What do you think?
Rate this book
The Suitcase Baby: The heartbreaking true story of a shocking crime in 1920s Sydney
SYDNEY, 1923: a suitcase washed up on a harbourside beach reveals its grisly contents - and from there, an extraordinary story unfolds.
True history that is both shocking and too real, this unforgettable tale moves at the pace of a great crime novel.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, 17 November 1923, a suitcase was found washed up on the shore of a small beach in the Sydney suburb of Mosman. What it contained - and why - would prove to be explosive.
The murdered baby in the suitcase was one of many dead infants who were turning up in the harbour, on trains and elsewhere. These innocent victims were a devastating symptom of the clash between public morality, private passion and unrelenting poverty in a fast-growing metropolis.
Police tracked down Sarah Boyd, the mother of the suitcase baby, and the complex story and subsequent murder trial of Sarah and her friend Jean Olliver became a media sensation. Sociologist Tanya Bretherton masterfully tells the engrossing and moving story of the crime that put Sarah and her baby at the centre of a social tragedy that still resonates through the decades.
True history that is both shocking and too real, this unforgettable tale moves at the pace of a great crime novel.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, 17 November 1923, a suitcase was found washed up on the shore of a small beach in the Sydney suburb of Mosman. What it contained - and why - would prove to be explosive.
The murdered baby in the suitcase was one of many dead infants who were turning up in the harbour, on trains and elsewhere. These innocent victims were a devastating symptom of the clash between public morality, private passion and unrelenting poverty in a fast-growing metropolis.
Police tracked down Sarah Boyd, the mother of the suitcase baby, and the complex story and subsequent murder trial of Sarah and her friend Jean Olliver became a media sensation. Sociologist Tanya Bretherton masterfully tells the engrossing and moving story of the crime that put Sarah and her baby at the centre of a social tragedy that still resonates through the decades.
352 pages, Paperback
Published September 26, 2019
31 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 31, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The Suitcase Baby is a classic example of compelling true crime, from an Australian and historical point of view. This is one chill to the bone case, that sees author Tanya Bretherton illuminate crimes involving the intended deaths of newborns and infants in the 1920’s.
The sad story of The Suitcase Baby begins in the November of the year 1923, when a group of children on a picnic witness something horrifying. A suitcase is found washed up on the shores of a small stretch of coastline in Sydney, near Mosman. When it is opened up, the contents prove to be quite shocking and the fallout is hard hitting. The case of a murdered baby in a suitcase is unfortunately only one of a litany of other cases that defined the age in which it was discovered. These poor unsuspecting infants, who were not given a chance at life, were sadly discarded in all areas of Sydney, from parks to drains and the harbour. On closer inspection, it becomes clear that the stories behind the babies being abandoned has much to say about the moral codes of Australian society at this time. It also highlights the social conditions of those forced to make the decision to end their child’s life in this manner. In the particular case of the woman charged with the suitcase baby case, Sarah Boyd, Tanya Bretherton exposes a story and a murder trial marked with many grey areas. The involvement of a second woman in this case, a Jean Olliver, complicates matters of this case further. At the time, this case was covered heavily by the media, who sensationalised much of the story. The crux of the tale has much to say about the grounds on which Sarah Boyd and her accomplice felt there was no other option but to pack Sarah’s baby in a suitcase and send it off to its death. This is a tragic tale that echoes the events that defined 1920’s society.
I was looking for a non-fiction tale to cover book bingo 2018 and I’ve seen plenty of buzz around The Suitcase Baby by Tanya Bretherton around the social media sphere. This book has also been shortlisted for the 2018 Ned Kelly Award for best true crime novel and I can see why it has been attracting plenty of positive attention. I find it problematic to say that I enjoyed this novel, but I definitely appreciated the way it was written and the information that was brought to light. Most of all, I liked the way in which Tanya Bretherton transported me to the streets of Sydney and the provided a solid sketch of life for the working class, especially drawing our attention to the conditions of women living in the 1920’s.
