"I can only tell you this, for whatever it is worth to you, all those old adages about money embroidered on so many samplers are absolutely true; it cannot buy happiness and it is the root of all evil."

This, a quote from Lizzie Borden in the book, entirely sums up the story of Lizzie, at least as told in this book. This fictional account of Lizzie and the murders of her parents is so excellently told, it reads like it was written by Lizzie herself. I am thoroughly impressed with how engaging it is and the amazing polarity of the character of Lizzie. Purdy has outdone herself.

As one long fascinated with the story of Lizzie Borden, I, like many others, have often speculated on whether she truly committed the murders (I have always leaned toward yes) and if she did, what was her motivation. Unlike the many stories I've watched about Borden in the television medium, this telling fully develops Lizzie as a person. We learn of her inner fears and wants. We learn of a life with very little love from a miserly father and a grave and cold sister. And not only was her father a miser, but he was also condescending and always quick to inform Lizzie of her naivety and lack of worth in the eyes of others, except as a source of getting to his wealth. Lizzie was a woman so desperate for love and affection that trying to grasp it in any way she could was what ultimately led her to the rash decision and terrible acts that would change her life forever.

Going back to the quote above, Lizzie thought that she would be free...and she was. She was free to spend money and live the way she always wanted. And yet, although she was acquitted of the murders, no one ever truly believed she didn't do it and that stain would follow her the rest of her days. She could never feel truly loved because someone always seemed to have ulterior motives of getting close to her to get her story, or for notoriety. Sadly, the one time she had a chance at happiness was dashed because of her notorious past. She was destined to spend the rest of her life alone.

That Lizzie was a bisexual woman is neither here nor there. There are plenty of people in history that I'm sure were the same. In Lizzie's case, instead of being liberated by loving who she wanted, because of the norms of the time, and her upbringing to feel shame, she could never truly be happy, or feel good about herself and how she felt toward other women. Suppressed sexuality can lead to volatile feelings and this may be another clue to the motivations of her committing the murders.

We will never truly know if she did it or not. Since she was acquitted by a court of law, one wants to believe that perhaps she was innocent. However, in my mind, I must go along with the portrayal in this book, which coincides with what I've always believed. Do I think what Lizzie did was wrong? Yes, I do. Do I feel she was not punished properly? Yes, I do. Lizzie received a far worse punishment than if she would have been sentenced to hang. She sentenced herself to a life of loneliness and self-loathing. To me, that was punishment enough.

The Secrets of Lizzie Borden really is a must read. I can't even begin to express how much I enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it. ( )

** I received an advance reader copy of this book for free through a Goodreads contest. **

An interesting take on the tale of Lizzie Borden. The characters are well written and the story told well although many liberties are taken with what is known about the real Lizzie. However, since there is so much that is unknown, this is not an issue! I'll leave it to the true Lizzie scholars to determine how many changes have been made to what is known to be true and just say that, regardless of how much was made up just for this book, it was an enjoyable read. ( )

I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this book.
There was an excessive and unnecessary amount of description of every single article of clothing as well as home decor. It got very monotonous and slowed the pace of the story. That being said, I did love the inclusion of bisexual Lizzie narrating her story. A woman shown freely expressing her sexuality in her own way is very important, especially given the time period. However, her constant negative self image became very tiresome and distracting as it appeared at the oddest moments. Due to this, the book read as a cautionary tale of how if you're fat, you're unlovable (which is, of course, patently ridiculous).
I had such high hopes for this book but it didn't live up to my expectations. ( )

The Secrets of Lizzie Borden by Brandy Purdy was a slow read for me. It had many superfluous details & that was frustrating. It took tremendous effort to finish reading the book.

The first half I gave two stars. The final third of the book became more interesting so overall I gave it three stars. This author's style of extreme wordiness is not my favorite.

I couldn't begin to count the number of times Lizzie discussed her father's stinginess. He was a rich, stingy tightwad. I got that the first twenty or so times it was mentioned.

This was written from the point of view of Lizzie herself. She renamed herself Lizbeth to honor the memory of her British architect she met on her European tour. She seemed to search for a happily ever after that was just out of reach. She also seemed self-centered & immature. I found the desperation with which she sought love with either gender sad.

I received a kindle copy from Penguin Random House Publisher Services & NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review. ( )

I’m a bit mixed on this book. I liked the dark overtone and getting into the mind of an American legend. Yet, there were aspects of her character that I extremely disliked (a goal of the author maybe??), and the flow of the story stream seemed to be skewed to a degree that was confusing and, at times, unenjoyable.

Purdy definitely knows how to set an atmosphere and create a vivid picture. At times, these things can get a bit too graphic (thinking the multiple discussions of Lizzie’s bodily functions). But the miserly life that Lizzie was forced to lead, the constrictions, her escapes, the trial, her later years haunted by shunning and her reputation all create an amazing background for Lizzie’s life story.

My favorite part of this whole book was getting into Lizzie’s head. We got to see what motivated her, her inner urges, and her struggles/triumphs. I liked how human the author made her, almost to other extreme of making her too unlikable. There were times when I was very exasperated at Lizzie; if I knew her in real life, I can safely say that I wouldn’t like her much either. Yet, that speaks to the author’s skill; even though I didn’t like Lizzie, I still rooted for her.

I do wish the balance of the story had been a little different. Much time was spent on establishing Lizzie’s earlier life: how miserable she was, her family dynamics, her trying to find herself in a society that is rigid as all hell, and her search for any type of love. By the time we got to the murder and trial bits, we seem to be on overdrive in that all the page spent on these is maybe an eighth of the book. Then we go back to our glacier pace in exploring Lizzie’s life post-trial, facing prejudice, apathy, and general shunning by most everyone in her life.

Now both parts of her journey, pre- and post- trial, are interesting as heck for the most part; it’s what explores her innermost thoughts and motivations after all. Yet, I was really hungering for more on the trial itself and its immediate impact on Lizzie and her community. Seeing how such a case got so muddled with counter testimony and the Victorian attitude that a respectable woman just couldn’t do such a crime was what I was really looking for along with getting to know Lizzie as an individual. So sad loss there…

Even though I could have wished for more aspects of the story, that’s a personal wish; another reader may find the balance of the story elements work for them. I liked how the author got into Lizzie’s head. A woman who can be driven to such a bloody, violent crime makes for interesting reading, whether you like her or not. I enjoyed this foray into the underbelly of Victorian society. I think others would as well.

Note: Book received for free from publisher via GR giveaway in exchange for an honest review. ( )