Born a girl

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

This book puts an end to the misogyny that feeds the Ripper myth.
—The Guardian
"Just prostitutes." The media has long been keen to tell people that those killed by Jack the Ripper were all prostitutes. In this serial murder case, the killer became the focus of the story and even became a popular figure. The female victims, on the other hand, were not only ignored by the media and the public, but also distorted.
By tracing back to a wealth of historical archives, courtroom materials, and witness testimony, and incorporating the contemporary context, Harley Rubenhold reconstructs the rich and tragic lives of these five victims. Those murdered by Jack the Ripper were by no means all prostitutes: "They were daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and lovers." More importantly, "They were human beings." Their deaths were not due to immorality or moral failings, but rather to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Perhaps their greatest misfortune was being born female.
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☆ Uncovering the mysteries and restoring the historical truth☆ Breaking the "victim-blaming theory" and returning the narrative to women☆ Making history as interesting as fiction☆ Received rave reviews and won major awards and rankings
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This is an angry and vital piece of historical detective work that exposes the misogyny behind the Ripper mystery. —The Guardian
Reuben Hodder rails against books that endlessly speculate on Jack the Ripper's identity while ignoring the five people he brutally murdered. In this work that is both a sympathetic collective portrait and a thought-provoking social history, these women are finally vindicated. —The Washington Post
Reuben Hodder has pieced together five moving stories that ended in the streets of Whitechapel, giving these women the immortality their killers didn't deserve. - Daily Mail
This book wants to explain how we can give dead women a voice again in the face of brutal men, inaction of police, and a bloodthirsty public. - The Spectator
Reuben Hodder dispels years of myths and misunderstandings. The women killed by Jack the Ripper are no longer flat characters in "Penny Dreadful", but living people who experienced real struggles, hopes and fears. With this important work, Reuben Hodder proves that she is a master of non-fiction, a historian with the soul of a novelist. - Lindsay Fitzharris, author of "Surgical Past" is exquisite. This book will bring you tears, sympathy and anger. - Lucy Worsley, author of "If Houses Could Talk" It is timely to restore dignity to these unfortunate women as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage. - Sue Black, author of "206 Pieces of the Puzzle to Uncover the Mystery of Death" This book fiercely and affectionately discusses the ethical issue of how we view murder. It is an outstanding, thought-provoking and responsible political work. - Bridget Collins, author of "The Bookbinder"

2023-03-01

湖南文艺出版社

Pu Rui Culture

356

9787572610011