The Day She Cradled Me by Sacha de BazinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ms. de Bazin's debut novel is a compelling account of the only woman in New Zealand's history to be hung for murder.
It opens in a chilling scene of when Minnie Dean is being sentenced to death. We see through Minnie's eyes and feel her disbelief, confusion, loneliness and finally horror as the judge roars those damning words. It is an opening sure to bring goose-bumps to even the most hardened of readers.
I'd heard about this woman, Minnie Dean, years ago as a child. She was a baby-killer and a heartless woman who enjoyed nothing more than to poke hat-pins into children. But like most chinese-whispers, the facts had become grossly misshapen and enlarged beyond the truth until she was nothing more than a scary bed-time story for misbehaving children.
Using actual transcripts of the court proceedings and Minnie Dean's own correspondance, Ms. de Bazin has brought Minnie's story to life and allowed her a voice at last.
Thank you for the wonderful read Sacha and I look forward to your next project.
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