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America's First Female Serial Killer
America's First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster | Mary Kay McBrayer
5 posts | 6 read | 22 to read
The Making of a Female Serial KillerFor readers who are fascinated by how serial killers are made. This book is for listeners of true crime podcasts and readers of both fiction and true crime nonfiction. It is for watchers of television shows like Deadly Women and Mindhunter, who are fascinated by how killers are made. It's for self-conscious feminists, Americans trying to bootstrap themselves into success, and anyone who loves a vigilante beatdown, especially one gone off the rails. America's first female serial killer was not always a killer. America's First Female Serial Killer novelizes the true story of first-generation Irish-American nurse Jane Toppan, born as Honora Kelley. Although all the facts are intact, books about her life and her crimes are all facts and no story. Jane Toppan was absolutely a monster, but she did not start out that way. Making of a serial killer. When Jane was a young child, her father abandoned her and her sister to the Boston Female Asylum. From there, Jane was indentured to a wealthy family who changed her name, never adopted her, wrote her out of the will, and essentially taught her how to hate herself. Jilted at the altar, Jane became a nurse and took control of her life, and the lives of her victims. Readers of America's First Female Serial Killer : * Will gain insight into the personal development of a severely damaged person without rationalizing her crimes * Experience the rarely told story of a female serial killer * Understand that even monsters were humans, firstIf you enjoyed books such as In Cold Blood, Perfume, Alias Grace, or Devil in the White City ; you will love reading America's First Female Serial Killer .
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review
veritysalter
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Mehso-so

An odd book, claiming to be a true and detailed account of Jane Toppan‘s life; it reads like fiction, with full conversations that couldn‘t possibly have been recorded, so I am not clear which bits were fact and what the author invented. Someone on GR referred to it as ‘fan fiction‘ and that feels quite apt.

LeahBergen I ordered this book without reading any reviews and thought it would be more of a straightforward true crime, too. I haven‘t read it yet. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y
veritysalter Don‘t let me put you off Leah (sorry Litsy is not letting me tag). It is a good story and has lots of good reviews. I think I went into it with the wrong attitude and expected something different. (edited) 3y
LeahBergen Oh, you haven‘t put me off it. 😊 I just noticed the odd style of it, too, when I did my initial flip through it (you know... that “flip through” that you do when a book order arrives 😂). 3y
veritysalter I know the “flip through” 😂 @LeahBergen (yay! Can tag again) 3y
Crazeedi @veritysalter hi verity!! Hope all is well 💗 3y
63 likes1 stack add5 comments
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DeeLew
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From my first Nightworms package. 🖤 I‘m sitting on the back deck with my book and a beverage enjoying my mini-vacation.

LeahBergen Ooo, I already have this one stacked! 👍🏻 4y
DeeLew @LeahBergen It is really good so far! 4y
29 likes6 stack adds2 comments
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SassenachTheBookWizard
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Pickpick

This was really interesting. The book is less filled with info-dumping or peppered with stats and written more like a fiction novel where you are beside Jane watching what it was like growing up and what lead her into nursing and murdering. I think this would appeal more to people who are new to true crime or readers who do not like very gory true crime.

betsyhaddox Cool. I wonder if you‘d like the book “Fever,” too, about Typhoid Mary? Sounds like it‘s in the same vein. :) 4y
70 likes6 stack adds1 comment
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SassenachTheBookWizard
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Non-fiction time!

ElizaMarie Looks great!!! 4y
Cedricsmom OMG! This is new to me! Must investigate further... 4y
Laughterhp Oh I recently bought this book. Haven‘t picked it up yet though 4y
73 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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CoffeeK8
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Pickpick

I had never heard the story of Jane Toppan. This is a fascinating story of how society helped to form the monstrous person she became.

bibliobliss I've read about her, totally creepy woman!! 4y
44 likes3 stack adds1 comment