“One of America’s most notorious murder cases inspires this feverish debut” novel that goes inside the mind of Lizzie Borden (The Guardian). On the morning of August 4, 1892, Lizzie Borden calls out to her maid: Someone’s killed Father. The brutal ax-murder of Andrew and Abby Borden in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts, leaves little evidence and many unanswered questions. In this … unanswered questions. In this riveting debut novel, Sarah Schmidt reimagines the day of the infamous murders as an intimate story of a family devoid of love.
While neighbors struggle to understand why anyone would want to harm the respected Bordens, those close to the family have a different tale to tell―of a father with an explosive temper, a spiteful stepmother, and two spinster sisters desperate for their independence. As the police search for clues, Lizzie’s memories of that morning flash in scattered fragments.
Had she been in the barn or the pear arbor to escape the stifling heat of the house? When did she last speak to her stepmother? Were they really gone and would everything be better now? Shifting among the perspectives of the unreliable Lizzie, her older sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget, and the enigmatic stranger Benjamin, the events of that fateful day are slowly revealed through a high-wire feat of storytelling.
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It’s 4th August 1892 and Lizzie Borden discovers her father dead in the home they share in Fall River, Massachusetts. Her step mother is later discovered upstairs. Both have been brutally slain by an axe. Strangely, Lizzie and the maid, the only two at home heard nothing. This is a respectable, wealthy family and the police and neighbours speculate about who could have done it.
The story mostly covers three days; the day before the murders, the day of and the day after. Schmidt retells this true story from multiple points of view; Lizzie, her sister Emma, the maid, Bridget and a stranger, Benjamin who had been sent to have words with Mr Borden the very morning of the murders.
We quickly learn that not all is right within this family. The sisters striving for independence still remain at home and unwed. They have a tight bond with each other which borders on the obsessive. Money seems to be at the root of the unhappiness. The father is very wealthy yet the family scrimps on basics. Lizzie, although almost thirty seems to be a lost soul striving for her father’s attention and her sister’s love almost obsessively. Yet she suffers from a type of amnesia and can barely recollect the events of the morning of the murders. The police appear incompetent and we never really get to the bottom of it. Bridget, the maid has her own problems and who we find out was desperate to leave.
The imagery is vivid; rotting pears, decapitated pigeons, rotting mutton soup and foul smells in an upstairs bedroom will leaving you feeling nauseas. Perhaps these repetitive images are a tad overdone, but it all adds to placing us right into this fascinating and intriguing story.
The author does a great job of interpreting the facts. The weak link for me is the penultimate chapter which was from Benjamin’s’ point of view and it jarred. Benjamin comes back to see the sister’s years later and we find out about Lizzie’s arrest and acquittal although little else. The very last chapter takes us to Lizzie’s point of view and back in time again. I think the book might have been better without Benjamin’s chapter.
It’s very well written and the cover is superb. The timeline of facts at the end was also very helpful. We are kept guessing right up to the end. Did Lizzie do it or not? You need to make up your own mind.
If you are familiar with the story of Lizzie Borden, then you know there has always been some speculation as to whether or not she was truly the one who took the ax to her father and stepmother. In this retelling by Schmidt, I was hoping for a fresh take on the story. Perhaps that was my downfall and why I struggled to like the book as well as others.
Schmidt tells the story from the points of view of Lizzie, her sister Emma, Bridget the maid, and Benjamin, a for hire thug that Lizzie’s Uncle John offers to pay to take care of Andrew (Lizzie’s dad) to keep him from treating his daughters poorly. The narratives fluctuate slightly in time, going between the happenings slightly before and after the murders occur. The reader also gets a glimpse into Lizzie’s trial and her arrest through Benjamin’s eyes. Overall, I liked the narrative schematic and the multiple points of view. My main issue became reading the same scene repeated by each character. It felt a bit redundant to me and I grew tired of it.
On the positive side, I loved how Schmidt portrayed Lizzie. Lizzie comes off as childlike and yet vindictive. At times, it was hard to remember that this character was a 32 year old woman and not a 10 year old little girl. Her narration also brings doubt into the readers minds concerning her actions. She’s an unreliable narrator and it’s difficult to determine how much truth there is to anything she says. Lizzie is quite unlikeable and yet very intriguing.
