A review by rosalind
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
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.
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, and Toxic relationship