The Five The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

Compelling to the last page

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You may view with some distaste the lifestyles of those involved…whatever drugs they took, whatever the work they performed, no one is entitled to do these women any harm, let alone kill them. (extraction from the book) The Five is Hallie Rubenholds recent novel about the victims killed by the notorious Jack the Ripper. A completely innovative approach in that subject, no one in the past has tried to show these murders from another angle, from the perspective of the victims. Until today everyone knows or has heard about Jack the Ripper, but no one grasps how his victims have lived, what their occupation was. Hallie Rubenhold brings more light into their lives. As there are five victims, the author dedicates one chapter to each of them, Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane. They all died in 1888, that’s what these women have in common, but apart from that, they all have their own diverse stories. Each chapter transfers you back to the Victorian era, from the time they were born until the ultimate moments that led to their deaths. How life was being born into a time where women meant less than a man. How hard it was to be a woman back then, especially the poor ones. It gets visible how circumstances can change during that time and the effects that can divide an intact family apart. A woman’s life was predestined, depending on the decision they made, with luck or fate on their side. And if fate played you badly, there wasn’t much hope to improve anything for the better. There were not many possibilities to choose from; they took what they could to make ends meet. Even an upgrade into the more educated class didn’t promise a secure living. One fateful step off the path could fling a life back to Whitechapel, in need of a place to sleep and money. I was already struck by the table of contents, very detailed and the map depicting where the victims lived and the place of their murder was very informative. I sometimes leafed back to the map to follow the route or check the streets mentioned. It was wise to write one chapter for each victim, like this it gets less confusing. Although much is based on assumption, it all makes logical sense. that’s what historical work means. An accurate work of a historian, collecting all that information is immense and time-consuming. Even after such a long time, it’s nevertheless possible to obtain answers to questions that were asked back then. The author manages to present a fascinating picture and in my opinion, the writer fulfils his promise that she provides the victims with their identity. The reader gains a very deep insight into how life during that era was, in some parts I got angry, if only they had lived in another century, with different circumstances and rules everything could have been different. I’m fascinated by the historical background mentioned, not only about the victims but also the places around them as well. The story is vastly interesting written, as a crime novel, so gripping that in some parts you have the impression that you stand directly there in the described place. You receive the whole package, which makes it even more interesting to read. A remarkably successful work, that everyone interested in true crime would be delighted to read.