convict her of the crime. Did she or didn't she? I tend to think that she did and was very clever covering it up or as is indicated in the book, she had help cleaning up from the servant Bridget. I also believe that she had a lot of provocation and felt justified in what she did. I have always been interested in the story of Lizzie Borden, plus the fact that we share a birthday, so this book was kind of special and I was eager to read it.
Brandy Purdy brings to life the lives of Lizzie, her sister Emma and the Borden family and their circumstances. Andrew Borden was extremely rich but a spendthrift and miserly in how he managed his money. At such a time and with the money he had, the Borden family could have had a life of luxury or at least comfortable. That was not the case though, they did not even have electricity, it was available, and their bathing and toileting facilities were primitive at best.
Stepmother Abby Durfee Gray Borden came into Lizzie and her sister Emma's lives after their mother died. Lizzie was quite young and took to Abby as she needed a mother figure. Emma on the other hand never did like her because she had promised her mother that she and only she would take care of Lizzie. She felt that Abby did not belong in their lives and did everything she could to make Lizzie hate Abby. Why was she killed? Maybe it was just because the hatred was such that she had to be killed or she knew something that would cause Lizzie a lot of trouble with her father.
After Lizzie is acquitted, we learn in the book of her life after that incident. Of how she spent a lot of money for her pleasure, a new home, furnishings, dresses, jewelry etc. She traveled a lot especially in Europe looking for someone to love her but never really finding it. Lizzie did find short lived affairs with both men and women but never did find her true love. Such a sad life. Even if she did commit the murders and was looking for freedom, which she got, she was never happy and died a lonely woman amongst her luxuries.
Murder is a crime and if she had done it presently, it is highly unlikely that she would have been acquitted. There was no forensics to speak of back then. I really believe that this was a crime of passion and that is how this book is written. With the author's gift for telling a story, very descriptive and researched The Secrets of Lizzie Borden is something a bit different for the historical fiction reader. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
Brandy Purdy brings to life the lives of Lizzie, her sister Emma and the Borden family and their circumstances. Andrew Borden was extremely rich but a spendthrift and miserly in how he managed his money. At such a time and with the money he had, the Borden family could have had a life of luxury or at least comfortable. That was not the case though, they did not even have electricity, it was available, and their bathing and toileting facilities were primitive at best.
Stepmother Abby Durfee Gray Borden came into Lizzie and her sister Emma's lives after their mother died. Lizzie was quite young and took to Abby as she needed a mother figure. Emma on the other hand never did like her because she had promised her mother that she and only she would take care of Lizzie. She felt that Abby did not belong in their lives and did everything she could to make Lizzie hate Abby. Why was she killed? Maybe it was just because the hatred was such that she had to be killed or she knew something that would cause Lizzie a lot of trouble with her father.
After Lizzie is acquitted, we learn in the book of her life after that incident. Of how she spent a lot of money for her pleasure, a new home, furnishings, dresses, jewelry etc. She traveled a lot especially in Europe looking for someone to love her but never really finding it. Lizzie did find short lived affairs with both men and women but never did find her true love. Such a sad life. Even if she did commit the murders and was looking for freedom, which she got, she was never happy and died a lonely woman amongst her luxuries.
Murder is a crime and if she had done it presently, it is highly unlikely that she would have been acquitted. There was no forensics to speak of back then. I really believe that this was a crime of passion and that is how this book is written. With the author's gift for telling a story, very descriptive and researched The Secrets of Lizzie Borden is something a bit different for the historical fiction reader. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
February 2, 2016
Dismal, dismal, dismal. If I could give this 0 stars, I would. I'm truly baffled by the number of 4-5 star reviews for this.
Grossly historically inaccurate, first of all. That's this book's biggest problem. (That, and the writing, but we'll get to that.) So, this book seems to be in some kind of competition with Sweet Madness as to which book can be the worst fictional book about Lizzie Borden. I have so many issues with this, I don't even know where to start ... Just, do people ever actually do research anymore? Kids, you can buy this fine book -- Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River -- for around $50 and that has all the research you'd ever need. Seriously. The fact that we still have books that are like "can you believe [myth that any LB historian worth their salt knows has been debunked]??" is honestly just plain embarrassing. Stop spreading misinformation.
The writing in this was simplistic and frankly, pretty atrocious. I cringed through 90% of this. Why is Lizzie written like a naive 12-year-old for the entire book? Why is Nance O'Neil completely trashed as a person? (For that matter, what did Andrew, Abby, and Emma ever do to this author to deserve such awful characterizations?) Why did the author just make up shit that so obviously never happened that it feels like bad fanfic? Why is every sex scene just. So. Damn. Awful?