The Suitcase Baby is divided into twenty one chapters, along with an acknowledgments and end notes section which I do recommend perusing after finishing the book. The book opens outlining the grim discovery of the ‘suitcase baby’ and it is an eye-opening kick-start of events. The Suitcase Baby provides a detailed overview of the social and moral conditions of 1920’s Sydney. Infanticide is examined in great detail, along with the conditions for women living in Sydney at this time. A comprehensive look at the suitcase baby case is relayed, including information on the police work, trial, verdict, incarceration and the media attention attached to this case. What stood out most for me was not the case itself, but they way in which Bretherton exposes the murky underworld of Sydney’s streets and the conditions that proved ripe for the suitcase baby to occur. It really is a sad and sorry state of affairs.
This is an exceptionally well researched book and I found myself engrossed, even though I was surprised by how straightforward and quick it was to solve the suitcase baby case. The subject matter is grim, so a trigger warning must be issued, but I feel it is important that we are made of aware of the events that occurred in our not too distant past. The tone Bretherton takes to presenting all the information pertaining to the suitcase baby case is empathetic and accessible. Plenty of facts are relayed, but the book is not bogged down by over information. Rather, it provides a strong picture of all facets that contributed to this case and many others. I found myself overawed by the economic, social, moral, health, gender and immigrant issues linked to this story. It even puts the spotlight on the ‘flapper phenomenon’ which all seemed to play a part in this social tragedy.
Equal parts illuminating and frustratingly sad, The Suitcase Baby is a book that unearths a torrid state of affairs from our nation’s past. The Suitcase Baby raises of plenty of questions and will incite plenty of thought about the conditions for women, the working class and immigrants that came to our shores in search of a better life in the ‘lucky country’. This is a fascinating case and I firmly believe Tanya Bretherton has done a remarkable job in bringing this true crime tale to the surface of our collective minds.
The Suitcase Baby, is book #110 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
The Suitcase Baby is a classic example of compelling true crime, from an Australian and historical point of view. This is one chill to the bone case, that sees author Tanya Bretherton illuminate crimes involving the intended deaths of newborns and infants in the 1920’s.
The sad story of The Suitcase Baby begins in the November of the year 1923, when a group of children on a picnic witness something horrifying. A suitcase is found washed up on the shores of a small stretch of coastline in Sydney, near Mosman. When it is opened up, the contents prove to be quite shocking and the fallout is hard hitting. The case of a murdered baby in a suitcase is unfortunately only one of a litany of other cases that defined the age in which it was discovered. These poor unsuspecting infants, who were not given a chance at life, were sadly discarded in all areas of Sydney, from parks to drains and the harbour. On closer inspection, it becomes clear that the stories behind the babies being abandoned has much to say about the moral codes of Australian society at this time. It also highlights the social conditions of those forced to make the decision to end their child’s life in this manner. In the particular case of the woman charged with the suitcase baby case, Sarah Boyd, Tanya Bretherton exposes a story and a murder trial marked with many grey areas. The involvement of a second woman in this case, a Jean Olliver, complicates matters of this case further. At the time, this case was covered heavily by the media, who sensationalised much of the story. The crux of the tale has much to say about the grounds on which Sarah Boyd and her accomplice felt there was no other option but to pack Sarah’s baby in a suitcase and send it off to its death. This is a tragic tale that echoes the events that defined 1920’s society.
I was looking for a non-fiction tale to cover book bingo 2018 and I’ve seen plenty of buzz around The Suitcase Baby by Tanya Bretherton around the social media sphere. This book has also been shortlisted for the 2018 Ned Kelly Award for best true crime novel and I can see why it has been attracting plenty of positive attention. I find it problematic to say that I enjoyed this novel, but I definitely appreciated the way it was written and the information that was brought to light. Most of all, I liked the way in which Tanya Bretherton transported me to the streets of Sydney and the provided a solid sketch of life for the working class, especially drawing our attention to the conditions of women living in the 1920’s.
The Suitcase Baby is divided into twenty one chapters, along with an acknowledgments and end notes section which I do recommend perusing after finishing the book. The book opens outlining the grim discovery of the ‘suitcase baby’ and it is an eye-opening kick-start of events. The Suitcase Baby provides a detailed overview of the social and moral conditions of 1920’s Sydney. Infanticide is examined in great detail, along with the conditions for women living in Sydney at this time. A comprehensive look at the suitcase baby case is relayed, including information on the police work, trial, verdict, incarceration and the media attention attached to this case. What stood out most for me was not the case itself, but they way in which Bretherton exposes the murky underworld of Sydney’s streets and the conditions that proved ripe for the suitcase baby to occur. It really is a sad and sorry state of affairs.
