Since Victorian times, people have been obsessed with Jack the Ripper. There are endless volumes full of history about him and the gory deaths of his five victims. What's missing is information about the lives of the women he killed—until now.
In this episode from our archives, we sit down with Hallie Rubenhold, social historian and author of the recently published book, The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper.
In this eye-opening interview, we discover that, contrary to popular narrative, Jack the Ripper's victims were almost certainly not all prostitutes. Rubenhold has painstakingly reconstructed the previously untold stories of these five women, whose greatest tragedy was not being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but rather being born women in the Victorian era.
Instead of focusing on these women's deaths, as virtually all study pertaining to the mystery of Jack the Ripper does, Rubenhold instead focuses on these women's lives, which have been roundly ignored by historians until now.
The story of each woman provides a portrait of the underbelly of Victorian London, as well as gives incredible insight into the entire Victorian period, highlighting the vivid contrast between rich and poor and demonstrates how unbelievably precarious life was for women, particularly lower-class women, of the time.
If you love true crime and history, don't miss this fascinating interview! Find Hallie at her website or on Instagram.
***The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! In order to help newer listeners discover some of our earlier episodes, every Friday we are now airing an episode from our vast archives! Enjoy!***
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