Eight-year-old Chrissie lives in a state of constant, gnawing hunger and neglect. Seeking the attention and control denied to her at home, she strangles a two-year-old boy in her neighborhood, viewing the act as a private triumph rather than a tragedy. The narrative alternates between this childhood perspective and Chrissie’s adult life as Julia, a mother living under a pseudonym. While struggling to raise her own daughter, Julia remains haunted by her conviction that a killer can never truly deserve the bond of motherhood.
Readers interested in the psychological origins of violence and the cycle of systemic parental failure will find a detailed study of how neglect shapes a child's morality. This book attracts those who want to examine the internal mechanics of a social outcast rather than a traditional police procedural. You will finish the text with a better understanding of the tension between innate personality and environmental deprivation, as well as the lifelong difficulty of achieving redemption after committing an unforgivable act.
Inward-looking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2021
- Language
- EN
