Thursday, May 16, 2019

Book Ten: The Five by Hallie Rubenhold

The Five is the fascinating untold story of the women killed by Jack the Ripper. It starts with an overview of life in 1887 London: the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria versus the poor and downtrodden camping out in Trafalgar Square. Rubenfeld dispels the common idea that the Ripper targeted prostitutes.

Then the book divides into five sections: one each for the five women: Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate, and Mary Jane.

This is an important book, ignoring Jack (the subject of endless speculation and theorizing) to focus on the women--the five who had only been remembered for their gruesome deaths. Hallie Rubenheld restores their humanity.

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