My overall conclusion was that that this story had little to offer as far as the Borden story. The little bits that are known about the case are used repeatedly throughout the story but they could only stretch so far in my opinion.
“How quickly does the body forget it’s history?”
Lizzie Borden, youngest living daughter of Andrew Borden and his first wife. Accused, but not convicted, of the deaths of her father and his second wife. Who did it?
Emma Borden, ten years years Lizzie’s senior and basically her pseudo mother, cared for, and about her sister but harbored a strong jealousy of her as her father’s favorite. However Lizzie always got to do things she wanted.
Both sisters are brittle from psychological abuse and trauma. Their father used them to further himself. Had their uncle John hired another? Did the maid do it? Sarah Schmidt presents a strangely compelling set of reasonings to support none and all of these possibilities. But this book is very convoluted and quite hard to follow.
As a Rhode Islander by birth, whose father worked in Fall River and dated a Borden prior to marrying my mother, I am a bit obsessed with the legend of Lizzie. This book did bank some of that obsession, and I will purchase a used copy for my own library, but it’s not the best writing, and for that, the book only gets 4 stars.
Lizzie’s portions of the book were quite the headtrip. Making sense of everything in her world was quite a ride. I did very much enjoy the varying perspectives and the general layout of this novel. It was certainly interesting to read everyone’s thoughts and point of view as the story got pieced together slowly. I enjoyed this book and how everything came to be laid out by the end. There were still questions floating around in my mind, but I liked that I was left to speculate a bit.
Ever felt like you are never understood? Whatever you are doing in life, choices you are making and it all goes unnoticed? And when you are noticed it’s for a tiny mistake that you made and everything gets blown out of proportion.
That is what it’s like to live in the Borden house. Every. Single. Day.
Andrew Borden is a respectable man, one with stature in the community, one that is known for his smarts and of course for being rich. His new bride Abby is known for her love of food. Not cooking it, just eating it. Then their are his two children from his first wife. Sisters. Emma, the oldest and Lizzie, the baby. Two beautiful girls that love their family and are always side by side in everything and anything they do. Perfect family the Borden’s. Many a people try and take a peak inside the Borden’s home but of course there is nothing to see so why bother right?
To Emma and Lizzie, it would be a wonderful sight for people to actually look into the windows and see the goings on in the Borden house. For if ONE soul could have seen what took place day in and day out, maybe just maybe Andrew and Abby wouldn’t have had to meet their maker they way they did. Maybe there wouldn’t be any more turmoil. No more secrets.
If only someone would’ve looked.
Lizzie wakes the neighbors up with the horrible news that someone broke into her house and butchered her father in his study room. The town is a buzzin’, the cops are a thinking and there sits poor Lizzie. With a sister out of town and Miss Abby gone on shopping Lizzie has to hold herself together till things start settling down. That is until someone finds Abby butchered in her room. The death of the two Borden’s shakes the town more than a tornado ever could. With Emma finally home things should start calming down. That is until questions start being asked and answers don’t seem all that simple anymore.
How do you make people listen to you? What are some drastic measures do you have to take to finally get acknowledged for the things that you do? This story tells the tale of the most sinister and brutal murder to ever take place in a family home by hands of an unknown name. Many times death brings people together. Other times it separates them. But if you only have each other, who do you turn to for help? Told from different points of views we see how murder can change not just one person, for a whole community and how family means everything especially in rough times. We are taught that when the going gets tough rely on family to help. But what if family isn’t the safest thing to rely on?
****
What a breathtaking tale of family, murder and illness all rolled into one. The deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden is still unsolved after all of this time and there are so many speculations of what went down that unforgettable day in 1892 that it’s amazing what Sarah Schmidt has done in this book. She made it so real from the first chapter all the way to the last. I loved how she had every chapter was a different point of view from different people of different class of what “could” have happened the days leading up to the murder and the days after the murder. I believe she really captured what could have happened and even left some speculation at the end of “what do you think” could have happened.
Like suspense? Like true crime? Then you will totally want to read this book.
4 out of 5 stars to See What I Have Done, a historical fictional account of the “Lizzie Borden Axe Murders,” written by Sarah Schmidt and set to be published on August 1, 2017. Many thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic Monthly Press and the author for providing me with an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of this fantastic book.