This is an exceptionally well researched book and I found myself engrossed, even though I was surprised by how straightforward and quick it was to solve the suitcase baby case. The subject matter is grim, so a trigger warning must be issued, but I feel it is important that we are made of aware of the events that occurred in our not too distant past. The tone Bretherton takes to presenting all the information pertaining to the suitcase baby case is empathetic and accessible. Plenty of facts are relayed, but the book is not bogged down by over information. Rather, it provides a strong picture of all facets that contributed to this case and many others. I found myself overawed by the economic, social, moral, health, gender and immigrant issues linked to this story. It even puts the spotlight on the ‘flapper phenomenon’ which all seemed to play a part in this social tragedy.
Equal parts illuminating and frustratingly sad, The Suitcase Baby is a book that unearths a torrid state of affairs from our nation’s past. The Suitcase Baby raises of plenty of questions and will incite plenty of thought about the conditions for women, the working class and immigrants that came to our shores in search of a better life in the ‘lucky country’. This is a fascinating case and I firmly believe Tanya Bretherton has done a remarkable job in bringing this true crime tale to the surface of our collective minds.
The Suitcase Baby, is book #110 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
June 2, 2018
‘The suitcase washed up on the North Shore in the early hours of Saturday morning, 17 November 1923.’
When opened, the suitcase reveals the body of a dead infant. A baby girl. This baby was just one of many infants (abandoned or dead) turning up all over Sydney: in the Harbour, on trains, in other places. But the difference between this baby and so many others is that her mother was tracked down and tried for murder. In this book, Ms Bretherton writes about this specific case and the trial of Sarah Boyd (the baby’s mother) and her friend Jean Olliver for the baby’s murder.
No, it is not fiction. This is a true story and represents a social tragedy. If Sarah Boyd had not been identified, her daughter would have been just another statistic of infanticide. Because Sarah was identified, tried and found guilty, the focus was on her crime. Should part of that focus have also been on what led Sarah to murder her daughter? Would it have made any difference? I suspect it was much easier to condemn Sarah for her actions than it was to try to understand how murdering her daughter could seem to be the best solution to the situation Sarah found herself in.
I found this a difficult book to read. Made more difficult because the story is complex, because the murdered baby was not the only victim, and because I find it difficult to move beyond an abhorrence of infanticide. And while I was thinking about Sarah Boyd’s poverty, her desire to belong and to have her own place in society I was reminded of how hypocritical society can be. Sarah Boyd was unfortunate on so many levels. There were very few options available to her, and while that does not justify the murder of her baby it does make it possible to understand why she felt she had no other choice.
What can I say about this book? Ms Bretherton has presented this complex, difficult case well. It’s more than the story of Sarah Boyd and her daughter, it’s a focus on the contradictions of life in the 1920s. Beneath the frenetic glitter and apparent glamour of the 1920s, many struggled in poverty. And pregnant, unmarried women often had both poverty and prejudice to contend with.
I finished this book, wondering about how Sarah Boyd’s life ultimately ended. Sarah had a son as well, Jimmie, born before her daughter. Jimmie was also a victim in this tragic case. I wonder, too, how much society has progressed in the last century.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
When opened, the suitcase reveals the body of a dead infant. A baby girl. This baby was just one of many infants (abandoned or dead) turning up all over Sydney: in the Harbour, on trains, in other places. But the difference between this baby and so many others is that her mother was tracked down and tried for murder. In this book, Ms Bretherton writes about this specific case and the trial of Sarah Boyd (the baby’s mother) and her friend Jean Olliver for the baby’s murder.
No, it is not fiction. This is a true story and represents a social tragedy. If Sarah Boyd had not been identified, her daughter would have been just another statistic of infanticide. Because Sarah was identified, tried and found guilty, the focus was on her crime. Should part of that focus have also been on what led Sarah to murder her daughter? Would it have made any difference? I suspect it was much easier to condemn Sarah for her actions than it was to try to understand how murdering her daughter could seem to be the best solution to the situation Sarah found herself in.
