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The Murderer's Daughters
Escrito por Randy Susan Meyers
Narrado por Susan Bennett y Angela Goethals
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This emotional debut by Randy Susan Meyers tells of two sisters torn apart by domestic tragedy. When her mother throws her father out, young Lulu is told never to let him in again. But Lulu disobeys, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Lulu’s mother ends up killed, and Lulu and her sister Merry are orphaned. Now, as the sisters grow into adulthood, they find the ghosts of their past are difficult to outrun.
Acciones del libro
Comenzar a escucharInformación sobre el libro
The Murderer's Daughters
Escrito por Randy Susan Meyers
Narrado por Susan Bennett y Angela Goethals
Descripción
This emotional debut by Randy Susan Meyers tells of two sisters torn apart by domestic tragedy. When her mother throws her father out, young Lulu is told never to let him in again. But Lulu disobeys, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Lulu’s mother ends up killed, and Lulu and her sister Merry are orphaned. Now, as the sisters grow into adulthood, they find the ghosts of their past are difficult to outrun.
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A combination of alcohol and passion change a family's dynamics within minutes and leave two sisters virtually on their own. Louise, the elder, continues her caretaking role, watching over and guiding Meredith. Paradoxically, their roles appear to reverse in regard to their father causing the one major disagreement between them. Regardless, they remain very close. I enjoyed The Murderer's Daughters but felt that at times it stagnated, was too balanced. An additional subplot or more variations in the storyline would have increased its depth and texture.
Rating: 4Two young sisters must navigate through their childhood after their father kills their mother. They are torn between two families and their hatred for the other side and eventually en up in the system. The story follows them into adulthood where their relationship with each other is complicated by the fact that one sister refuses to acknowledge their fathers existence and the other sister feels she must take care of her father in prison.
Rating: 3This was an OK book about two girls whose mother was murdered by their father. The killing was witnessed by the girls, and one of the girls was also wounded in the same paternal attack. I was always troubled by what seemed to me was rather unbelievable behaviour of the daughters (especially the younger, wounded one) after this incredibly traumatic incident. Also the relationship between the daughters, as adults, seemed unbelievable to me, and further, the major incident near the end of the book seemed very contrived. The murderer-father was also a completely unbelievable character to me. I think I might cross any other Myers' books off my wish-list.
Rating: 3This is the first Target Book Club pick I have read, and honestly wasn't expecting much. Pleasantly surprised, but not blown away.
Rating: 4Upon reading the acknowledgements at the end of the book, this fictional story suddenly became a very probable autobiography of sorts, revealing that the author was possibly an orphan. Two sisters, orphaned when their father kills their mother, struggle with the aftermath of the terror and their own reluctance to forgive. It is a gripping story to the end, switching narratives between the sisters as their lives unwind.
Rating: 4Wow. I don't know what its like to be in that sort of situation, or to witness something like what Merry and Lulu go through, and I hope I never do. I rooted for them, sympathized with their losses, and celebrated their triumphs. Amazingly written- the book covers over thirty years, and the narrating voice changes appropriately as the characters age. Just stunning and devastatingly good.
Rating: 4One dimensional characters in a repetitive, boring story about, you guessed it, murderer's daughters.
Rating: 2When sisters Lulu and Merry are young girls, they witness their father stabbing their mother to death. The Murder's Daughters is the story of the aftermath and how each sister deals with being a "Murderer's Daughter". As they grow up, they have very different relationships with their convict father. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It was very well written, with Lulu and Merry seeming like real people with very understandable reactions to almost incomprehensible situation. This would be a good book for a book club discussion, with the natural question: would you be more like Lulu or more like Merry?
Rating: 4This one was a toss up between a three and a four but ultimately the story made this one a four star read for me. I loved watching these sisters grow and deal with what had happened to them.
Rating: 4I couldn't stop reading this book. I became so caught up in Lulu and Merry's lives and their struggles to deal with the past and create a future. They are two wonderfully complex characters, and I loved watching them in their stubbornness and their growth. The writing is strong, the story compelling, and I can't wait to see what Randy Susan Meyers offers us next.
Rating: 5This was just an awesome book from beginning to end. Well put together with the book flowing like a river. I invested a lot of emotions into the reading of this book. My first book with this author and I'm will absolutely check into others. I keep thinking what an awesome movie this book would make.
Rating: 5This is the story of the aftermath of two girls whose father kills their mother. Told in alternating voices, this well written book asks a variety of questions and manages to answer many of them, but leaves others--as it would be in real life--unanswered.How do you survive such a horrific crime and still respond to forces (real or imagined) that compel you to not only survive but remain bonded to a criminal? One child cuts him off and the other feels compelled to hold onto him. How does each justify their position?I found the relationship between these sisters believable if not frustrating. The older girl, Lulu seems to call the shots and pay no price, either from her husband (who did feel a little too good to believe at times) and her sister. In fact the only consequence for her comes from an unrelated third party. I still loved this book. The characters were masterfully drawn and the story held my attention. Ms. Meyers' storytelling skill was compelling and I can't wait pick up her new book!
Rating: 5A story that will haunt you.
Rating: 3I could probably sum up this review in five words or less:This book is marvelous. Go buy it and read it immediately. Seriously. I remember when Julie told me about this novel, the plot intrigued me because it was about sisters and a subject matter I couldn’t fathom. When she included it in our challenge, I looked forward to reading it. There are many great things in this novel. Ms. Meyers gave us two strong female characters. I liked each sister equally, appreciated what they went through and how they developed into the woman they become. I loved how Ms. Meyers took us through their lives, from the traumatic incident through adulthood. I was enthralled by the great detail she employed in describing the emotional journey the sisters took. I loved that The Murderer’s Daughters is written through both Lulu and Merry’s points of view. It was fascinating hearing in their own words how their mother’s death affected them. I especially enjoyed when they spoke to each other, knowing they were at times holding something back. I loved that Ms. Meyers held true to the characters throughout the novel. She didn’t alter their core to fit the story. They moved through the novel as we do through life, taking what is handed to us and making something of it.One of the greatest surprises for me was how I felt about their father. I flat out hated him in the beginning and I was surprised by how my view of him changed throughout the novel. I’m far from cheering for him, but I did gain a reverence for him with the actions he took in his rehabilitation.I will leave you with this. This isn’t a brand new saying, I’m sure we have all heard it before in many different way. However, this resonated deeply with me this time around and like The Murderer’s Daughters, it will stay with me for seasons to come. “Then I’d calm down and remind myself for everything there is a season. This was my healing season. Eventually the leaves would all fall and new leaves would grow back.” Merry
Rating: 5When they are 10 and 6 years old, Lulu's and Merry's father murders their mother. This is a story, spanning over 30 years, about how the sisters grow up known both within the family and outside it, as "the murderer's daughters". Each sister copes in her own, very different way, yet they remain close and fiercely loyal to each other. This is a story about family, forgiveness and coming to terms with the past. It is well written (a page turner) with finely drawn characters -- excpet for Lulu's husband who is probably too good to be true!
Rating: 4Lulu and Merry had never had an ideal childhood, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father does something that shatters their lives altogether. He has always hungered for the love of the girls self-obsessed mother, but after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly. Lulu's mother has warned her never to open the door to him but when Lulu's father arrives at the house he bullies his way past her and into the house.What follows is horrific. Lulu listens to her parents fight and runs to get help. When she returns, Lulu finds that her father has killed her mother, stabbed her sister and tried to kill himself. For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened: one pretends he's dead, while the other feels compelled to help him. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, influencing all their life choices. They both fear the day when their father's attempts to win parole might meet with success.I enjoyed this book very much. It was very well-written and the characters were believable. I give it an A+!
Rating: 5When a man kills his wife and tries to kill his 5 year old and himself, Lulu, age 10 and her little sisters enter a cold, uncaring world. They are both forever damaged, each in different ways. Pretty slow and depressing.
Rating: 3This book was just OK for me. The premise of the novel sounded very interesting, and I would say the first half of the novel was very good. The first half of the novel dealt with the details of Lulu and Merry’s abusive childhood and the terrible conditions they lived in. This led up to the murder of their mother and what happened to the two girls after her death and their father’s imprisonment. The girls are bounced from family member to family member until they finally end up in an orphanage.As Lulu and Merry become adults, the novel became much less interesting and very predictable. One of the sisters is super straight-laced, living out the perfect life she never had as a child. The other sister is a slutty, emotional wreck, choosing relationships with men who are bad for her, and being generally directionless in life.The latter half of the novel was very predictable and lackluster. The amount of enjoyment that I derived from the first half of the novel was shattered by the latter half.I don’t think I would recommend this book. There are many more better and enjoyable novels out there and I wouldn’t advise wasting your time on this one.
Rating: 2Ten-year old Lulu's mother always warned her to keep her father out. But on Lulu's birthday, as her father's knocking got more and more incessant, she did open the door and the unraveling of their family began.Lulu his as their parents began to fight. Hearing the commotion and her mother's pleas for help, Lulu ran to the neighbors'. But when she returned, it was too late. Her mother was lying dead on the floor, her five-year-old sister Merry was on the bed with a gash in her chest and her father was nearby, with his wrists slit.Merry and Lulu's father do survive, and he is imprisoned for his crimes. Due to no fault of their own, the girls are labeled as the "murder's daughters" and shunned by their relatives. When their grandmother, who took pity on the girls, dies, they are sent to an orphanage and left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, Lulu still feels as if her mother's death is her fault and refuses any contact with her father. Merry, on the other hand, visits him often in efforts to connect with her only remaining parent.As the girls grow up, Lulu becomes a doctor, wife and mother. Merry entertains herself with men and booze, not committing to anything or anyone. Both girls agreed long time ago to tell everyone, including Lulu's children, that their parents died in a car crash. However, as events come to a crescendo, they will be finally forced to deal with their past and face their mother's murderer.The Murderer's Daughters is a heart wrenching story, and if you're expecting a happy ending, don't look for one here. The girls' experience a terrible childhood and have to deal with irresponsible parents long before the crime; their lives would have likely been tainted even if the murder never took place.
Rating: 4This book really worked me up. These two little girls who lost both parents melted my heart. I was pissed off when the dad had the nerve to ask the girls for their love and care after he ruined their lives. He would of had to beg me for forgiveness for at least two decades before I would of paid him a visit. The mother's family were the worst of the novel including the mother. By what little they said of their mother I knew she was the kind of woman who only cared for herself. I had no sympathy for her. All in all this novel was worth a read and I enjoyed it and was satisfied with the end.
Rating: 3This book started out wonderfully. I couldn't believe I was reading something by a first-time author.Then it started to drag, and I couldn't believe I had to finish it (but I did, because a friend recommended it and I felt obligated.) Lulu and Merry as adults - boring, shallow, stagnant.I gave it three stars based on the beginning and the end (which I liked, because it wasn't predictable), but the vast majority of this book is simply moderately well-written chick lit.
Rating: 3The Murderer’s Daughters is beautifully written and executed with emotional depth and truth from two points of views (POV)—Merry and Lulu (the daughters).This book spans about 30-years of Merry and Lulu’s lives. They struggle with who they are and how to get through life after family abandons them, spending years in an orphanage and then college to be free of other’s help. Each girl has her own demand of life, very different from the other, and each one remembers from the age of loss. “Trying to catch memories of mama felt like trying to hold rain.” (173)It reveals the struggles and sadness when horror strikes a home. It shows the after effects of how a family has to pick up the pieces and carry on; some unable to glue the pieces together; and some tossing them away. As Merry said, “Did he know that sometimes I hated people so much it burned?” (40)I highly recommend The Murderer’s Daughters. You won’t be disappointed.
Rating: 5In this wonderfully written novel, author Randy Susan Meyer has surpassed all my expectations with a debut novel that reads nothing like a debut. Well-crafted characters with depth, the story of Lulu and Merry is one that is sure to touch your heart. It is a true representation of how abuse and childhood trauma can truly stunt the growth of children, emotionally - so much so that they spend their entire lives trying to overcome their emotional handicap. A must read for all.
Rating: 5This book was provided to me by Kathleen Zrelak at Goldberg McDuffie Communications, Inc. in exchange for an honest review.CoverI am in love with this cover. The softness of the colors with the two little girls on the boardwalk ... beautiful. I was drawn to this book the moment I saw the cover. You get a sense that good things are inside this book when looking at the cover ... that is, until you read the title ...PlotThere is a lot of drama written in this book mixed with quite a bit of sadness, loneliness and uncertainty. Most books only have one climactic point ... I believe this book has two. The first being the murder of the girls' mother and the second being when the truth is finally revealed.I felt sorry for Lulu and Merry, but for different reasons.Poor Lulu, being the oldest, now became Merry's protector. The responsibility and decision-making became hers. As the oldest in my family, I know how it felt to bear that responsibility. There are times when you perform your role even though it may be the last thing you want to do. You are often torn between what you want to do and what you feel would be the responsible path to take. So, I was surprised when Lulu wasn't the one who felt the need to go visit her father regularly. Instead, that sense of responsibility fell to Merry ...Merry became her father's champion even though she feared him. She handled the stress of visiting him and writing him on a regular basis. For the longest time, she felt like the little girl who was stabbed by her father. Her feelings were evident in her sexual relationships and lack of commitments. How horrible to never feel good enough for a decent relationship with a good person.OverallThis novel is very thought-provoking and impressive for a debut author. I would recommend this to everyone that enjoys a dramatic emotional novel.