Why This Book
I’ve become a NetGalley member and saw this in the update feeds of a few fellow Goodreads’ members. I am fascinated with historical re-telling of real-life stories and knew a little bit about the Lizzie Borden murders. I thought this would be a great way to learn more and read the debut novel of a new author. And if you’re interested in some additional facts about the whole affair, check out this site: http://www.history.com/news/9-things-….
Approach & Style
I read the electronic Kindle Reader version on my iPad over three days. The book mostly takes place over a 3-day period, covering the day before, the day of, and the day after the murders occurred. It takes place in the small Massachusetts town in the Borden home.
There are about 15 chapters with each one told from the perspective of all the main and supporting characters. You see and hear the voice of each person before or after the murders occurred, learning different facts that weren’t clear to everyone else.
I believe most of the main facts are accurate, but there is likely some embellishment in the thoughts and actions of the other characters. For example, the uncle’s motivations behind hiring a supposed accomplice are not fully explored in the book but were more detailed in real life. As is traditional in historical fiction, there is some element of drama being added in to help support some of the known information. It felt natural to me, and nothing seemed to throw me at any point, which means the author has done a fine job at telling this story.
Plot, Characters & Setting
I’m breaking this area into two sections to set the stage of what has previously occurred and what actually happens in the book. Since this is a real-life story, I don’t think any of this counts as a spoiler, but if you want to be surprised about what’s actually covered in the book, you may want to skip this review.
Background covered thru conversations
Andrew and Sarah Borden were married and had two daughters, Emma and Alice. Alice unfortunately died in infancy from dropsy. A few years later, Lizzie was born, but Sarah never quite recovered and passed away. Andrew later married Abby, who became a stepmother to his two surviving daughters. Sarah’s brother, John Morse, would visit from time to time, checking in on his nieces in their small hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts. Though they lived in somewhat poor conditions, the Bordens were very wealthy; Andrew was just unwilling to spend any money. Abby hires a house maid, Bridget, recent Irish immigrant. At first, the ladies are friendly, but over time, Abby becomes more and more difficult, which leaves Bridget wanting to escape the family’s clutches, as she feels there is a dark cloud surrounding both the family and the home. Emma loses her chance at getting married when Lizzie orchestrates a small blackmail scheme in order to keep Emma from leaving. But Emma eventually moves away from Fall River on her own, leaving Lizzie behind. Lizzie’s mental state is somewhat questionable as a result of these actions.
Action in novel
Lizzie and her father have a peculiar relationship. They love one another, but for a nearly 30 year old woman, Lizzie certainly plays a few too many games to capture his attention. She also raises pigeons in the backyard to keep her mind occupied. Lizzie does not like her stepmother, Abby, and often treats her poorly. Lizzie also plays mind games with Bridget, the house maid. Lizzie has some great lines, and quite a number of times, I had to stop reading and think about what that loon was trying to do. She might actually scare me if I met her in person, and I don’t scare easily.
The Bordens are planning to have a small party in a few days. Abby tells Bridget what needs to be cleaned and arranged, but it is too much for one person. Bridget asks Lizzie to help with some of it, but Lizzie has a fit and tells Bridget it’s not her responsibility. Bridget is trying to escape the house and has been saving up enough money. As she’s telling the neighboring house maid, Mary, Abby overhears Bridget’s confession and steals the money, so Bridget is unable to leave. Bridget is very upset and agrees to clean up for the party but begs to leave afterwards. Abby says she’ll think about it, but truly has no intention of letting Bridget leave. Andrew is off at work when a visitor arrives. It’s his former brother-in-law, John Morse, who has stopped in to check in on his nieces.
