Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold

27 reviews

corriejn's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

A well-written and thoroughly researched accounting of the history and lives of the five Victorian era women who eventually became the presumed victims of the serial killer dubbed Jack the Ripper. The violence that ended each of their lives is not the focus, and is mentioned only in passing as the end of each woman's life. These accounts are representative of the experiences of many non-wealthy women of the time and area-- the precarities of trying to remain out of poverty and destitution, the limited choices available to women and families without financial resources, the living conditions faced in workhouses or the kind of lodging houses available to lower classes-- but provide specifics details of each woman's life. While this book is important in humanizing and dispelling some myths about these murder victims and their lives, I didn't give a higher rating because some of the language and insinuations are a bit outdated (e.g., some of the things mentioned re: sex work, addiction, or poverty/homelessness). Basically, it would have been super progressive like... 10 or 15 years ago. Still worth a read, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Abortion, and Murder

katievh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Murder

pollyflorence's review

dark informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

abbyfr's review

dark informative sad medium-paced

5.0

Hallie Rubenhold has single-handedly changed the narrative around one of the most famous historical figures, and we owe it to these women to hear their stories. Their lives were cut short by Jack the Ripper, but that is by far the least interesting thing about them. They were songwriters, business owners, victims of human trafficking, mothers, sisters, wives. The list goes on. Rubenhold has done the most wonderful job of weaving their lives together through fragments of documents and records, piecing together their fragile narratives that for so long have been cast aside. 

Is this book about history? Yes, but it’s also about feminism, classism, poverty, and how we as a society demonise certain groups to make their misery more palatable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Trafficking

rosalind's review

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

Hardgoing in places and I can’t lie, I’m glad I’ve finished it at last. But I have to give it 4 stars rather than 3 on the strength of the conclusion alone. It feels like a really significant piece of work, a powerful exercise in empathy and, as Rubenhold puts it in the interview included at the back, ‘alchemy or reimagination.’ I hope the Five spirits feel honoured; God rest them, and God forgive us.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Abandonment

Moderate: Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

victoria29's review

dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

erinjulia's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence