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The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper's Victims
An in-depth look at the lives of the women murdered by the infamous, 19th-century London serial killer. Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly are inextricably linked in history. Their names might not be instantly recognizable, and the identity of their murderer may have eluded detectives and historians throughout the years, but there is no mistaking the infamy of Jack the Ripper. For nine weeks during the autumn of 1888, the Whitechapel Murderer brought terror to London’s East End, slashing women’s throats and disemboweling them. London’s most famous serial killer has been pored over time and again, yet his victims have been sorely neglected, reduced to the simple prostitute. The lives of these five women are rags-to-riches-to-rags stories of the most tragic kind. There was a time in each of their lives when these poor women had a job, money, a home and a family. Hardworking, determined, and fiercely independent individuals, it was bad luck or a wrong turn here or there that left them wretched and destitute. Ignored by the press and overlooked by historians, it is time their stories were told. “Hume presents us with clear and concise biographies of the Ripper’s victims, and while it is tempting to think of them as all being prostitutes . . . their backgrounds, gone into in this much detail, shows them as something completely different. You will have to, you must read this brilliant book, it puts a whole new perspective into the canon of literature about the most infamous murderer of the last two centuries.” —Books Monthly
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
August 26, 2019
Finally, a book that looks more into the lives of the Ripper’s victims rather than giving all of the attention to the killer himself. From what it shows, the victims have often been misrepresented up to this point. It discusses the false belief at the time that the women chose to be prostitutes rather than be respectable housewives, like they had a choice. Also, how they were often portrayed as dirty, drunken women, stumbling around looking for their next hookup. I found this honest look into the victim’s lives much more interesting than yet another ho-hum attempt at guessing who the Ripper is again. A fresh look at the story with a bit more realistic look at how things really were for poor women back then in many cases, instead of the hogwash that’s been carried down through the years.
It shares information on each of the victims, making them more real people rather than characters in a story. The advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Dr. Robert Hume, and the publisher.
First posted on my WordPress blog seen here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
It shares information on each of the victims, making them more real people rather than characters in a story. The advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Dr. Robert Hume, and the publisher.
First posted on my WordPress blog seen here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
October 18, 2019
This one was super interesting. You hear a lot about "Jack The Ripper" and who he could have been, but you never hear too much about the victims. In this book the author goes into details about the five victims. Their family backgrounds, what brought them to London, and, of course, how they were murdered. If you are a Ripper fan, then this will be an interesting book to dive into. 
October 13, 2019
I think everyone must have heard of Jack the Ripper. But have you heard of his victims? Do you know any of their names? We get detailed background of the five victims. The ook has been well researched into the women's backgrounds. Pictures of the victims post mortem are also included. These women worked the streets to aid their struggle to live. This is a well written and researched book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Pen & Sword and the author Dr. Robert Hume for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Pen & Sword and the author Dr. Robert Hume for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2019
I absolutely loved the fact this book focuses on the lives of his victims, rather than the infamy and notoriety he gained, to remember the women as the important ones, women with lives who were murdered and tortured completely undeserving of their fate. Well researched and put together, great phots, illustrations and news clippings to illustrate their stories even better. This book is a great new fresh perspective and puts the main focus where it should always have been, innocent women who were murdered.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
January 31, 2020
In The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper’s Victims, Robert Hume narrates the biographies of the five women killed by London’s most notorious serial killer in 1888. He argues that the emphasis up until now has focused on the identity of the murderer, disproportionately so. But these women had lives and identities that merit attention, and just because they made mistakes, they should not be just names appended to a series of horrific murders. Their lives also provide windows into the horrifying conditions of poor people in Victorian London.
Hume’s method is to take each victim in the order they died. He writes their stories in a journalistic fashion with short, sometimes staccato paragraphs. In doing so, Hume sometimes leans over the line between reportage and fiction; for example, Hume cannot ascribe thought or motive to these women without evidence. He also adds illustrations, including mortuary photographs and the locations of the murders to graphic descriptions of their mutilated bodies, which draws attention to their status as murder victims rather than economic or political victims of a vicious era. Nevertheless, Hume’s recovery of these women’s biographies is useful even if he lacks the depth of study of Hallie Rubenhold’s highly acclaimed but flawed The Five (Doubleday, 2019). If you are interested in the social background to Jack the Ripper’s killing spree without immersing yourself in the era, then this book will suffice, but note that The Five is a superior book in almost every way.
Hume’s method is to take each victim in the order they died. He writes their stories in a journalistic fashion with short, sometimes staccato paragraphs. In doing so, Hume sometimes leans over the line between reportage and fiction; for example, Hume cannot ascribe thought or motive to these women without evidence. He also adds illustrations, including mortuary photographs and the locations of the murders to graphic descriptions of their mutilated bodies, which draws attention to their status as murder victims rather than economic or political victims of a vicious era. Nevertheless, Hume’s recovery of these women’s biographies is useful even if he lacks the depth of study of Hallie Rubenhold’s highly acclaimed but flawed The Five (Doubleday, 2019). If you are interested in the social background to Jack the Ripper’s killing spree without immersing yourself in the era, then this book will suffice, but note that The Five is a superior book in almost every way.
February 13, 2022
I've always been fascinated by the Ripper murders and for as long as I can remember I've wondered about the women in the photos. This is what I've been waiting for, with the focus on the victims instead of the killer. It's very well and compassionately done. I recommend it for anyone interested in history or true crime.
This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
August 22, 2019
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have been waiting for this wonderfully compassionate book for years and didn't even realize it.
So much obsession over Ripper mythology and so many people treat Mary Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane like they were somehow deserving of their tragic fates.
I feel this book is a very important read.
I have been waiting for this wonderfully compassionate book for years and didn't even realize it.
So much obsession over Ripper mythology and so many people treat Mary Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane like they were somehow deserving of their tragic fates.
I feel this book is a very important read.
September 30, 2019
https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...
I am a massive fan of anything to do with Jack the Ripper and I have read a lot of books that cover the subject and I have to say that this one was superb and one of the best I have read!