I found this a difficult book to read. Made more difficult because the story is complex, because the murdered baby was not the only victim, and because I find it difficult to move beyond an abhorrence of infanticide. And while I was thinking about Sarah Boyd’s poverty, her desire to belong and to have her own place in society I was reminded of how hypocritical society can be. Sarah Boyd was unfortunate on so many levels. There were very few options available to her, and while that does not justify the murder of her baby it does make it possible to understand why she felt she had no other choice.
What can I say about this book? Ms Bretherton has presented this complex, difficult case well. It’s more than the story of Sarah Boyd and her daughter, it’s a focus on the contradictions of life in the 1920s. Beneath the frenetic glitter and apparent glamour of the 1920s, many struggled in poverty. And pregnant, unmarried women often had both poverty and prejudice to contend with.
I finished this book, wondering about how Sarah Boyd’s life ultimately ended. Sarah had a son as well, Jimmie, born before her daughter. Jimmie was also a victim in this tragic case. I wonder, too, how much society has progressed in the last century.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 28, 2018
What a beautifully written and well-researched account of the case of Scottish migrants Sarah Boyd and her friend Jean Olliver accused of the murder of baby Josephine whose body is found washed up in Sydney Harbour in 1923.
This could have so easily been a fast-paced, lurid, heartless true crime story (similar to other stories from the same period I have read recently) but was instead a wonderfully nuanced, measured and thoughtful reflection on many aspects of Australian society in the early 1920s.
Bretherton manages to tell a heart-wrenching and tense story while also investigating larger contexts. These include the pressures on a corrupt NSW police force to competently solve the case; the medical profession's bizarre reasoning behind an insanity defence for infanticide; the long shadow of the Irish Famine for a generation of Irish and Scottish migrants; the proliferation of murdered babies in 1920s Sydney and the hypocrisy of anti-abortion laws; the public perceptions of 'the flapper' and the immoral single mother; the cruel philosophy of state 'homes' and the 'boarding out' of abandoned children; and the evocative symbolism of a suitcase for migrants and foster kids. A survey of death sentences for women since the start of the colony points to a surprising pattern of leniency except where an example had to be set for emerging gendered crimes.
Fact is so often stranger than fiction and the resolution of this story post-trial is poignant and unexpected. Congratulations to Bretherton for writing with such a precise and empathetic eye for her subject in a manner both scholarly and poetic. Her writing dissects this tawdry, tragic case to throw light on the courage women needed in the face of overwhelming odds and structural prejudice and hypocrisy.
This could have so easily been a fast-paced, lurid, heartless true crime story (similar to other stories from the same period I have read recently) but was instead a wonderfully nuanced, measured and thoughtful reflection on many aspects of Australian society in the early 1920s.
Bretherton manages to tell a heart-wrenching and tense story while also investigating larger contexts. These include the pressures on a corrupt NSW police force to competently solve the case; the medical profession's bizarre reasoning behind an insanity defence for infanticide; the long shadow of the Irish Famine for a generation of Irish and Scottish migrants; the proliferation of murdered babies in 1920s Sydney and the hypocrisy of anti-abortion laws; the public perceptions of 'the flapper' and the immoral single mother; the cruel philosophy of state 'homes' and the 'boarding out' of abandoned children; and the evocative symbolism of a suitcase for migrants and foster kids. A survey of death sentences for women since the start of the colony points to a surprising pattern of leniency except where an example had to be set for emerging gendered crimes.
Fact is so often stranger than fiction and the resolution of this story post-trial is poignant and unexpected. Congratulations to Bretherton for writing with such a precise and empathetic eye for her subject in a manner both scholarly and poetic. Her writing dissects this tawdry, tragic case to throw light on the courage women needed in the face of overwhelming odds and structural prejudice and hypocrisy.
March 21, 2018
In Sydney in the early 1900s, an astonishing number of babies were found abandoned and discarded in the waterways of Sydney. It's hard to imagine, but many were also left in parks and public areas - some alive - in the hope members of the public would find and look after them. This raised complex questions about women's health and the shame of unwanted pregnancies and babies born out of wedlock.
The Suitcase Baby by Tanya Bretherton is the true crime case of one such baby, who washed up in a suitcase on a beach in Mosman, Sydney in 1923. The mother (Sarah) was identified through some fantastic old school detective work, and Bretherton follows the case through the Sydney legal process, subsequent media circus and court of public opinion.
