When Mothers Kill: Interviews from Prison

by Michelle Oberman, Cheryl L. Meyer

Winner of the 2008 Outstanding Book Award by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

Michelle Oberman and Cheryl L. Meyer don’t write for news magazines or prime-time investigative television shows, but the stories they tell hold the same fascination. When Mothers Kill is compelling. In a clear, direct fashion the authors recount what they have learned from interviewing women imprisoned for killing their children. Readers will be shocked and outraged—as much by the violence the women have endured in their own lives as by the violence they engaged in—but they will also be informed and even enlightened.

Oberman and Meyer are leading authorities on their subject. Their 2001 book, Mothers Who Kill Their Children, drew from hundreds of newspaper articles as well as from medical and social science journals to propose a comprehensive typology of maternal filicide. In that same year, driven by a desire to test their typology—and to better understand child-killing women not just as types but as individuals—Oberman and Meyer began interviewing women who had been incarcerated for the crime. After conducting lengthy, face-to-face interviews with forty prison inmates, they returned and selected eight women to speak with at even greater length. This new book begins with these stories, recounted in the matter-of-fact words of the inmates themselves.

There are collective themes that emerge from these individual accounts, including histories of relentless interpersonal violence, troubled relationships with parents (particularly with mothers), twisted notions of romantic love, and deep conflicts about motherhood. These themes structure the books overall narrative, which also includes an insightful examination of the social and institutional systems that have failed these women. Neither the mothers nor the authors offer these stories as excuses for these crimes.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Psychology

191 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2008

Reviews

[J.C. Reilly]

This book was interesting, and the authors were sympathetic towards their subjects which I appreciated because a different approach could have shown the mothers as monsters and nothing else. I do feel that there's a little too much summary and not enough examples if the women themselves speaking but I learned a lot.

[Kaitlyn]

This book is such an important read. It’s such a well-done study and look into what causes a mother to murder their child. This book is heartbreaking, infuriating, and a must-read.

[Amber]

Awesome book but that could just be the social worker in me. Helped shed light on a lot of stigma and stereotypes of women who kill their children.

[MsTiptress]

Wow! I am so interested in this subject and this book did its job in giving information. It was very informative, important, and helpful in understanding the different aspects to mothers who kill their children.

However, the writing I didn't like. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to give empathy or be a research paper. There were times it was written for a high schooler and other times there were so many big words in one sentence I didn't understand the point.

Overall if you are interested in this tough subject read this book. It's a quick read but have your dictionary ready to go bc context clues did not work!

[Allison Stump]

Recommended by a close friend; and thoroughly enjoyed. Important to note (in reading some of the reviews on this app) - this is a case study; meaning it’s more clinically written in nature and not a true narrative that is focusing on the stories from the Mothers, but rather what sociological factors impacted the outcome of these situations (and how to prevent it from occurring in the future). Very interesting and informative - highly recommend to anyone looking to expand their knowledge in an intersectional and compassionate manner.

[Reader]

I read this in the midst of the Lindsay Clancy trial, as I was trying to better understand and reckon with the acts she committed against her children. Unfortunately, the book does not explore filicide related to maternal mental illness in the depth I had hoped for. Nonetheless, I found it insightful and thought-provoking, though ultimately a bit too brief for a subject this complex and heavy.

[Rebekah]

It was very good, but very sad. Women in high-stress situations (extreme poverty, homelessness, abusive relationships, etc) make awful choices.

One start deducted for the authors' frustrating lack of sympathy. (They got there eventually, but it took awhile.)

[Ally]

Honestly, I should have known not to read this. I am always drawn to true crime, but they way in which this was written is horrible.

[Stephanie Coady]

Horrible topic, but I found the stories and interviews interesting and devastating.

[pearl]

Really well done. Tragic subject matter handled with clear-eyed empathy and evenness. Oddly enough felt like a collection of short stories. Also the appendices are worth reading.

[Helen]

I read this as part of my dissertation research, and I'm so very glad I did. Deals with a traumatic topic sensitively.

[Nathalie]

Just saw this one while reading about the Long Island Beach killer...one body found was that of a 2 year old whose cause of death is still unknown.

[Sue]

Clinically-written . . . "psychology-style." Put me right to sleep.