The book was concise and I thought the content was excellent. The author has taken the time to put the spotlight on the victims and their lives, not on the infamous killer and who they may have been.
I think the book portrayed the victims in a good light, it showed just how hard it was for these women in the East End of Victorian London. It must have been a horrific thing to live through, you have the lack of housing, possibility that you won’t have money to eat and the only way you think you earn money is to sell your body and ultimately put your life at risk, it must have been an awful choice to make when you know that there is a killer prowling the streets and you could potentially be next...
It is 5 stars from me for this one, it is a well written book, I loved the content and thought it was superb overall. Very highly recommend, a must for fans of the Jack the Ripper mystery and true crime!
I am a massive fan of anything to do with Jack the Ripper and I have read a lot of books that cover the subject and I have to say that this one was superb and one of the best I have read!
The book was concise and I thought the content was excellent. The author has taken the time to put the spotlight on the victims and their lives, not on the infamous killer and who they may have been.
I think the book portrayed the victims in a good light, it showed just how hard it was for these women in the East End of Victorian London. It must have been a horrific thing to live through, you have the lack of housing, possibility that you won’t have money to eat and the only way you think you earn money is to sell your body and ultimately put your life at risk, it must have been an awful choice to make when you know that there is a killer prowling the streets and you could potentially be next...
It is 5 stars from me for this one, it is a well written book, I loved the content and thought it was superb overall. Very highly recommend, a must for fans of the Jack the Ripper mystery and true crime!
November 12, 2020
Thanks to Rosie Croft of Pen & Sword for providing me a hardback copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
The mystery of Jack the Ripper, one of the greatest unsolved series of crimes in history, is also probably one of the best known, at least superficially. Most of us have heard of it and have watched movies, read novels, or even perused and researched the different theories about who Jack might have been. Many authors and experts have also written about it, proposing solutions to the puzzle, or using it as an inspiration for their own fiction.
It’s difficult not to feel curious about it, due the nature of the crimes, the fact that they all took place in a short period of time in a very small area of London, and because the Victorian Era seems to have a hold on a lot of people’s imagination. While for many it is a historical period looked at with nostalgia and wishful thinking, others are fully aware of its dark side. It is not all full of sweet traditions, big houses, Queen Victoria, Christmas trees and the family singing around the fire… As anybody who has read Charles Dickens will know, things were quite hard for those who weren’t well off or whose luck had run out.
I am not an expert on Jack the Ripper, and I am aware there are Ripperologists who have read everything (or almost everything) written about him. That is not my case, and I chose to read this book because the idea behind it felt right. The media pay so much attention to murders and murderers (especially serial killers) that sometimes the victims and their families become an afterthought or a footnote at best. That is true here, where although the names of these women have reached us, they are often seen as just that, his victims, and we know little about their lives before they crossed his path.
I know there has been another recent book published on the subject, but I haven’t read it, so I can’t make any comparisons. I have read in some reviews that there are some mistakes and inaccuracies in this book, but I don’t know enough to comment, and because my book is an ARC copy, it might well be that any inaccuracies were corrected later. I can say that I learned a lot (within the limited amount of information available) about these five women and their sad circumstances.
The author dedicates a separate chapter to each, he includes an introduction, a list of illustrations, plenty of photographs (some very graphic, so I recommend caution to readers who prefer to avoid that kind of content), abundant notes offering information about the sources used in each chapter, and also a conclusion and a bibliography that will be useful for those who want to learn more.
What I found particularly compelling was the way in which Hume tries to bring to life these women by quoting the words of those who knew them, and trying to paint a picture of their lives and of the places they lived in. He is very successful in illustrating what Whitechapel was like at the time, and how easy it would have been for somebody to fall on hard times and end up homeless and without any means. Women had a harder time finding work than men, and he makes a point of emphasising that at the time there was little to no help for those who fell on hard times. Somebody might have been living a decent life one day, and be kicked out because of an accident and losing one’s job the next. He is very sympathetic and understanding towards the circumstances of these women, who were judged at the time as being morally deficient at best, or corrupt and not deserving of help at worst.
‘Although scarcely angels, these women were trying hard to survive poverty independently, by taking on any casual work that became available. Homeless and without support, their gradual move into prostitution was not due to laziness or depravity, but personal circumstances: betrayal, bereavement, unemployment, domestic violence, or a simple mistake here and there.’
One wonders what would have happened if the victims would have belonged to one of the “better” sections of society and how much more effort would have been invested in finding the culprit.
I have read about the historical period in other books, and I was familiar with some of the information but was impressed by the amount of detail on the locations, the way the workhouses were run and functioned, and the day to day life of the inhabitants of the era. We become familiar with pubs, accommodation, brothels, churches, and we learn of the friendships and relationships between the residents of the neighbourhood, their often broken relationships with their relatives, and how this underworld was connected to the rest of London. It is not a place I would have wished to set foot in at the time, but some members of the best of society (mostly men) enjoyed visiting “the den of iniquity” as if they were going to the zoo to see the wild life or to engage in some anthropological research, when not simply looking for other pleasures.
In his conclusion, Hume reminds us of how little things have changed in some respects, and mentions the fact that prostitutes have a much higher mortality rate than the general population and are eighteen times more likely to be murdered. As he writes, all those women also deserve to have their stories told, and perhaps that will go some way to change these horrendous statistics.
I recommend this book to people who have an interest in the era and the area, and particularly in women’s lives. I don’t think experts will find anything new here, but for those who want a general overview of the social circumstances of Whitechapel and the East End of London at the time and also for readers who would like to get a different perspective on the murders, this book offers both, a good read and an important resource.
The mystery of Jack the Ripper, one of the greatest unsolved series of crimes in history, is also probably one of the best known, at least superficially. Most of us have heard of it and have watched movies, read novels, or even perused and researched the different theories about who Jack might have been. Many authors and experts have also written about it, proposing solutions to the puzzle, or using it as an inspiration for their own fiction.
