[The Murderer's Daughters] by [[Randy Susan Meyers]] - January 2011 Batch
TalkReviews of Early Reviewers Books
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1jewelknits
FIRST SENTENCE: I wasn't surprised when Mama asked me to save her life.
When Louise (Lulu) was 10 and her sister Meredith (Merry) was 5, a monster came to visit in the form of her father Joey. You see, Celeste (Lulu's mother), was separated from Joey, and, although Celeste told Lulu never to let their father in, he was able to wheedle his way past her one day and make his way to the kitchen where her mother was.
As Lulu ran from the house to have a neighbor call the police, Joey was able to get to a kitchen knife and stab her mother ... to death. He then made his way to Merry's room, and used the knife on both her and on himself.
This is the story of what happens to two little girls left both motherless and fatherless, told in the alternating points of view of both of them. Mimi Rubee (Mama's mother), takes them in, but then she dies. Aunt Cilla, Mama's sister, won't let "Joey's girls" live with her, and Grandma Zelda (Dad's mother) is not well enough to take them in full-time, which is how they end up living in the Duffy-Parkman Home for Girls.
Although Merry visits Grandma Zelda whenever she can, Lulu only visits on the weekends when they are not going to visit their father in the Richmond County Prison. She doesn't want to see him ... ever.
As I read of his interactions with Merry, I thought, "Wow ... he really doesn't want to own up to any of his actions. He's so busy blaming circumstance and outside influences that he refuses to accept that the blame is within him. He killed his wife and tried to kill his own little DAUGHTER ... how do you blame that on anyone or anything but yourself?"
This novel is a chronicle of the lives of two girls, then young women, then women, and how the actions of one single day forever changed the course of their lives and their perception of themselves. Moving, and, in the end, hopeful, it proves that tragedy, while it affects us, does not have to define us.
QUOTES
As long as my bloody-killing-knife-shaking-door father stayed in jail, I was safe.
"I'm worried about you, Lulu. You can't afford to lose what you have."
"What do I have?"
Mrs. Cohen ran a hand over my forehead.
"Possibility."
"Have you ever felt safe?"
Lulu hugged herself, gripping her upper arms. "What do you mean?"
"You know, safe. Because I don't think I ever have."
Lulu didn't answer, her softness leaving as we moved closer to unsaid words. That day. Then. Him. Her.
Writing: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
When Louise (Lulu) was 10 and her sister Meredith (Merry) was 5, a monster came to visit in the form of her father Joey. You see, Celeste (Lulu's mother), was separated from Joey, and, although Celeste told Lulu never to let their father in, he was able to wheedle his way past her one day and make his way to the kitchen where her mother was.
As Lulu ran from the house to have a neighbor call the police, Joey was able to get to a kitchen knife and stab her mother ... to death. He then made his way to Merry's room, and used the knife on both her and on himself.
This is the story of what happens to two little girls left both motherless and fatherless, told in the alternating points of view of both of them. Mimi Rubee (Mama's mother), takes them in, but then she dies. Aunt Cilla, Mama's sister, won't let "Joey's girls" live with her, and Grandma Zelda (Dad's mother) is not well enough to take them in full-time, which is how they end up living in the Duffy-Parkman Home for Girls.
Although Merry visits Grandma Zelda whenever she can, Lulu only visits on the weekends when they are not going to visit their father in the Richmond County Prison. She doesn't want to see him ... ever.
As I read of his interactions with Merry, I thought, "Wow ... he really doesn't want to own up to any of his actions. He's so busy blaming circumstance and outside influences that he refuses to accept that the blame is within him. He killed his wife and tried to kill his own little DAUGHTER ... how do you blame that on anyone or anything but yourself?"
This novel is a chronicle of the lives of two girls, then young women, then women, and how the actions of one single day forever changed the course of their lives and their perception of themselves. Moving, and, in the end, hopeful, it proves that tragedy, while it affects us, does not have to define us.
QUOTES
As long as my bloody-killing-knife-shaking-door father stayed in jail, I was safe.
"I'm worried about you, Lulu. You can't afford to lose what you have."
"What do I have?"
Mrs. Cohen ran a hand over my forehead.
"Possibility."
"Have you ever felt safe?"
Lulu hugged herself, gripping her upper arms. "What do you mean?"
"You know, safe. Because I don't think I ever have."
Lulu didn't answer, her softness leaving as we moved closer to unsaid words. That day. Then. Him. Her.
Writing: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Characters: 4 out of 5 stars
Reading Immersion: 4 out 5 stars
BOOK RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
2TooBusyReading
I've had this one sitting on my Kindle unread for too long. Your review makes me want to bump it up so that I actually get around to reading it.
3susiesharp
I didn't like it as much as you did.
This is the story of 2 sisters Lulu & Merry whose father in a drunken rage kills their mother, stabs Merry and attempts to kill himself. They are sent to live with their grandmother then with their aunt but the aunt is too upset about her sister to deal with these girls and sends them off to an orphanage because their father’s mother is too sick to take of them properly. For reasons I never fully understood Merry wants to visit her father in prison and her grandmother takes her there to visit him every weekend.
After a few years at the orphanage which has been tough on the girls they are fostered by the Cohen’s but the girls don’t ever feel like this is their home either and even after their grandmother dies Merry convinces her foster father to continue the visits to her father. Lulu never goes and tries her best to get Merry to stop going to no avail.
These girls grow up with a lot of dysfunction Lulu tells people her parents died in a car accident and forces Merry to do the same. Lulu goes to college and becomes a doctor, meets a great man who she does tell the truth to and has 2 girls of her own she tells them the lie she’s told everyone else. Merry becomes a probation officer and hops from man to man and never really settles down.
This book really bogged down in the middle and was a slow read. The story was interesting but neither of these girls were very likable and I never understood why Merry wanted to see her father when it was her he had stabbed. Even as events at the end unfold and we never get an answer to why he did what he did or why Merry has this compulsion to take care of her father. Lulu was a workaholic and didn’t ever seem to have much feeling. And their father was a narcissist who never seemed to have any remorse for what he did.
The subject of this book is very interesting but for a more thrilling read I’d recommend The Killer’s Wife by, Bill Floyd.
Full disclosure I received this book via Librarything’s Early Reviewer’s Program
3 Stars
This is the story of 2 sisters Lulu & Merry whose father in a drunken rage kills their mother, stabs Merry and attempts to kill himself. They are sent to live with their grandmother then with their aunt but the aunt is too upset about her sister to deal with these girls and sends them off to an orphanage because their father’s mother is too sick to take of them properly. For reasons I never fully understood Merry wants to visit her father in prison and her grandmother takes her there to visit him every weekend.
After a few years at the orphanage which has been tough on the girls they are fostered by the Cohen’s but the girls don’t ever feel like this is their home either and even after their grandmother dies Merry convinces her foster father to continue the visits to her father. Lulu never goes and tries her best to get Merry to stop going to no avail.
These girls grow up with a lot of dysfunction Lulu tells people her parents died in a car accident and forces Merry to do the same. Lulu goes to college and becomes a doctor, meets a great man who she does tell the truth to and has 2 girls of her own she tells them the lie she’s told everyone else. Merry becomes a probation officer and hops from man to man and never really settles down.
This book really bogged down in the middle and was a slow read. The story was interesting but neither of these girls were very likable and I never understood why Merry wanted to see her father when it was her he had stabbed. Even as events at the end unfold and we never get an answer to why he did what he did or why Merry has this compulsion to take care of her father. Lulu was a workaholic and didn’t ever seem to have much feeling. And their father was a narcissist who never seemed to have any remorse for what he did.
The subject of this book is very interesting but for a more thrilling read I’d recommend The Killer’s Wife by, Bill Floyd.
Full disclosure I received this book via Librarything’s Early Reviewer’s Program
3 Stars
4ForeignCircus
I read this on back in Jan 2010 (an ARC for the hardback edition):
This debut novel tracks the lives of two sisters as they attempt to create lives in the shadow of a harrowing family tragedy. Older sister Lulu must cope with the guilt of opening the door to their father the day he stabbed their mother to death, while younger sister Merry lives with her memories of the murder and her father's failed attempt to kill her and himself. Forced into an orphange by the death of their maternal grandmother, the sisters are lucky enough to find a stable foster family who nonetheless fail them on an emotional level. Betrayed by everyone else, the two sisters form an unhealthy (but understandable) co-dependent relationship marred only by Merry's regular visits to her father and Lulu's refusal to admit he is alive.
I literally couldn't put this book down- it was powerful, heart-breaking, and ultimately redemptive all at the same time. The girls are wonderful characters whose voices and actions ring true without seeming stereotypical. I felt emotionally connected to these girls, invested in their well-being and frantic to try to keep them safe. The author's experience with the victims of violent crime serves her well and gives the reader a wonderful (and terrifying) insight into the lives these victims lead. Highly recommended!
(5 stars)
This debut novel tracks the lives of two sisters as they attempt to create lives in the shadow of a harrowing family tragedy. Older sister Lulu must cope with the guilt of opening the door to their father the day he stabbed their mother to death, while younger sister Merry lives with her memories of the murder and her father's failed attempt to kill her and himself. Forced into an orphange by the death of their maternal grandmother, the sisters are lucky enough to find a stable foster family who nonetheless fail them on an emotional level. Betrayed by everyone else, the two sisters form an unhealthy (but understandable) co-dependent relationship marred only by Merry's regular visits to her father and Lulu's refusal to admit he is alive.
I literally couldn't put this book down- it was powerful, heart-breaking, and ultimately redemptive all at the same time. The girls are wonderful characters whose voices and actions ring true without seeming stereotypical. I felt emotionally connected to these girls, invested in their well-being and frantic to try to keep them safe. The author's experience with the victims of violent crime serves her well and gives the reader a wonderful (and terrifying) insight into the lives these victims lead. Highly recommended!
(5 stars)