The author sets the scene well, with plenty of background on the accused before her crime of infanticide. At times I did find a liiiittle too much of the author inserting herself - or fictionalising events - that occasionally jerked me out of the investigative tone.
I'd have preferred more info on other similar cases, given there was an abundance of baby deaths in this period.
"In December 1913 the unofficial count of baby cadavers (in less than two years) came to fifty-nine: on average, one (...) every fortnight for two years straight." Page 123
Bretherton explains that the majority of the babies were unidentified which makes this task extremely difficult and all the more tragic. I would have liked more photos of the two accused women other than those featured on the cover; assuming there are any of course.
I would also be curious to compare the stats with today's crime rates for abandoned babies and infanticide. Now that 100 years have passed (hard to believe the 1920s were a century ago) it'd be interesting to know if society is doing a better job of caring for underprivileged women facing unwanted pregnancies today. I certainly hope so.
In closing, my reading of The Suitcase Baby shed light on a shocking crime in Sydney's history and an underlying tragedy I knew nothing about, and for that I'm grateful.
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *
The Suitcase Baby by Tanya Bretherton is the true crime case of one such baby, who washed up in a suitcase on a beach in Mosman, Sydney in 1923. The mother (Sarah) was identified through some fantastic old school detective work, and Bretherton follows the case through the Sydney legal process, subsequent media circus and court of public opinion.
The author sets the scene well, with plenty of background on the accused before her crime of infanticide. At times I did find a liiiittle too much of the author inserting herself - or fictionalising events - that occasionally jerked me out of the investigative tone.
I'd have preferred more info on other similar cases, given there was an abundance of baby deaths in this period.
"In December 1913 the unofficial count of baby cadavers (in less than two years) came to fifty-nine: on average, one (...) every fortnight for two years straight." Page 123
Bretherton explains that the majority of the babies were unidentified which makes this task extremely difficult and all the more tragic. I would have liked more photos of the two accused women other than those featured on the cover; assuming there are any of course.
I would also be curious to compare the stats with today's crime rates for abandoned babies and infanticide. Now that 100 years have passed (hard to believe the 1920s were a century ago) it'd be interesting to know if society is doing a better job of caring for underprivileged women facing unwanted pregnancies today. I certainly hope so.
In closing, my reading of The Suitcase Baby shed light on a shocking crime in Sydney's history and an underlying tragedy I knew nothing about, and for that I'm grateful.
* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *
April 4, 2018
It only takes a handful of good people to make a difference to somebody’s life. And so it was that Annie Lee, Mary Trewhella and William McKell along with support of the Truth newspaper in Sydney took up the challenge to have Sarah Boyd released from prison.
This is a confronting and extremely sad account of the life of the Scottish woman Sarah Boyd. The author relates the history and attitudes of Sydney in the 1920s, the lack of social services and assistance for unwed mother’s. All this and the account of the terrible numbers of “water babies” makes for a heart breaking read. With advances in contraception and changes in attitude women in Australia today have a much improved existence from their 1920s sisters.
Sarah Boyd was the last child in the family born to an Irish father and Scottish mother at a time when meagre wages meant a life of continual poverty. Sarah’s father was a man it seems tried hard to stay one step ahead with respect to work opportunities, leaving Ireland during the great potato famine. He took the family to the USA so he could work in the new emerging industries there, then moving back to Scotland when this work ceased. Sarah’s mother struggled with poor health, dying when she was a child. Sarah did receive an education and had work experience in the textile industry, however on discovering her pregnancy her life went horribly wrong and following her father’s example of running away she travelled to New Zealand moving as far away as possible to another country in order to save her family’s reputation and possibly with the hope that she would have more opportunities there. Sadly this was not to be the case. Trying to keep some respectability Sarah fabricated stories of her life, picking up piecework and tailoring at home, rather than being lumped in with other undesirable women and succumb to this label. After meeting up with a woman, Jean and on seeing the bright sunny posters advertising a better life with a wealth of opportunities Sarah and Jean boarded a ship for Australia. Sadly for Sarah after the efforts of Jean trying to broker a marriage for her, she finds herself pregnant again. The man disappears from her life. A Scottish immigrant in the 1920s in Sydney with baby Jimmy and pregnant again how could life be any better than if she had stayed in Scotland. Immigrants were looked down on (which is still part of the attitude of many Australians towards immigrants). Sarah would not be aware of how she could access assistance, at this time assistance was from churches or wealthy philanthropists, no State assistance. Although as an upright Presbyterian it is wonder she didn’t look to the church. However, Jean seems to have been the decision maker. Sarah’s life tumbles further down hill, life is pitiful for her with a small boy and pregnant again there seems there is no future for this Scots woman now 27. Another man comes into the picture, who takes a shine to Jimmy. He is prepared to raise Jimmy but the baby will have to go. Possibly with the use of such words, not having any connections with charitable organisations where she could give the child up for adoption, Sarah kills her daughter and swaddles her in a suitcase and sends her to her watery grave of Sydney harbour.