It’s difficult not to feel curious about it, due the nature of the crimes, the fact that they all took place in a short period of time in a very small area of London, and because the Victorian Era seems to have a hold on a lot of people’s imagination. While for many it is a historical period looked at with nostalgia and wishful thinking, others are fully aware of its dark side. It is not all full of sweet traditions, big houses, Queen Victoria, Christmas trees and the family singing around the fire… As anybody who has read Charles Dickens will know, things were quite hard for those who weren’t well off or whose luck had run out.
I am not an expert on Jack the Ripper, and I am aware there are Ripperologists who have read everything (or almost everything) written about him. That is not my case, and I chose to read this book because the idea behind it felt right. The media pay so much attention to murders and murderers (especially serial killers) that sometimes the victims and their families become an afterthought or a footnote at best. That is true here, where although the names of these women have reached us, they are often seen as just that, his victims, and we know little about their lives before they crossed his path.
I know there has been another recent book published on the subject, but I haven’t read it, so I can’t make any comparisons. I have read in some reviews that there are some mistakes and inaccuracies in this book, but I don’t know enough to comment, and because my book is an ARC copy, it might well be that any inaccuracies were corrected later. I can say that I learned a lot (within the limited amount of information available) about these five women and their sad circumstances.
The author dedicates a separate chapter to each, he includes an introduction, a list of illustrations, plenty of photographs (some very graphic, so I recommend caution to readers who prefer to avoid that kind of content), abundant notes offering information about the sources used in each chapter, and also a conclusion and a bibliography that will be useful for those who want to learn more.
What I found particularly compelling was the way in which Hume tries to bring to life these women by quoting the words of those who knew them, and trying to paint a picture of their lives and of the places they lived in. He is very successful in illustrating what Whitechapel was like at the time, and how easy it would have been for somebody to fall on hard times and end up homeless and without any means. Women had a harder time finding work than men, and he makes a point of emphasising that at the time there was little to no help for those who fell on hard times. Somebody might have been living a decent life one day, and be kicked out because of an accident and losing one’s job the next. He is very sympathetic and understanding towards the circumstances of these women, who were judged at the time as being morally deficient at best, or corrupt and not deserving of help at worst.
‘Although scarcely angels, these women were trying hard to survive poverty independently, by taking on any casual work that became available. Homeless and without support, their gradual move into prostitution was not due to laziness or depravity, but personal circumstances: betrayal, bereavement, unemployment, domestic violence, or a simple mistake here and there.’
One wonders what would have happened if the victims would have belonged to one of the “better” sections of society and how much more effort would have been invested in finding the culprit.
I have read about the historical period in other books, and I was familiar with some of the information but was impressed by the amount of detail on the locations, the way the workhouses were run and functioned, and the day to day life of the inhabitants of the era. We become familiar with pubs, accommodation, brothels, churches, and we learn of the friendships and relationships between the residents of the neighbourhood, their often broken relationships with their relatives, and how this underworld was connected to the rest of London. It is not a place I would have wished to set foot in at the time, but some members of the best of society (mostly men) enjoyed visiting “the den of iniquity” as if they were going to the zoo to see the wild life or to engage in some anthropological research, when not simply looking for other pleasures.
In his conclusion, Hume reminds us of how little things have changed in some respects, and mentions the fact that prostitutes have a much higher mortality rate than the general population and are eighteen times more likely to be murdered. As he writes, all those women also deserve to have their stories told, and perhaps that will go some way to change these horrendous statistics.
I recommend this book to people who have an interest in the era and the area, and particularly in women’s lives. I don’t think experts will find anything new here, but for those who want a general overview of the social circumstances of Whitechapel and the East End of London at the time and also for readers who would like to get a different perspective on the murders, this book offers both, a good read and an important resource.
January 6, 2020
Fascinating read.
Robert Hume has researched extensively into the lives of the victims to produce and compassionate and harrowing account of their tragic existence.
It shows how easily their fortunes could change and with little social support they became destitute and vulnerable.
The book is thought provoking as it describes the stark contrast between Victorian Britain and our comfortable lives today.
As someone who had two relatives in the workhouse I was particularly enthralled and moved to read the accounts of poverty.
Highly recommended.
Robert Hume has researched extensively into the lives of the victims to produce and compassionate and harrowing account of their tragic existence.
It shows how easily their fortunes could change and with little social support they became destitute and vulnerable.
The book is thought provoking as it describes the stark contrast between Victorian Britain and our comfortable lives today.
As someone who had two relatives in the workhouse I was particularly enthralled and moved to read the accounts of poverty.
Highly recommended.
March 30, 2020
3.5 ⭐️
Really interesting, not entirely sure how accurate or reliable but painted a vivid heartbreaking picture of the destitution of Victorian East End and the setting for the Whitechapel murders. Particularly absorbing as I work in the area and am familiar with many of the locations.
Really interesting, not entirely sure how accurate or reliable but painted a vivid heartbreaking picture of the destitution of Victorian East End and the setting for the Whitechapel murders. Particularly absorbing as I work in the area and am familiar with many of the locations.
March 24, 2020
Robert Hume's "The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper's Victims" aims at shedding more light on the lives of the five canonical victims of England's most famous serial killer.
I'm not a "ripperologist" but I always wanted to read more about the five women who were murdered by Jack the Ripper. I've recently re-watched movie "From Hell" (2001) with Johnny Depp and Heather Graham, and I wanted to learn more about these unfortunate women, especially since they were depicted as prostitutes in the movie.
Our society tends to give more attention to the killers than to their victims, and it's usually all about Jack the Ripper rather than the women he killed. It's very refreshing to see a book dedicated to the Ripper's victims rather to the man himself.
Robert Hume's book was published shortly after Hallie Rubenhold's "The Five", that also tells the stories of Ripper's five victims. I was curious how these two books compare.
Robert Hume acknowledges that Mary Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane "were not merely the Ripper's victims, but complex human beings with their own tragic stories that need to be told" (p. 128). I loved that he included pictures in the text, so I cold follow the story more closely.
Whereas H. Rubenhold concentrated on the women's lives without discussing their murders, Hume described the murders. I think one can't discuss these women's lives without mentioning that they were killed, because - let's be honest - if they wouldn't have been Ripper's victims we would never hear about Mary Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane.
That being said, Hume charted their lives and told their stories in a compassionate way, concentrating on what's known about them. Reading the book I was happy that I live in the 21st century because life was tough in the Victorian England, especially for women.
I highly recommend this book for everyone interested in history.
I'm not a "ripperologist" but I always wanted to read more about the five women who were murdered by Jack the Ripper. I've recently re-watched movie "From Hell" (2001) with Johnny Depp and Heather Graham, and I wanted to learn more about these unfortunate women, especially since they were depicted as prostitutes in the movie.
Our society tends to give more attention to the killers than to their victims, and it's usually all about Jack the Ripper rather than the women he killed. It's very refreshing to see a book dedicated to the Ripper's victims rather to the man himself.
Robert Hume's book was published shortly after Hallie Rubenhold's "The Five", that also tells the stories of Ripper's five victims. I was curious how these two books compare.
Robert Hume acknowledges that Mary Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane "were not merely the Ripper's victims, but complex human beings with their own tragic stories that need to be told" (p. 128). I loved that he included pictures in the text, so I cold follow the story more closely.
Whereas H. Rubenhold concentrated on the women's lives without discussing their murders, Hume described the murders. I think one can't discuss these women's lives without mentioning that they were killed, because - let's be honest - if they wouldn't have been Ripper's victims we would never hear about Mary Ann, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane.
That being said, Hume charted their lives and told their stories in a compassionate way, concentrating on what's known about them. Reading the book I was happy that I live in the 21st century because life was tough in the Victorian England, especially for women.
I highly recommend this book for everyone interested in history.
February 7, 2022
Nothing remarkable about the writing, but it’s just nice to have a book focused on the victims and not the killer for once. These women were daughters, wives, mothers, employees—people with stories and not just some story-less victim in a crime scene photo. They were all looking for some freedom in a time when women had none and they paid for it. I had no clue we even knew this much about them (even with all the holes) so I’m glad to get a little more background to the hardships these women faced during some pitiful times.
March 2, 2020
Doing an experiment:
pages - 156
citations - 160 (56 primary)
sources - 53 (bibliography, not all sources listed)
Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols - 32 pages
The chapter on Polly opens with her murder, and after an overview of her life (and assertions that she was a prostitute) we revisit her murder, followed by her funeral. Hume has very little sympathy for sex workers (if that's what Nichols was), and also shows us the photograph of Nichols take in the morgue, an upsetting sight, for sure. Especially since no other photographs of Nichols survive that can be confirmed as her. For a book that is supposed to focus on the women as real, living people (not just infamous Victims), very little energy is spent sympathizing with what few choices would have been available to Nichols.
But we press on.
Annie Chapman - 49 pages
This chapter doesn't open with her murder, but Hume's telling of Annie's life seems muddled and quick, and he makes unsupported claims that both of Annie's parents were drunks. He also states John's profession as a valet and suggests that he gave Annie her taste for rum. I'm not sure what to believe! And I also feel he ascribes some personality traits that also feel unsupported. All of this is a rush to get to her murder (her mortuary photo is credited to Pintrest so....) and I feel again that Hume takes little interest in his subjects.
Elizabeth Stride - 22 pages
I guess at this point, I'm not sure why Hume is writing this book. He doesn't seem that interested in his subjects. Once again, even major details of Stride's life seem horribly rushed, timing feels really weird and clunky, and Hume is more interested in the sensational death of a Foreign Prostitute than her life and literal journey.
Catherine (Kate) Eddowes - 22 pages
Once again, the chapter opens and closes with Eddowes' murder, and of the mortuary photo, he's happy to point out that Eddowes is hanging by her hair. It's a gruesome image that I had to put a post it note over.
Hume gives us the broad strokes of Eddowes life, but it's hard to keep track of her large family and her number of children. He doesn't really clarify or illuminate her position with her aunt and uncle, so that her departure from them feels abrupt. The whole chapter feels stilted, and I once again get confused about the timeline in Humes' rush to get to September 1888.
Mary Jane Kelly - 22 pages
Not much is known about Mary Jane Kelly, but Hume tries to piece together her story, even finding a birth record for a Mary Jane Kelly in Limerick, Ireland, though he says (rightly) in his list of sources that it might not be the Mary Jane Kelly we're focused on here. A lot of Kelly's life is up to speculation, and no one can prove a negative.
However, Hume is happy to explain what happened to her body, and it's the most gruesome murder in this sorry affair. There's no mortuary photo, but the famous one of her in her bedroom will turn your stomach. I left the post it note on there, even though I don't normally do that in library books.
In Conclusion
Hume sure did tell us the stories of Jack the Ripper's victims. Some of them feel like stories, certainly they are cautionary tales.
I read this at the same time as "The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper" and it's honestly unfair to compare them. Hallie Rubenhold's book is longer, has more primary and secondary resources, and spends much more time on the lives of the women. The photos she includes are not mortuary photos, and she doesn't dwell on the murders at all. Hume... barely seems to like these women and tells in great detail the violence done against them.
Dude. We know. That's the problem.
rare footage of author Robert Hume
pages - 156
citations - 160 (56 primary)
sources - 53 (bibliography, not all sources listed)
Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols - 32 pages
The chapter on Polly opens with her murder, and after an overview of her life (and assertions that she was a prostitute) we revisit her murder, followed by her funeral. Hume has very little sympathy for sex workers (if that's what Nichols was), and also shows us the photograph of Nichols take in the morgue, an upsetting sight, for sure. Especially since no other photographs of Nichols survive that can be confirmed as her. For a book that is supposed to focus on the women as real, living people (not just infamous Victims), very little energy is spent sympathizing with what few choices would have been available to Nichols.
But we press on.
Annie Chapman - 49 pages
This chapter doesn't open with her murder, but Hume's telling of Annie's life seems muddled and quick, and he makes unsupported claims that both of Annie's parents were drunks. He also states John's profession as a valet and suggests that he gave Annie her taste for rum. I'm not sure what to believe! And I also feel he ascribes some personality traits that also feel unsupported. All of this is a rush to get to her murder (her mortuary photo is credited to Pintrest so....) and I feel again that Hume takes little interest in his subjects.