Rating: 5On that fateful day, Merry and Lulu's father comes into their apartment in a drunken rage and does the unthinkable - kills their mother and wounds the youngest daughter, Merry. After being shuffled between several dysfunctional family members, the daughters live at an orphanage and are eventually taken into foster care. The rest of the book chronicles the girls' lives and how they are forever changed by their father's terrible crime. Sorry to be a negative nancy and a debbie downer for what seems like the 27th review in a row, but I do not recommend this book and here's why: 1. I read the first 150 pages at an engrossing pace. The last 150 took a week. For me, the author handled Lulu and Merry's childhood much better than their adulthood. 2. The girls don't grow. There is no character development or maturation. This was depressing. 3. The daughters are hot messes. I appreciate the author's realistic portrayal of how domestic violence destroys lives, but really Lulu and Merry are never happy and cannot overcome their circumstances. Once again, depressing. So, while the subject is interesting and unique, it is dealt with depressingly and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Also, just a friendly warning, there is pointless language & sexual content throughout.
Rating: 210 year old Lulu's mother warns Lulu not to open the door to her estranged father and then retreats to her bedroom for a nap. Lulu's father does indeed come over and convinces her to let him in. He then murderers Lulu's mother and stabs her 5 year old sister Merry before trying to kill himself.The girls are passed between relatives before ending up abandoned to a group home. This book follows their lives well into adulthood. One sister shuts out her father completely while the other keeps him in her life by visiting him in prison and writing letters.This book explores the different ways that people respond to tragedy and how differently people choose to cope with the aftermath. The book alternates between Lulu and Merry's point of view so the reader not only learns each sister's point of view but also how each sister interprets the other's actions. Both sisters were such well-developed characters that the directions their lives took was unpredictable yet realistic at the same time. They were both relatable and frustrating at times.This was a wonderful debut novel from Randy Susan Meyers. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.
Rating: 5This was a slow read, the characters were hard to connect with and their motivation was uncear. This was a difficult topic to read about and the ending was disappointing.
Rating: 2I really liked the characters in this book. Most of the characters were both likable and unlikable, which made them seem very real. Aunt Cilla was only unlikable, which also added realness to the story. (Because there are always unlikable people in this world). I enjoyed the progression of the story from Lulu and Merry's childhood through their adulthood. I wished a different ending for Merry, though.
Rating: 4This 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.3 Stars
Rating: 3The Short of It:An impressive, fictional debut that had me in tears at one point. Beautifully told, sad at times yet ultimately hopeful.The Rest of It:The murder of Lulu’s mother and the near murder of her younger sister, Merry is hard enough for Lulu to understand, but at the hands of her own father? How does a ten-year-old child deal with the fact that her mother is no longer there for her? How does she accept that her father is a murderer and in prison? In addition to the enormity of the situation itself, Lulu feels responsible for her sister, who happens to still love her father, despite the fact that she almost died because of him.This book did all sorts of things to me. It made me angry and sad and sometimes I hated the father, but other times I questioned myself. Would it be possible to forgive someone for killing your own mother? Does a child’s love run that deep? Although The Murderer’s Daughters deals with some really heavy themes, there is a brightness to it. It’s not all dark. In fact, much of it is hopeful.I loved these sisters. I loved their relationship and I could relate to both of them. Meyers managed to create realistic tension between them, without it seeming forced. They were each complex in their own way, and each so different, yet close, very close and I admired the skill it took to make them that way. I also loved the touches of detail here and there that helped round out the story. It wasn’t too much. Not the “in your face” filler detail that you often see with new writers.I’m not sure what I expected when picking this one up, but I think I expected a more melodramatic tale and I was so pleased that it wasn’t that kind of book. Book clubs would do well with this one. There is so much to discuss and much of it is still on my mind. I recommend it highly.
Rating: 4