Sarah narrowly escapes the death penalty and is given a sentence of life imprisonment. This verdict from an all male jury and an ineffectual defence lawyer. Great changes are afoot in Sydney with Women’s Lobby Groups pushing for reform. After the enormous efforts of Annie Lee and friends Sarah is freed on the basis she return to Scotland. Jimmy goes with her but sadly his life becomes one of even greater loss.
This is a confronting and extremely sad account of the life of the Scottish woman Sarah Boyd. The author relates the history and attitudes of Sydney in the 1920s, the lack of social services and assistance for unwed mother’s. All this and the account of the terrible numbers of “water babies” makes for a heart breaking read. With advances in contraception and changes in attitude women in Australia today have a much improved existence from their 1920s sisters.
Sarah Boyd was the last child in the family born to an Irish father and Scottish mother at a time when meagre wages meant a life of continual poverty. Sarah’s father was a man it seems tried hard to stay one step ahead with respect to work opportunities, leaving Ireland during the great potato famine. He took the family to the USA so he could work in the new emerging industries there, then moving back to Scotland when this work ceased. Sarah’s mother struggled with poor health, dying when she was a child. Sarah did receive an education and had work experience in the textile industry, however on discovering her pregnancy her life went horribly wrong and following her father’s example of running away she travelled to New Zealand moving as far away as possible to another country in order to save her family’s reputation and possibly with the hope that she would have more opportunities there. Sadly this was not to be the case. Trying to keep some respectability Sarah fabricated stories of her life, picking up piecework and tailoring at home, rather than being lumped in with other undesirable women and succumb to this label. After meeting up with a woman, Jean and on seeing the bright sunny posters advertising a better life with a wealth of opportunities Sarah and Jean boarded a ship for Australia. Sadly for Sarah after the efforts of Jean trying to broker a marriage for her, she finds herself pregnant again. The man disappears from her life. A Scottish immigrant in the 1920s in Sydney with baby Jimmy and pregnant again how could life be any better than if she had stayed in Scotland. Immigrants were looked down on (which is still part of the attitude of many Australians towards immigrants). Sarah would not be aware of how she could access assistance, at this time assistance was from churches or wealthy philanthropists, no State assistance. Although as an upright Presbyterian it is wonder she didn’t look to the church. However, Jean seems to have been the decision maker. Sarah’s life tumbles further down hill, life is pitiful for her with a small boy and pregnant again there seems there is no future for this Scots woman now 27. Another man comes into the picture, who takes a shine to Jimmy. He is prepared to raise Jimmy but the baby will have to go. Possibly with the use of such words, not having any connections with charitable organisations where she could give the child up for adoption, Sarah kills her daughter and swaddles her in a suitcase and sends her to her watery grave of Sydney harbour.
Sarah narrowly escapes the death penalty and is given a sentence of life imprisonment. This verdict from an all male jury and an ineffectual defence lawyer. Great changes are afoot in Sydney with Women’s Lobby Groups pushing for reform. After the enormous efforts of Annie Lee and friends Sarah is freed on the basis she return to Scotland. Jimmy goes with her but sadly his life becomes one of even greater loss.
January 21, 2020
Trigger warnings: infanticide, murder, graphic descriptions of bodies, capital punishment, drowning, abortion, abusive behaviour towards children in institutional care.