Elizabeth Stride - 22 pages
I guess at this point, I'm not sure why Hume is writing this book. He doesn't seem that interested in his subjects. Once again, even major details of Stride's life seem horribly rushed, timing feels really weird and clunky, and Hume is more interested in the sensational death of a Foreign Prostitute than her life and literal journey.
Catherine (Kate) Eddowes - 22 pages
Once again, the chapter opens and closes with Eddowes' murder, and of the mortuary photo, he's happy to point out that Eddowes is hanging by her hair. It's a gruesome image that I had to put a post it note over.
Hume gives us the broad strokes of Eddowes life, but it's hard to keep track of her large family and her number of children. He doesn't really clarify or illuminate her position with her aunt and uncle, so that her departure from them feels abrupt. The whole chapter feels stilted, and I once again get confused about the timeline in Humes' rush to get to September 1888.
Mary Jane Kelly - 22 pages
Not much is known about Mary Jane Kelly, but Hume tries to piece together her story, even finding a birth record for a Mary Jane Kelly in Limerick, Ireland, though he says (rightly) in his list of sources that it might not be the Mary Jane Kelly we're focused on here. A lot of Kelly's life is up to speculation, and no one can prove a negative.
However, Hume is happy to explain what happened to her body, and it's the most gruesome murder in this sorry affair. There's no mortuary photo, but the famous one of her in her bedroom will turn your stomach. I left the post it note on there, even though I don't normally do that in library books.
In Conclusion
Hume sure did tell us the stories of Jack the Ripper's victims. Some of them feel like stories, certainly they are cautionary tales.
I read this at the same time as "The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper" and it's honestly unfair to compare them. Hallie Rubenhold's book is longer, has more primary and secondary resources, and spends much more time on the lives of the women. The photos she includes are not mortuary photos, and she doesn't dwell on the murders at all. Hume... barely seems to like these women and tells in great detail the violence done against them.
Dude. We know. That's the problem.
rare footage of author Robert Hume
October 14, 2019
The five victims were women living in London with the hope of finding a better life. They were looking for jobs during a time that women were given the worse jobs and very little money. Four of the five women were English while one woman came from Sweden. These women had written ballads, lived on country estates, ran coffee houses, and work with printers. Women were living in a time where women had lived during a time of growing poverty and homelessness. These women died as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The author gives a detailed explanation of the women’s lives starting from childhood and going forward in their lives to death. He also details what life was like in the White Chapel area and similar areas. I got the impression that it was a very bad time to be a woman. Women were not treated very well to say the least. It’s a humbling experience to read what these five women went through to live their lives. It is a book that I will not forget.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The author gives a detailed explanation of the women’s lives starting from childhood and going forward in their lives to death. He also details what life was like in the White Chapel area and similar areas. I got the impression that it was a very bad time to be a woman. Women were not treated very well to say the least. It’s a humbling experience to read what these five women went through to live their lives. It is a book that I will not forget.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
January 28, 2020
This book was an easy read in that it was beautifully written. I read it in very short order. It seemed scholarly and seemed to avoid too much supposition without being dry. It was a hard read in that the subject matter is very harrowing. It was good to at last hear about the victims rather than who might have been the murderer. It surprised me that so much is known about the victims and their lives which we have not been told about before. It also gives a clear picture of the social horrors of the time which jibe with contemporary accounts I have read elsewhere. I highly recommend this book. I plan to read the other book on the same subject called The Five so that I can do a comparison.
January 25, 2020
To shift the focus away from discovering who the infamous Jack was and on to the oft over looked and pushed further into the shadows, five victims, has been a long time coming and in Robert Hume's book; an interesting, thought provoking read.
June 9, 2020
Interesting but The Five by Hallie Rubenhold is better.
August 14, 2021
Robert Hume, a teacher of history, wrote this book to focus on the unfortunate lives of 5 women whose poverty led them to work in Whitechapel as prostitutes and become the victims of Jack the Ripper.
It's a portrayal of the deep social issues of the time, with no benefit net to catch those to whom fate dealt a blow, or who had occasionally made mistakes or bad choices in life. Everyone makes mistakes, but there was no coming back from them then. These women were forced to live hand to mouth, scraping together the fourpence needed to secure an overnight bed in one of the numerous unsanitary and unsafe doss houses in Victorian London's East End.
Each woman had a good and stable start in life, but family breadwinner deaths, lack of work or other negative circumstances resulted in a downward spiral, and each women ultimately was forced, by lack of alternatives, to sell
their body on the streets of Whitechapel and be in the path of England's most notorious serial killer.
It's a truly interesting book, and refreshing to see such focus on the lives of the victims rather than on 'Jack' himself. The author is sympathetic to the plight of these 5 ladies, who society condemned as women of loose morals who had brought their terrible circumstances on themselves. He demonstrates the lack of power that the poor had at the time, and particularly women who were already deemed second-class citizens with no vote, in controlling their own fate. How they could become homeless and jobless so easily, or could be trapped in hard menial work that amounted to little more than slave labour. How they sought what little comfort they could find in alcohol, and how this caused the downward spiral to accelerate.
The author also draws parallels to the Yorkshire Ripper murders of the 1970s/1980s, and how the murdered sex-workers were also spoken of by the police and treated by the press, as faceless nobodies that were of no worth, with the implication that they had brought their murders on themselves purely because they sold sex. Demonstrating that even though almost a century had passed between these killings, little had changed in the way society perceived the victims.
I am always fascinated by the stories of serial killers, purely because I don't understand that motivation to kill over and over again. The Jack the Ripper story is particularly interesting and frustrating because it remains unsolved and probably always will. If the murdered women hadn't been poverty-stricken, slum-dwelling prostitutes, then it's very possible that the police would have caught the killer. But there was a total lack of care on their part, other than to keep social disquiet and unrest at a minimum while this acted itself out. It's also painfully apparent that had they had the forensic and other investigatory techniques that we have now, this would not have remained a mystery. So I've read a few books and watched various documentaries on Jack the Ripper over the years. I already knew the names of his victims, but never before this book have I really known the women behind those names.
It's a portrayal of the deep social issues of the time, with no benefit net to catch those to whom fate dealt a blow, or who had occasionally made mistakes or bad choices in life. Everyone makes mistakes, but there was no coming back from them then. These women were forced to live hand to mouth, scraping together the fourpence needed to secure an overnight bed in one of the numerous unsanitary and unsafe doss houses in Victorian London's East End.
Each woman had a good and stable start in life, but family breadwinner deaths, lack of work or other negative circumstances resulted in a downward spiral, and each women ultimately was forced, by lack of alternatives, to sell
their body on the streets of Whitechapel and be in the path of England's most notorious serial killer.
It's a truly interesting book, and refreshing to see such focus on the lives of the victims rather than on 'Jack' himself. The author is sympathetic to the plight of these 5 ladies, who society condemned as women of loose morals who had brought their terrible circumstances on themselves. He demonstrates the lack of power that the poor had at the time, and particularly women who were already deemed second-class citizens with no vote, in controlling their own fate. How they could become homeless and jobless so easily, or could be trapped in hard menial work that amounted to little more than slave labour. How they sought what little comfort they could find in alcohol, and how this caused the downward spiral to accelerate.
The author also draws parallels to the Yorkshire Ripper murders of the 1970s/1980s, and how the murdered sex-workers were also spoken of by the police and treated by the press, as faceless nobodies that were of no worth, with the implication that they had brought their murders on themselves purely because they sold sex. Demonstrating that even though almost a century had passed between these killings, little had changed in the way society perceived the victims.
I am always fascinated by the stories of serial killers, purely because I don't understand that motivation to kill over and over again. The Jack the Ripper story is particularly interesting and frustrating because it remains unsolved and probably always will. If the murdered women hadn't been poverty-stricken, slum-dwelling prostitutes, then it's very possible that the police would have caught the killer. But there was a total lack of care on their part, other than to keep social disquiet and unrest at a minimum while this acted itself out. It's also painfully apparent that had they had the forensic and other investigatory techniques that we have now, this would not have remained a mystery. So I've read a few books and watched various documentaries on Jack the Ripper over the years. I already knew the names of his victims, but never before this book have I really known the women behind those names.
September 30, 2019
People all over the world are familiar with the name ‘Jack the Ripper’, the infamous serial killer who, in 1888, slaughtered at least five women in the Whitechapel area of London. Interest in the case has never waned, with detectives and amateur sleuths determined to work out the identity of the man who instilled terror in the women forced to ply their trades on the streets. But what about the identities of the victims? Their names, Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly are well-known, but what of their lives? Robert Hume aims to show us that these women were more than just the victims of the Whitechapel killer.
Ever since watching the TV mini-series ‘Jack the Ripper’ starring Michael Caine and Lewis Collins, I have had an interest in the serial killer and, as a result, have developed a penchant for Victorian crime fiction and non-fiction. Whereas a lot of real-life crime books devote much of their content to the victims, the early lives of those taken by the Whitechapel killer have been shrouded in mystery. Earlier this year, I read the brilliant The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold, and so I was pleased to discover that another author has taken on the task of bringing these unfortunate women back into the public eye.
Although there are brief discussions about the crimes and some statements from eye-witnesses, the focus is placed firmly on the women and their lives prior to their untimely deaths. This is done in a very readable way and it was easy to picture the squalid streets and the circumstances the destitute found themselves in. Robert Hume paints a very vivid picture of Whitechapel with its crime-ridden passages where the only refuge for most people was in one of the numerous public houses. It is hard to feel nothing but sympathy for these women who, often through no fault of their own, found themselves selling themselves on the street just to find a bed for the night.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the many photos that accompanied each woman’s story, whether it be images of the victims themselves or of the area in which the crimes were committed. It is good to see the women in happier times instead of just in the mortuary photos that feature in most other books about the subject.
The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper’s Victims is a very readable book for anyone interested in finding out a bit more about the five canonical victims or, indeed, for anyone interested in the social history of the poor in the Victorian era.
Ever since watching the TV mini-series ‘Jack the Ripper’ starring Michael Caine and Lewis Collins, I have had an interest in the serial killer and, as a result, have developed a penchant for Victorian crime fiction and non-fiction. Whereas a lot of real-life crime books devote much of their content to the victims, the early lives of those taken by the Whitechapel killer have been shrouded in mystery. Earlier this year, I read the brilliant The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold, and so I was pleased to discover that another author has taken on the task of bringing these unfortunate women back into the public eye.
Although there are brief discussions about the crimes and some statements from eye-witnesses, the focus is placed firmly on the women and their lives prior to their untimely deaths. This is done in a very readable way and it was easy to picture the squalid streets and the circumstances the destitute found themselves in. Robert Hume paints a very vivid picture of Whitechapel with its crime-ridden passages where the only refuge for most people was in one of the numerous public houses. It is hard to feel nothing but sympathy for these women who, often through no fault of their own, found themselves selling themselves on the street just to find a bed for the night.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the many photos that accompanied each woman’s story, whether it be images of the victims themselves or of the area in which the crimes were committed. It is good to see the women in happier times instead of just in the mortuary photos that feature in most other books about the subject.
The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper’s Victims is a very readable book for anyone interested in finding out a bit more about the five canonical victims or, indeed, for anyone interested in the social history of the poor in the Victorian era.
September 4, 2019
The name of Jack the Ripper is synonymous with the east end of London in the late 1880s. He killed five women, maybe more, and the depravity of these killings grew worse with each victim.
No one knows why he did it, how he was able to disappear into the night without a sound, or crucially, who he was. To say that a large number of authors and historians have searched for answers would be an gross understatement and theories abound as to his actual identity.
What isn't in doubt is the names of his acknowledged victims, who had many things in common but just as many not. Dr Robert Hume concentrates his investigation on these unfortunate women and their lives before they became immortalised as Ripper victims. He does not consider the killer's identity at all but instead concentrates on the downward turns which led to the five of them being in the depths of poverty and despair in the first place.
There is quite a bit of information I had not read about before in this book and the usual main concept, that of identifying Jack, didn't seem to be needed at all. There is no doubt the inability of the police to identify a viable suspect in such a high profile case has kept it in the literary limelight for over 130 years and I am sure many more books will follow this one. In reality it is quite possible the perpetrator and his reasons for killing could be both ordinary and mundane in nature and not worthy of our attention. I have a feeling we may never find out if that is the case or not but there will always be those who investigate and those who read about it afterwards.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in historical victimology or the most famous unsolved murders of them all.
No one knows why he did it, how he was able to disappear into the night without a sound, or crucially, who he was. To say that a large number of authors and historians have searched for answers would be an gross understatement and theories abound as to his actual identity.
What isn't in doubt is the names of his acknowledged victims, who had many things in common but just as many not. Dr Robert Hume concentrates his investigation on these unfortunate women and their lives before they became immortalised as Ripper victims. He does not consider the killer's identity at all but instead concentrates on the downward turns which led to the five of them being in the depths of poverty and despair in the first place.
There is quite a bit of information I had not read about before in this book and the usual main concept, that of identifying Jack, didn't seem to be needed at all. There is no doubt the inability of the police to identify a viable suspect in such a high profile case has kept it in the literary limelight for over 130 years and I am sure many more books will follow this one. In reality it is quite possible the perpetrator and his reasons for killing could be both ordinary and mundane in nature and not worthy of our attention. I have a feeling we may never find out if that is the case or not but there will always be those who investigate and those who read about it afterwards.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in historical victimology or the most famous unsolved murders of them all.
October 9, 2019
Mary, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary Jane are all forever linked in history. Their names might not be instantly recognizable, and the identity of their murderer may have eluded detectives and historians throughout the years, but there is no mistaking the name and reputation of Jack the Ripper.
For nine weeks during the autumn of 1888, the Whitechapel Murderer brought terror to London’s East End, slashing women’s throats and disemboweling them. London’s most famous serial killer has been pored over time and again, yet his victims have been sorely neglected, reduced to the simple label: prostitute.
The lives of these five women are rags-to-riches-to-rags stories of the most tragic kind. There was a time in each of their lives when these poor women had a job, money, a home and a family. Hardworking, determined and fiercely independent individuals, it was bad luck, or a wrong turn here or there, that left them wretched and destitute. Ignored by the press and overlooked by historians, it is time their stories were told.
Dr Hume has given a surprising insight into the hidden lives of these ladies and their struggle with life in 1888, and then Jack the Ripper comes into their lives. Dr Hume seems to be a very knowledgeable person in the history of this important topic. I was very impressed with the writing and now wish to learn more about this time in England's history.
For nine weeks during the autumn of 1888, the Whitechapel Murderer brought terror to London’s East End, slashing women’s throats and disemboweling them. London’s most famous serial killer has been pored over time and again, yet his victims have been sorely neglected, reduced to the simple label: prostitute.
The lives of these five women are rags-to-riches-to-rags stories of the most tragic kind. There was a time in each of their lives when these poor women had a job, money, a home and a family. Hardworking, determined and fiercely independent individuals, it was bad luck, or a wrong turn here or there, that left them wretched and destitute. Ignored by the press and overlooked by historians, it is time their stories were told.
Dr Hume has given a surprising insight into the hidden lives of these ladies and their struggle with life in 1888, and then Jack the Ripper comes into their lives. Dr Hume seems to be a very knowledgeable person in the history of this important topic. I was very impressed with the writing and now wish to learn more about this time in England's history.
October 15, 2019
Princess Fuzzypants here: This book was a pleasant surprise. Jack the Ripper has held the public’s attention since he first began his wicked murders in 1888. Most books are filled with vivid detail and great supposition, often “convicting” one man or another in print for the horrendous crimes. The mantel has been worn by those both high and low born. But in film and print, the victims have been often treated as harlots who in some small way got their just desserts. Character assassination was layered on top of the slaughter.
This book looks at the five women and rather than judging, it simply tells the stories of how they came to such an awful end. Not one started out in a way that would have indicated how it would turn out. Some, like Mary Kelly, lived in much better circumstances. Drink was often both a means for blotting out the worst of their existences and the cause of the circumstances in the first place. Deaths of love ones often set them on paths different to those they might have chosen. Violence often chased them into corners from which they would not escape. They were women the reader would be forgiven for pitying. If not that, the reader, at the very least, has the chance to see each as the multi-faceted people they once were. Kudos for compassion and clarity.
Five purrs and two paws up.
This book looks at the five women and rather than judging, it simply tells the stories of how they came to such an awful end. Not one started out in a way that would have indicated how it would turn out. Some, like Mary Kelly, lived in much better circumstances. Drink was often both a means for blotting out the worst of their existences and the cause of the circumstances in the first place. Deaths of love ones often set them on paths different to those they might have chosen. Violence often chased them into corners from which they would not escape. They were women the reader would be forgiven for pitying. If not that, the reader, at the very least, has the chance to see each as the multi-faceted people they once were. Kudos for compassion and clarity.
Five purrs and two paws up.
August 21, 2019
An interesting look on the five murders of these unfortunate women, like Hume says, are only refereed to as "fallen" or "loose" women. I, for one, had never read much about these women's lives before, and by reading about them I feel as the murders of them are to be looked upon as even more horrifying than they usually are. These five individuals all lived rough with very little, they had to survive somehow, and it seems like they just happen to have picked up the wrong client at the wrong time which led to their deaths.
Hume presents each victim's backstory, their family background and how they ended up in London's East End and ultimately how they met their end and how their bodies were discovered. The text is easy to follow and he also presents several photographs and drawings of places, official records, morgue photographs and the like to portray the text which is a good way of opening up the cases to the reader. It was a nice angle to not mention the killer as much and put the focus on the victims and their story, which all have been demoted to nothingness in the hunt for the identity of the killer.
Thank you Pen and Sword History, and Netgalley, for providing me with the ARC of Hume's book.
Hume presents each victim's backstory, their family background and how they ended up in London's East End and ultimately how they met their end and how their bodies were discovered. The text is easy to follow and he also presents several photographs and drawings of places, official records, morgue photographs and the like to portray the text which is a good way of opening up the cases to the reader. It was a nice angle to not mention the killer as much and put the focus on the victims and their story, which all have been demoted to nothingness in the hunt for the identity of the killer.