Uncle John has a flashback to a conversation the previous day with Benjamin, a somewhat friend of his, who has been hired to “do something” to Andrew Borden, as revenge for the way he treats his daughters. John sees the pain and struggle in Emma and Lizzie, and wants to teach Andrew a lesson. Benjamin hides out in the house and the barn for several hours. Andrew arrives home and is angry to learn from Abby that John has shown up unannounced. Abby then tells him that Lizzie knew earlier in the day he would be stopping, but failed to tell anyone. As revenge on his own daughter, Andrew harms her pigeons. Lizzie is distraught over the whole situation. The next morning, an odd series of events occurs involving Abby supposedly leaving to visit a sick friend, the uncle heading in to town to meet some bankers and Andrew preparing to leave for work, too. Lizzie and Bridget are mulling about the house. Bridget hears strange noises but can’t find anyone. Soon after, Lizzie comes running to find Bridget and tells her that her father has been cut. He’s resting on the couch in another room but looks very sick. Bridget runs for the doctor. Everyone assumes Abby is out with the sick friend. But events quickly turn when the cops arrive and find Abby has also been brutally murdered with an axe, just like Andrew.
Emma is brought back to the house. Benjamin is hiding out in the barn, then meets with John. John asks him why he killed Abby too, as the plan was only to harm Andrew. Benjamin wants his money, but says he never got to hurt anyone. When he arrived, he found both had already been killed. John doesn’t understand but when the cops arrive, Benjamin escapes. No one knows he was there until years later when he surprises Lizzie and asks for his money. Emma, Bridget and Lizzie band together to help clean up the house, trying to get some rest before the bodies are moved to the mortuary. Lizzie says many odd things but no one accuses her of murder. She doesn’t seem upset that her father has died, but she is also given sedatives to keep her calm. A few days later, she’s arrested but is not found guilty. The book doesn’t cover the trial, instead it’s told in a few small sections as part of the conclusion to the book. We learn what happened to Bridget, Lizzie and Emma in the future years, as well as John and Benjamin.
Strengths
I am not certain how much knowledge the author had of all the events beyond what people may have already read about or seen on TV. Perhaps she had access to all the police reports, trial summaries and information handed down to future generations. But what she’s done with it is truly amazing. She’s brought to life this once great family and shown us the complexities of living in the 1890s beneath one’s means when there was money to do things in a better way. She’s shown the crazy and tender side of Lizzie. She’s made Andrew and Abby into very peculiar people who either were indeed crazy themselves or truly just impacted by raising someone like Lizzie. Nothing is clear cut, as the author offers up scenes and emotions, but the reader gets to choose how to interpret the action. It feels very accurate from what I know of the true story. The embellishments add drama but don’t take away from the sense of reality that occurred. The writing feels authentic to the 1890s. The descriptions clearly show what the house looked like and how the family lived. I love how the murders were handled, as they weren’t. But it was fantastic. In one scene change, we go from a few missing hours of time to suddenly Lizzie yelling her father has been cut. You might think it is awkward, but it really is integrated quite well. It’s exactly representative of the missing hours in the real story, since we don’t for certain know what happened.
For those who are a tad squeamish, there are a number of scenes describing how different people react to the dead bodies. And some of these characters have an unhealthy fascination with blood and cuts. If you can’t handle a few descriptions about how some of the characters touch the bodies and want to feel where the axe has cut open flesh and bone, you may not want to read this one. I loved it, but as much as I find this kind of detail cool… what two of the characters do is absolutely insane… are there really people like that? Oh my!
Concerns
I would have liked more background on why they thought Lizzie was guilty. No evidence is provided, but very little of the arrest and trial is included in this novel. It leaves you wanting more. I would have liked to see a fact sheet in the back, letting us know what was embellished and what was real. There is some information showing the timeline of events, but you won’t know on your own without reading other literature or websites, which makes you wonder which parts are true, e.g. the whole concept of Bridget and the stolen money or the events with the pigeons.
I wanted to read this book because I remember hearing about the murders when I was in high school. Plus, there are so many documentaries and television movies about the murders. This was my first time reading this author I enjoyed the story very much. At first I was a tad bit confused because there are several points of views and that was a little overwhelming. Once I got the hang of it I could NOT put this story down. I loved the way all the points of views paralleled towards the end of the story. I know my review is rather vague but I feel its best to go in blind for this story and draw your own conclusions. When its all said and done, this story was gripping and thoroughly entertained me and now I have a renewed interest in the case and some more theories of my own!
Wow. This book is way, way outside my comfort zone, but I had to keep reading because the prose is incredible. Despite the gruesome visceral details–or maybe because of–the writing boils with tension and creates a unique page-turner about an extremely dysfunctional family. An incredible read for those with strong stomachs.