I get that Lizzie is meant to have "secrets" but really, Purdy just went overboard with this trying to make it ~scandalous and, as I mentioned earlier, it just reads like bad fanfic. Seriously. I don't know what she was trying to achieve with this book, but if her goal was to make Lifetime's The Lizzie Borden Chronicles look like the highest form of art and storytelling, then she definitely succeeded.
Writers: don't write a book about real life people if you're not going to actually do any research. It always shows. Also, these are real life people. Or were, anyway. I know they're dead now, but for goodness' sake, maybe at least try to do them some justice and not write tripe like this?
I'm actually embarrassed that I was excited to read this. But I'm more embarrassed for the author.
Grossly historically inaccurate, first of all. That's this book's biggest problem. (That, and the writing, but we'll get to that.) So, this book seems to be in some kind of competition with Sweet Madness as to which book can be the worst fictional book about Lizzie Borden. I have so many issues with this, I don't even know where to start ... Just, do people ever actually do research anymore? Kids, you can buy this fine book -- Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River -- for around $50 and that has all the research you'd ever need. Seriously. The fact that we still have books that are like "can you believe [myth that any LB historian worth their salt knows has been debunked]??" is honestly just plain embarrassing. Stop spreading misinformation.
The writing in this was simplistic and frankly, pretty atrocious. I cringed through 90% of this. Why is Lizzie written like a naive 12-year-old for the entire book? Why is Nance O'Neil completely trashed as a person? (For that matter, what did Andrew, Abby, and Emma ever do to this author to deserve such awful characterizations?) Why did the author just make up shit that so obviously never happened that it feels like bad fanfic? Why is every sex scene just. So. Damn. Awful?
I get that Lizzie is meant to have "secrets" but really, Purdy just went overboard with this trying to make it ~scandalous and, as I mentioned earlier, it just reads like bad fanfic. Seriously. I don't know what she was trying to achieve with this book, but if her goal was to make Lifetime's The Lizzie Borden Chronicles look like the highest form of art and storytelling, then she definitely succeeded.
Writers: don't write a book about real life people if you're not going to actually do any research. It always shows. Also, these are real life people. Or were, anyway. I know they're dead now, but for goodness' sake, maybe at least try to do them some justice and not write tripe like this?
I'm actually embarrassed that I was excited to read this. But I'm more embarrassed for the author.
January 29, 2016
This is my favorite 2016 new release so far!!
Lizzie Borden has been resurrected from the dead to tell her story! & she came back with a vengeance!! WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD SO READ NO MORE IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED!
The Lizzie Borden case has been an intriguing case to many people throughout the years. Even after 100 years it sill manages to attract hundreds of people to the house where the murders took place. The actual house is now a bed and breakfast that I hope to visit one day!
The story is told in Lizzie's words and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I hated her father he was the true definition of an arrogant ass! (The book is told in a fictional voice so this opinion of mine is based on the character in the book) I was utterly shocked to read of Lizzie's lesbian relationships and my heart broke for her numerous times when these women she shared intimate moments with would betray her. About 30% of the book I had already understood her points of views and could understand why she went mad the moment she committed the murders. Her sister had an impact of Lizzie's relationship with her mother as she grew up. When Lizzie tried to love her, her sister would intervene and only tell Lizzie why she should despise her. I was surprised that she actually defended Lizzie after the trial and stayed as her companion as long as she did.
I can go on forever on this book. There was just so many things I loved about it. I am not sure what research the author did in writing it, but if these were some theories as to what caused the murders then they might very well be right on point. Go & pick up this book NOW!!!
~~Copy provided by publisher in exchange of an honest review~~
Lizzie Borden has been resurrected from the dead to tell her story! & she came back with a vengeance!! WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD SO READ NO MORE IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED!
The Lizzie Borden case has been an intriguing case to many people throughout the years. Even after 100 years it sill manages to attract hundreds of people to the house where the murders took place. The actual house is now a bed and breakfast that I hope to visit one day!
The story is told in Lizzie's words and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I hated her father he was the true definition of an arrogant ass! (The book is told in a fictional voice so this opinion of mine is based on the character in the book) I was utterly shocked to read of Lizzie's lesbian relationships and my heart broke for her numerous times when these women she shared intimate moments with would betray her. About 30% of the book I had already understood her points of views and could understand why she went mad the moment she committed the murders. Her sister had an impact of Lizzie's relationship with her mother as she grew up. When Lizzie tried to love her, her sister would intervene and only tell Lizzie why she should despise her. I was surprised that she actually defended Lizzie after the trial and stayed as her companion as long as she did.