Thank you Pen and Sword History, and Netgalley, for providing me with the ARC of Hume's book.
September 9, 2019
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper's Victims by Robert Hume is a piece of nonfiction that decided to focus on the victims instead of being just another run of the mill Ripper book. That was what intrigued me about the book. I was fascinated to learn more about each of these women and their lives in lower working class late Victorian London. I found this book to be quite successful. The book was easily accessible for any level history fan. I found all the little bits of information about larger Victorian society to be very interesting. A great way to set the women in the world they lived in. I also enjoyed all the pictures scattered throughout the book. Hume provides plenty of evidence history for that he writes. I did feel that at times he speculated too much about people's motivations, but it doesn’t hinder the reading experiences. Overall, I found the book to be very interesting. I learned a lot about these women. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Ripper murders, true crime fans, social history fans or dark history fans
November 27, 2019
In The Hidden Lives of Jack the Ripper's Victims, Dr Robert Hume takes the 5 women murdered by Jack the Ripper from prostitutes to fully realised people.
This book explores the lives of these women from their birth right through to their funerals and explores the tragedies and triumphs of their lives. These women had families and were loved just like any other person however history remembers them by their eventual occupations after falling on hard times and living in a society where women were largely treated as the property of men. There is no criticism of the women's choice to enter into sex work and Hume does not deny that all 5 women did sell sex.
In the final words of the book, Hume draws a painful comparison to the Yorkshire Ripper whose victims suffered a similar fate of being reduced to being simply known as prostitutes.
A final word of warning that Hume has included several images in this book including the mortuary photos of these 5 women. These are images that are not difficult to source however they are gruesome and many may find them disturbing.
ARC provided for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book explores the lives of these women from their birth right through to their funerals and explores the tragedies and triumphs of their lives. These women had families and were loved just like any other person however history remembers them by their eventual occupations after falling on hard times and living in a society where women were largely treated as the property of men. There is no criticism of the women's choice to enter into sex work and Hume does not deny that all 5 women did sell sex.
In the final words of the book, Hume draws a painful comparison to the Yorkshire Ripper whose victims suffered a similar fate of being reduced to being simply known as prostitutes.
A final word of warning that Hume has included several images in this book including the mortuary photos of these 5 women. These are images that are not difficult to source however they are gruesome and many may find them disturbing.
ARC provided for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2019
Everyone knows the story of Jack the Ripper and possibly the names of the victims but what about the lives of those females before they were brutally taken.
This book delves into the lives of the victims, where they came from, who they were and how they ended up in Whitechapel to ultimately become a victim of Jack the Ripper.
I've read a few books about Jack the Ripper but have never found one that delves into so much detail about the victims lives.
All 5 seem to have made some mistakes or fallen on hard times resulting in them having to move to Whitechapel to find cheaper lodgings.
During the times of Jack the Ripper the East End of London was occupied by many slums and many females found a shortage of work forced them to the only source of income available to them, prostitution.
The book is very well researched but may not be for the squeamish as it does contain mortuary photographs of all the victims. This was a fascinating insight in to the lives and conditions of those whose unfortunate circumstances may have made them the victims they became.
This book delves into the lives of the victims, where they came from, who they were and how they ended up in Whitechapel to ultimately become a victim of Jack the Ripper.
I've read a few books about Jack the Ripper but have never found one that delves into so much detail about the victims lives.
All 5 seem to have made some mistakes or fallen on hard times resulting in them having to move to Whitechapel to find cheaper lodgings.
During the times of Jack the Ripper the East End of London was occupied by many slums and many females found a shortage of work forced them to the only source of income available to them, prostitution.
The book is very well researched but may not be for the squeamish as it does contain mortuary photographs of all the victims. This was a fascinating insight in to the lives and conditions of those whose unfortunate circumstances may have made them the victims they became.
September 21, 2020
For someone (me!) who is obsessed with true crime, I saw this book and wondered ... I liked that the book focused on the victims and not really on Jack the Ripper at all except for the crimes which he committed.
I liked how the book wasn't long, and each chapter focused on each one of the victims. In reading this book, I learned a lot about Victorian England and the desperate lives that the under privileged led.
Each of these women were victims not only of a vicious killer, but also of a society that often forced it's members to come up with last resort efforts to survive. In this day and age, prostitution was often the profession of choice. Each one of these women sold her body for money to live and each one took to the bottle, perhaps out of it's numbing factors to the pitiful lives they led.
I liked how the book wasn't long, and each chapter focused on each one of the victims. In reading this book, I learned a lot about Victorian England and the desperate lives that the under privileged led.
Each of these women were victims not only of a vicious killer, but also of a society that often forced it's members to come up with last resort efforts to survive. In this day and age, prostitution was often the profession of choice. Each one of these women sold her body for money to live and each one took to the bottle, perhaps out of it's numbing factors to the pitiful lives they led.
August 28, 2019
I’ve read several books about the Jack the Ripper cases and was thrilled for the opportunity to review this book. It lived up to my expectations in a way that none other have. The books primary focus being the victims of the Ripper, it is unique in itself. The book is so well researched, and each victim comprehensively given a history and a story of their own. These woman’s unfortunate demises intertwining them, but also the commonality of their misfortune in life, addiction, family demise and marital failure. I learned a lot about London’s conditions for Victorian women. I would recommend this book to fans of history, crime, and society. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy.
September 4, 2019
Interesting research on the victims of Jack the Ripper. The focus I've read in the past has always had the focus and speculation on who Jack the Ripper could be. This book comes at it from a different perspective, and gives insight into the lives and problems of poverty and abuse the victims suffered. It gives them a face and a voice, and less dismissive as "just a prostitute" as many have done then and now. At times the author speculates and I wish he would stick with what facts he had instead, but that is just my opinion. Still though, could see this as a great tool to have in a research library, and would be useful for anyone wanting to know more about what happen and to who. Also, a lot of photos from the area really help bring the issue to life as well. Highly recommend this book.
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