This started off really solidly. It was a compelling examination of the case, of why women were increasingly killing their babies in the 1920s, and of the social changes occurring at the time. The problem for me came in the second half of the story, which became less of a true crime book and more of an examination of institutional child abuse and the impact on those children through the rest of their lives. It's not that it's not an important story, but it's definitely not the story I signed up for...
This started off really solidly. It was a compelling examination of the case, of why women were increasingly killing their babies in the 1920s, and of the social changes occurring at the time. The problem for me came in the second half of the story, which became less of a true crime book and more of an examination of institutional child abuse and the impact on those children through the rest of their lives. It's not that it's not an important story, but it's definitely not the story I signed up for...
October 25, 2018
It seems the life of the protagonist in this story, Sarah Boyd, was not all that dissimilar to many other such women during the 1920's examples of which are given. Somber reading indeed.
January 27, 2020
I enjoyed it, life was bloody tough then
May 5, 2020
Sad, frustrating and a learning curve. Well worth the read.
May 9, 2018
2 1/2 stars. Interesting story, but there was a lot of conjecture and "it could have happened like this". I was a little unsatisfied with the ending (won't add spoilers) - but it didn't go into the outcomes of all those involved, which I think is a detriment
September 25, 2018
First of all, PICTURES PLEASE!!!
In saying that, this book could have also been half of what it is. The author clearly did not have enough material and decided to pad it up with random history of the time and the area, which had this reader skipping over.
There were also a number of times where the description of certain crimes, (such as the 'water babies' chapter) was described in too much detail. I had to put the book down and walk away as some of these deaths were just disturbing.
Surely these lost little lives deserved more.
In saying that, this book could have also been half of what it is. The author clearly did not have enough material and decided to pad it up with random history of the time and the area, which had this reader skipping over.
There were also a number of times where the description of certain crimes, (such as the 'water babies' chapter) was described in too much detail. I had to put the book down and walk away as some of these deaths were just disturbing.
Surely these lost little lives deserved more.
October 5, 2019
I think this book would have been better as a long article. It was quite slow with a lot imagined. I understood early on the pressures facing single mothers back then, it didn't need to be drawn out into an entire book. DNF but I didn't hate it.
September 4, 2022
This dark story follows the life and trial of Sarah Boyd, the woman who murdered her baby and put her in a suitcase. Before you judge, this story goes back to Australia in the 1920’s and what life is like for women who have children out of wedlock including all of the poverty, the destitution and the stigma that revolves around them.
This story talks about the desperate situation in which Sarah found herself in, the world she lived in, women’s rights, her thoughts, her trial and how Australia reacted to this woman’s situation.
At the time of finding the baby in the suitcase, this bub was one of the many dead infants who were turning up in Sydney Harbour and other places around Sydney. The book provides a lot of factual context (really showing how well researched it is) which can be a bit frustrating when you are just looking for Sarah’s story. However, the context shows how much of Sarah’s story was a grey area for women’s rights, the law and public morality in the 1920’s.
This story talks about the desperate situation in which Sarah found herself in, the world she lived in, women’s rights, her thoughts, her trial and how Australia reacted to this woman’s situation.
At the time of finding the baby in the suitcase, this bub was one of the many dead infants who were turning up in Sydney Harbour and other places around Sydney. The book provides a lot of factual context (really showing how well researched it is) which can be a bit frustrating when you are just looking for Sarah’s story. However, the context shows how much of Sarah’s story was a grey area for women’s rights, the law and public morality in the 1920’s.
May 24, 2018
I must admit that I'm a bit of a true crime tragic, particularly if it's Australian and occurred in past times when solving crimes depended on cunning sleuthing. This book shines a light on the circumstances of women who found themselves pregnant and unmarried in the early 20th century, when contraception was almost non-existent and abortion was life-threatening, and there were few means of support for single women and their children. One such woman, Sarah Boyd, found herself in such desperate straights in 1923 and resorted to the only solution she believed she had: to kill her baby and put the body in a suitcase which she then threw into Sydney Harbour. The author, Tanya Bretherton, a sociologist, treats the subject with compassionate understanding and locates the topic within a critique of the morality and patriarchal society at that time, less than 100 years ago.
August 15, 2019
A slightly over-long retelling of a heartbreakingly sad story, but one that was apparently hugely common in Sydney 100 years ago.