I can go on forever on this book. There was just so many things I loved about it. I am not sure what research the author did in writing it, but if these were some theories as to what caused the murders then they might very well be right on point. Go & pick up this book NOW!!!
~~Copy provided by publisher in exchange of an honest review~~
April 17, 2017
This book was given to me for free through Goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
When everyone in a household is a bit borderline, it is not surprising that there is friction sometimes. And if you are morally suffocated, so much that you are deprived of any chance of a normal life, it is possible that you become fed up of everything and everyone to the point of losing your mind at a tense moment.
The author describes so well Lizzie Borden's family and the revolting context in which she lived, that one comes to wonder if we would have not become as insane as her to the point of murdering someone in a moment of rage.
This does not justify Lizzie's crime since she could have chosen to escape her family, even living in poverty elsewhere. But this story makes us clearly understand how a crime of passion, because it is clearly one, may be committed.
This biographical novel is well written. So well, we wonder if all the members of the Borden family really acted as described and we would like to know what was really going on in their minds. I enjoyed it and I recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology and criminality, but also to anyone who loves to dig into someone's background and to relive the old time to the point of having the feeling of being there.
When everyone in a household is a bit borderline, it is not surprising that there is friction sometimes. And if you are morally suffocated, so much that you are deprived of any chance of a normal life, it is possible that you become fed up of everything and everyone to the point of losing your mind at a tense moment.
The author describes so well Lizzie Borden's family and the revolting context in which she lived, that one comes to wonder if we would have not become as insane as her to the point of murdering someone in a moment of rage.
This does not justify Lizzie's crime since she could have chosen to escape her family, even living in poverty elsewhere. But this story makes us clearly understand how a crime of passion, because it is clearly one, may be committed.
This biographical novel is well written. So well, we wonder if all the members of the Borden family really acted as described and we would like to know what was really going on in their minds. I enjoyed it and I recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology and criminality, but also to anyone who loves to dig into someone's background and to relive the old time to the point of having the feeling of being there.
February 10, 2016
I didn't enjoy this book at all, and I really think it belongs more in a YA category than adult historical fiction. I have nothing against YA, but I felt like I was reading the thoughts of a 13 year old, not a mature woman in her 30s. There really are some good books about Lizzie Borden out there, I can't recommend this one.
April 20, 2017
Should be called "Lizzie Borden gets her period". I know PMDD is a thing, but this book took it over the top.
June 27, 2020
Ehhh.
So there is a note at the beginning of this book saying this is merely a fictional account of Lizzie Borden and once you start the story, you can see all the liberties Purdy makes. Not that they were bad, they were just really uncomfortable exagerations...like Lizzie having PTSD every time she has a period because of her mom's bloody death.
Purdy also decided to write this in first person, so we hear everything from Lizzie as she describes what she sees including her budding sexuality and attraction to women. However, this is all narration with zero dialogue so the effect ends up sounding more like tired rambling. There was just no relief to the sometime over described scenes that borders on uncomfortable.
So I'm sticking to three stars because I liked some of the liberties that Purdy took with the story, I liked the decision to make it first person, I liked the frugal aspect of Mr. Borden, the stepmom was actually a doting maternal figure, and Emma was the awful one. I think Lizzie Borden fans should definitely try it out, it got decent enough reviews from others...it just wasn't for me.
So there is a note at the beginning of this book saying this is merely a fictional account of Lizzie Borden and once you start the story, you can see all the liberties Purdy makes. Not that they were bad, they were just really uncomfortable exagerations...like Lizzie having PTSD every time she has a period because of her mom's bloody death.
Purdy also decided to write this in first person, so we hear everything from Lizzie as she describes what she sees including her budding sexuality and attraction to women. However, this is all narration with zero dialogue so the effect ends up sounding more like tired rambling. There was just no relief to the sometime over described scenes that borders on uncomfortable.
So I'm sticking to three stars because I liked some of the liberties that Purdy took with the story, I liked the decision to make it first person, I liked the frugal aspect of Mr. Borden, the stepmom was actually a doting maternal figure, and Emma was the awful one. I think Lizzie Borden fans should definitely try it out, it got decent enough reviews from others...it just wasn't for me.
May 15, 2018
A riveting and chilling look into the life and murders of Lizzie Borden.
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