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Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter
Carol Ann Lee
Extent: 336 pages
Size: 234x153mm
Publication Date: 21/03/2019
About the Book
Much has been written about the brutal crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, and – thirty-five years after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of thirteen women – scarcely a week goes by without some mention of him in the media. In any story featuring Sutcliffe, however, his victims are incidental, often reduced to a tableau of nameless faces. But each woman was much more than the manner of her death.
In Somebody’s Mother, Somebody’s Daughter, Carol Ann Lee tells, for the first time, the stories of those women who came into Sutcliffe’s murderous orbit, restoring their individuality to them and giving a voice to their families, including the twenty-three children whom he left motherless.
Based on previously unpublished material and fresh, first-hand interviews the book examines the Yorkshire Ripper story from a new perspective: focusing on the women and putting the reader in a similar position to those who lived through that time. By talking to survivors and their families, and to the families of the murdered women, Carol Ann Lee gets to the core truths of their lives and experiences, not only at the hands of Sutcliffe but also with the Yorkshire Police and their crass and appalling handling of the case, where the women were put into two categories: prostitutes and non-prostitutes. In this book they are, simply, women, and all have moving backstories.
Recent news stories have shown that women and girls who come forward to report serious crimes of a sexual nature are often judged as harshly – and often more so – than the men who have wronged them. The Rochdale sex abuse scandal, the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and the US President's deplorable comments about women are vivid reminders that those in positions of power regard women as second class citizens. The son of Wilma McCann, Sutcliffe's first known murder victim, told the author, 'We still have a very long way to go,' and in that regard he is correct. Hard-hitting and wholly unique in approach, this timely book sheds new light on a case that still grips the nation.
Publication Date: 21/03/2019
Price: £5.99
ISBN: 9781782439257
Categories: Biographies
About the Book
Much has been written about the brutal crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, and – thirty-five years after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of thirteen women – scarcely a week goes by without some mention of him in the media. In any story featuring Sutcliffe, however, his victims are incidental, often reduced to a tableau of nameless faces. But each woman was much more than the manner of her death.
In Somebody’s Mother, Somebody’s Daughter, Carol Ann Lee tells, for the first time, the stories of those women who came into Sutcliffe’s murderous orbit, restoring their individuality to them and giving a voice to their families, including the twenty-three children whom he left motherless.
Based on previously unpublished material and fresh, first-hand interviews the book examines the Yorkshire Ripper story from a new perspective: focusing on the women and putting the reader in a similar position to those who lived through that time. By talking to survivors and their families, and to the families of the murdered women, Carol Ann Lee gets to the core truths of their lives and experiences, not only at the hands of Sutcliffe but also with the Yorkshire Police and their crass and appalling handling of the case, where the women were put into two categories: prostitutes and non-prostitutes. In this book they are, simply, women, and all have moving backstories.
Recent news stories have shown that women and girls who come forward to report serious crimes of a sexual nature are often judged as harshly – and often more so – than the men who have wronged them. The Rochdale sex abuse scandal, the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and the US President's deplorable comments about women are vivid reminders that those in positions of power regard women as second class citizens. The son of Wilma McCann, Sutcliffe's first known murder victim, told the author, 'We still have a very long way to go,' and in that regard he is correct. Hard-hitting and wholly unique in approach, this timely book sheds new light on a case that still grips the nation.
Publication Date: 21/03/2019
Price: £19.99
ISBN: 9781789291056
Categories: Biographies
About the Book
Much has been written about the brutal crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, and – thirty-five years after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of thirteen women – scarcely a week goes by without some mention of him in the media. In any story featuring Sutcliffe, however, his victims are incidental, often reduced to a tableau of nameless faces. But each woman was much more than the manner of her death.
In Somebody’s Mother, Somebody’s Daughter, Carol Ann Lee tells, for the first time, the stories of those women who came into Sutcliffe’s murderous orbit, restoring their individuality to them and giving a voice to their families, including the twenty-three children whom he left motherless.
Based on previously unpublished material and fresh, first-hand interviews the book examines the Yorkshire Ripper story from a new perspective: focusing on the women and putting the reader in a similar position to those who lived through that time. By talking to survivors and their families, and to the families of the murdered women, Carol Ann Lee gets to the core truths of their lives and experiences, not only at the hands of Sutcliffe but also with the Yorkshire Police and their crass and appalling handling of the case, where the women were put into two categories: prostitutes and non-prostitutes. In this book they are, simply, women, and all have moving backstories.
Recent news stories have shown that women and girls who come forward to report serious crimes of a sexual nature are often judged as harshly – and often more so – than the men who have wronged them. The Rochdale sex abuse scandal, the allegations against Harvey Weinstein, and the US President's deplorable comments about women are vivid reminders that those in positions of power regard women as second class citizens. The son of Wilma McCann, Sutcliffe's first known murder victim, told the author, 'We still have a very long way to go,' and in that regard he is correct. Hard-hitting and wholly unique in approach, this timely book sheds new light on a case that still grips the nation.
About the Author
Born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1969, Carol Ann Lee graduated from Manchester University. Three years later, her first book, Roses from the Earth: The Biography of Anne Frank was published to great acclaim, and has been published in fifteen countries to date. She went on to write several more best-selling books, including biographies and fiction, returning to non-fiction in 2010 with One of Your Own: The Life and Death of Myra Hindley, A Fine Day for a Hanging (2012) and The Murders at White House Farm (2015).
Reviews
- 'Lynda La Plante’s Book of the Year 2019', Big Issue
- 'Original, intelligent and thought-provoking, Carol Ann Lee’s book sheds new light on the human stories behind the headlines. A touching and timely insight into all of Sutcliffe’s victims.', Roberta Kray
- 'Carol Ann Lee’s book is a striking and innovative approach to the crimes of the most notorious serial killer of modern times, focusing on both the victims and those left behind. Lee provides a remarkable panoply, full of both humanity and rage at the treatment of the victims by both the authorities and the media.', Barry Forshaw, author and journalist
- 'A new and strong perspective on the story, opening the gates for a fresh narrative.', Survivor Mo Lea