About the Book:
THE SECRETS OF LIZZIE BORDEN
BY BRANDY PURDYPublication Date: January 26, 2016
Kensington Books
eBook & Print; 384 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
In her enthralling, richly imagined new novel, Brandy Purdy, author of The Ripper’s Wife, creates a compelling portrait of the real, complex woman behind an unthinkable crime.
Lizzie Borden should be one of the most fortunate young women in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her wealthy father could easily afford to provide his daughters with fashionable clothes, travel, and a rich, cultured life. Instead, haunted by the ghost of childhood poverty, he forces Lizzie and her sister, Emma, to live frugally, denying them the simplest modern conveniences. Suitors and socializing are discouraged, as her father views all gentleman callers as fortune hunters.
Lonely and deeply unhappy, Lizzie stifles her frustration, dreaming of the freedom that will come with her eventual inheritance. But soon, even that chance of future independence seems about to be ripped away. And on a stifling August day in 1892, Lizzie’s long-simmering anger finally explodes…
Vividly written and thought-provoking, The Secrets of Lizzie Borden explores the fascinating events behind a crime that continues to grip the public imagination—a story of how thwarted desires and desperate rage could turn a dutiful daughter into a notorious killer.
Pre-Order at
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | KOBO
Review:
Everyone knows the story of Lizzie Borden, but no one is exactly sure of what happened that day in 1892 when her step-mother and father were killed. Brandy Purdy reimagines the story that Lizzie herself might have told it. In retrospect, Lizzie looks back on her life from a young child to her death and gives us an idea of what is going on in her head. While fiction, I did learn a lot about Lizzie’s life, especially as a child through a young woman. Lizzie’s childhood may not have been great, even though her father was a wealthy businessman; he was incredibly stingy and did not allow his girls to have any pleasantries. Lizzie’s mother died young and her older sister, Emma oversaw Lizzie. Her father made Lizzie believe that any man would only be after her money.
Lizzie character was incredibly surprising in this story. Due to her strange upbringing and tragedy early on in life, Lizzie never seemed to grow much in mental age. She seemed stuck in the pre-teen to teenage stage where she felt that she should deserve everything in life just because and not have to work for anything. I think this part of her personality had much to do with her choices later in life. The other aspect of Lizzie’s personality that was focused on was her need for love; this also had a large impact on Lizzie’s needs and life and affected her decisions. Overall, I loved the tone of the book. There was a great deal of dark foreshadowing which led to an appropriate amount of creepiness. This was definitely a unique look into a disturbing and tragic historical figure that kept me reading.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
THE SECRETS OF LIZZIE BORDEN
BY BRANDY PURDYPublication Date: January 26, 2016
Kensington Books
eBook & Print; 384 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
In her enthralling, richly imagined new novel, Brandy Purdy, author of The Ripper’s Wife, creates a compelling portrait of the real, complex woman behind an unthinkable crime.
Lizzie Borden should be one of the most fortunate young women in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her wealthy father could easily afford to provide his daughters with fashionable clothes, travel, and a rich, cultured life. Instead, haunted by the ghost of childhood poverty, he forces Lizzie and her sister, Emma, to live frugally, denying them the simplest modern conveniences. Suitors and socializing are discouraged, as her father views all gentleman callers as fortune hunters.
Lonely and deeply unhappy, Lizzie stifles her frustration, dreaming of the freedom that will come with her eventual inheritance. But soon, even that chance of future independence seems about to be ripped away. And on a stifling August day in 1892, Lizzie’s long-simmering anger finally explodes…
Vividly written and thought-provoking, The Secrets of Lizzie Borden explores the fascinating events behind a crime that continues to grip the public imagination—a story of how thwarted desires and desperate rage could turn a dutiful daughter into a notorious killer.
Pre-Order at
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | KOBO
Review:
Everyone knows the story of Lizzie Borden, but no one is exactly sure of what happened that day in 1892 when her step-mother and father were killed. Brandy Purdy reimagines the story that Lizzie herself might have told it. In retrospect, Lizzie looks back on her life from a young child to her death and gives us an idea of what is going on in her head. While fiction, I did learn a lot about Lizzie’s life, especially as a child through a young woman. Lizzie’s childhood may not have been great, even though her father was a wealthy businessman; he was incredibly stingy and did not allow his girls to have any pleasantries. Lizzie’s mother died young and her older sister, Emma oversaw Lizzie. Her father made Lizzie believe that any man would only be after her money.
Lizzie character was incredibly surprising in this story. Due to her strange upbringing and tragedy early on in life, Lizzie never seemed to grow much in mental age. She seemed stuck in the pre-teen to teenage stage where she felt that she should deserve everything in life just because and not have to work for anything. I think this part of her personality had much to do with her choices later in life. The other aspect of Lizzie’s personality that was focused on was her need for love; this also had a large impact on Lizzie’s needs and life and affected her decisions. Overall, I loved the tone of the book. There was a great deal of dark foreshadowing which led to an appropriate amount of creepiness. This was definitely a unique look into a disturbing and tragic historical figure that kept me reading.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
About the Author
Brandy Purdy (Emily Purdy in the UK) is the author of the historical novels THE CONFESSION OF PIERS GAVESTON, THE BOLEYN WIFE (THE TUDOR WIFE), THE TUDOR THRONE (MARY & ELIZABETH), THE QUEEN’S PLEASURE (A COURT AFFAIR), THE QUEEN’S RIVALS (THE FALLEN QUEEN), THE BOLEYN BRIDE, and THE RIPPER’S WIFE. An ardent book lover since early childhood, she first became interested in history at the age of nine or ten years old when she read a book of ghost stories which contained a chapter about Anne Boleyn haunting the Tower of London. Visit her website at www.brandypurdy.com, you can also follow her on Facebook as Brandy Purdy aka Emily Purdy.
Brandy Purdy (Emily Purdy in the UK) is the author of the historical novels THE CONFESSION OF PIERS GAVESTON, THE BOLEYN WIFE (THE TUDOR WIFE), THE TUDOR THRONE (MARY & ELIZABETH), THE QUEEN’S PLEASURE (A COURT AFFAIR), THE QUEEN’S RIVALS (THE FALLEN QUEEN), THE BOLEYN BRIDE, and THE RIPPER’S WIFE. An ardent book lover since early childhood, she first became interested in history at the age of nine or ten years old when she read a book of ghost stories which contained a chapter about Anne Boleyn haunting the Tower of London. Visit her website at www.brandypurdy.com, you can also follow her on Facebook as Brandy Purdy aka Emily Purdy.
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