The reader will learn all sorts of facts about infanticides in Sydney, child welfare provisions, the female penal system and poverty, so in this respect it is more of a social history of Sydney in the first part of the last century.
But, aside from the fact that they lived and one of them died in Australia, the reader won't find out much in the way of facts around the focal points of the book - this woman and her surviving son. Apparently most of the records were lost, so what we get is a lot of guess-work, built around what exists in the way of official records, to flesh out their stories.
The reader will learn all sorts of facts about infanticides in Sydney, child welfare provisions, the female penal system and poverty, so in this respect it is more of a social history of Sydney in the first part of the last century.
But, aside from the fact that they lived and one of them died in Australia, the reader won't find out much in the way of facts around the focal points of the book - this woman and her surviving son. Apparently most of the records were lost, so what we get is a lot of guess-work, built around what exists in the way of official records, to flesh out their stories.
September 6, 2022
This book is truly incredible. Not only was I deeply fascinated with the story of these two women, but completely shocked to learn about what was happening in the early 1900's in Australia. I really enjoy learning about the early days of Australian settlement but the history and shocking truths I was not expecting. Tanya is an extremely intelligent writer, her words are so well articulated and I just could not put this book down. I had to reread chapters just to fathom what I read. The world has changed so much from early settlement, with different norms, values and policies. Women had it tough and they still do, but my goodness what women went through back then, it's hard to believe but then again I can so understand how hard life was and the reason why certain actions were taken. I don't want to give anything away, as you must read this book for yourself. Thank you Tanya for a fantastic, well written and thoroughly interesting book. I am now onto another one of your books.
April 7, 2019
A well-researched account of the tough life many immigrant women faced in Australia in the 1920s, especially those who had been abandoned by their husbands. Bretherton has painted a sympathetic image of Ms Boyd, the woman at the centre of this crime. Thank goodness society has progressed since then, and Australians should study their own history more instead of constantly pointing their finger at 'misogynist' cultures when their own was just as bad, if not worse not so long ago.
October 24, 2025
This book took me a little longer than expected to read. I found the beginning after the discovery a bit tedious to read but towards the end I was surprisingly sympathising with the mother of the suitcase baby.
Bretherton does a fantastic job highlighting the issues faced by migrant women in the 1920s as well as many other economic issues.
Though it took me a while to get started, I found myself speeding through the rest of the book.
Bretherton does a fantastic job highlighting the issues faced by migrant women in the 1920s as well as many other economic issues.
Though it took me a while to get started, I found myself speeding through the rest of the book.
July 7, 2018
A great true crime! I’ve had my eyes on this book for 6 months and glad I finally read it. It was easy to follow, well presented and explained and had just the right amount of information. Some true crime take tangents on interesting information but end up far away from the topic at hand. This doesn’t do that at all, it stays succinct and lets the story tell itself. Well worth the read.
May 26, 2023
Could not finish it, was really disappointed with how boring it was to read.
It felt like it went off topic most of the book talking about flappers etc.
Only 2 chapters of the book were actually about the Suitcase Baby. It went into the history of other cases for the first few chapters. Wouldn't read this again.
It felt like it went off topic most of the book talking about flappers etc.
Only 2 chapters of the book were actually about the Suitcase Baby. It went into the history of other cases for the first few chapters. Wouldn't read this again.
June 6, 2018
True story of the difficulties of being a woman in the 1920s if you didn’t have financial support. Infanticide was usually successfully concealed but not always. This book tells the sad story of a desperate woman abandoned twice and the consequences of her crime.
May 5, 2019
This was an excellent historical investigative read. Thorough research of the specific suitcase crime and the era in which it was set contextualizes the extraordinary hard lives of women back in the turn of the 1900s. Highly recommended.
September 12, 2018
Really good social history.
September 3, 2019
Brilliant book , well researched and written, some ppl may find it confronting at times with details ,
September 4, 2019
A great up close and personal look at an historic Sydney Criminal case. Immersive.
October 30, 2019
Well researched and very well written.
May 5, 2020
Both sad and frustrating. A tough read but worth it.
January 14, 2022
Very sad story. Captured the times and social mores with excellent research into this true story.
April 13, 2023
I enjoyed this book, well as much as you can given the subject matter. Well written and researched. Definitely recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews