Lulu and Merry’s childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu’s tenth birthday their father drives them into a nightmare. He’s always hung...
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Feb 13, 2010
Cara
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Rarely will one story make you literally feel anger or pain, let alone bring tears to your eyes. This story will do that to you. Two innocent and endearing children—young girls—have their sad little world torn apart the day their fathers enters their apartment in Brooklyn and kills their full-of-life mother. What Lulu and Merry endure throughout their life after this horrific event is simply heart wrenching. Both spend their lives just trying to find some sense of closure and peace with the
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Dec 17, 2009
Mary (MrsBrownsFan)
rated it: 
I won! I won! Can't wait to read it!
ETA - This was a very compelling story, and I consider myself lucky to have received an advanced copy through First Reads. From the first page, I was drawn into the characters' lives. I enjoyed the way the story's viewpoint changed from Merry's to Lulu's and back throughout, and I loved that it spanned about 30 years time. Overall, I was very satisfied with this author's debut novel and look forward to reading more of her work.
ETA - This was a very compelling story, and I consider myself lucky to have received an advanced copy through First Reads. From the first page, I was drawn into the characters' lives. I enjoyed the way the story's viewpoint changed from Merry's to Lulu's and back throughout, and I loved that it spanned about 30 years time. Overall, I was very satisfied with this author's debut novel and look forward to reading more of her work.
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Jan 31, 2012
Hira
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In 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. (Detailed Review to c
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Jan 13, 2012
Mary
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Lulu 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 he More...
What follows is horrific. Lulu listens to he More...
Jan 08, 2012
Liesl
rated it: 
Vapid story, vapid characterization, vapid prose.
I was impelled to give this book a try due to the number of positive reviews it got and the fact that it was translated into several other languages - but don't be fooled. The author has not the ability to flesh out her characters into interesting, three-dimensional individuals, nor to manipulate her prose to give any of them their own distinct voices, despite the story being narrated in first person by the two sisters. Names are intro More...
I was impelled to give this book a try due to the number of positive reviews it got and the fact that it was translated into several other languages - but don't be fooled. The author has not the ability to flesh out her characters into interesting, three-dimensional individuals, nor to manipulate her prose to give any of them their own distinct voices, despite the story being narrated in first person by the two sisters. Names are intro More...
Dec 08, 2011
Jessica (BlogEared Books)
rated it: 
I can’t stop thinking about this book. It is haunting and an amazing character study. After reading this, I wondered if the author, Randy Susan Meyers had actually experienced something traumatic like this. The book is told from the perspective of Lulu and Merry, the murderer’s daughters- they take turns telling the story in their own words. Merry and Lulu’s parents have a difficult relationship and after a separation period, their father convinces Lulu to let him in to talk to her mother. After
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Dec 04, 2011
Kelly
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This 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.
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Oct 09, 2011
Cheryle
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The story grabbed me with the first paragraph. Having experienced a simliar childhood, I related strongly to Lulu, the older sister taking care of the little one, being the responsible one with less-than responsible adults in the family.
I took this book to bed with me on a rainy Saturday afternoon and literally didn't put it down until I finished it in the middle of the night. When I read the last page, I immediately went back to the first, to hear the story told again.
As I said, I More...
I took this book to bed with me on a rainy Saturday afternoon and literally didn't put it down until I finished it in the middle of the night. When I read the last page, I immediately went back to the first, to hear the story told again.
As I said, I More...
Sep 12, 2011
Colleen
rated it:
I reviewed this first on www.luxuryreading.com.
The day before Lulu’s tenth birthday, as her five year old sister, Merry, and she pretended to nap, their father banged on the door. Lulu had been warned by her mother to keep her father out, just one of many demands her mother placed on her tiny shoulders. Not knowing how to deny her father’s seemingly reasonable pleas she opened the door and the unraveling of their less than ideal childhood began.
As Lulu hid in the bathroom More...
The day before Lulu’s tenth birthday, as her five year old sister, Merry, and she pretended to nap, their father banged on the door. Lulu had been warned by her mother to keep her father out, just one of many demands her mother placed on her tiny shoulders. Not knowing how to deny her father’s seemingly reasonable pleas she opened the door and the unraveling of their less than ideal childhood began.
As Lulu hid in the bathroom More...
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Apr 27, 2011
Bailey
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On 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 f More...
Sorry to be a negative nancy and a debbie downer f More...
Apr 17, 2011
Judi/Judith
rated it:
Some crimes are not worthy of forgiveness although some people can forgive the most horrible of crimes.
Lulu and Merry grew up in an orphanage because one night, when they were very young, their father got drunk and killed their mother in front of them.
Even though they had a remaining aunt and grandma, the relatives refused to take the girls in to raise. Instead the put them in the orphanage. Life was hard and the relationship with their grandma and aunt was very st More...
Lulu and Merry grew up in an orphanage because one night, when they were very young, their father got drunk and killed their mother in front of them.
Even though they had a remaining aunt and grandma, the relatives refused to take the girls in to raise. Instead the put them in the orphanage. Life was hard and the relationship with their grandma and aunt was very st More...
Mar 05, 2011
Woodwhisperer
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The Murderer’s Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers
As the title suggests, The Murderer’s Daughters is a study of the lives of two sisters who lose their mother when she is killed by their father. The book follows the lives of the sisters as they carry the impact of that singular event with them through their lives.
This well written novel studies how the murder causes dysfunction in the children and how it reverberates out into the families on both sides of the marriage. It is not More...
As the title suggests, The Murderer’s Daughters is a study of the lives of two sisters who lose their mother when she is killed by their father. The book follows the lives of the sisters as they carry the impact of that singular event with them through their lives.
This well written novel studies how the murder causes dysfunction in the children and how it reverberates out into the families on both sides of the marriage. It is not More...
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Feb 06, 2011
Louise
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Ten-year-old Lulu (Louise) and five-year-old Merry (Meredith), live with their mother and father in a small apartment. The girl’s mother spends more time visiting with her friend and painting her toe nails blood red than she does with her daughters. Their father is a big mouth drunk who thinks his wife is an absolute beauty queen and just can’t get enough of her. Fed up with his drunkenness and constant obsession with her, she finally kicks him out.
Lulu, being the oldest, has been More...
Lulu, being the oldest, has been More...
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Aug 19, 2010
Melissa
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What a fabulous portrayal of family loyalty and guilt (and all its sticky trappings). This tale of two sisters rings true as they navigate their lives after severe trauma in childhood, and come to grips with their damaging pasts later in life.
The essential truth of this story is that family bonds, motivations and obligations run oh-so-deep, even when they can be detrimental. And in the case of Aunt Cilla, that family can so easily be dismissed. Don’t we see this kind of tug o-war every More...
The essential truth of this story is that family bonds, motivations and obligations run oh-so-deep, even when they can be detrimental. And in the case of Aunt Cilla, that family can so easily be dismissed. Don’t we see this kind of tug o-war every More...
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Aug 15, 2010
Ryan
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This was another one of those books that while the synopsis from the book sounded good (which is why I agreed to read it), it didn't really do the book justice. For some reason, and I'm not sure why, I was expecting a book that would have concentrated more on the father and that the story would some how revolve around him. And while his actions acted as the pivot point in the story, this was more about Lulu and Merry and how they chose to deal with their tragic past.
Lulu is the eld More...
Lulu is the eld More...
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Apr 22, 2010
Talulah
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Apr 03, 2010
Cheryl
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After Lulu and Merry’s father murdered their mother, all Lulu and Merry wanted was another place to call home. Unfortunately, they never found another place they could call home, as they were bounced from place to place. Though this all, Lulu and Merry realized that home is where the heart is and nothing is stronger then a sister’s bond. Sadly before they could both come to this realization, they first would have to endure lots of heartache and loss. Lulu is forever haunted by the words of her m
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Apr 01, 2010
Chris
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I admit it: When it comes to books, I’m a twelve year old at heart. Thirteen, max. So most of what I read comes off the Middle Grade and YA shelves. Randy Susan Meyers‘ novel, The Murderer’s Daughters, isn’t a YA title, and it’s not to likely to end up on the YA shelves anytime soon. But I wanted to review it anyway. Why? Because it’s that good.
Like all smart writers, Meyers has the “gun on the mantle” go off in the first act. Ten year old Lulu’s father talks her into letting More...
Like all smart writers, Meyers has the “gun on the mantle” go off in the first act. Ten year old Lulu’s father talks her into letting More...
Mar 19, 2010
Beth
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10-year-old Lulu's self-centered and neglectful mother is obsessed with movie magazines, boys, and booze, and quick with a slap when her children disobey. This doesn't stop Lulu from breaking the rules, allowing her (banned) alcoholic father entry into their apartment, where he kills their mother, and stabs her 5-year old cute as a button sister Merry in the melee.
The two sisters are passed off to several Jewish relatives before being dumped in an orphanage, where they experience cru More...
The two sisters are passed off to several Jewish relatives before being dumped in an orphanage, where they experience cru More...
Mar 12, 2010
Sarah
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 23, 2010
Jackie
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Lulu and Merry's father murders their mother and stabs Merry when they are little girls. He is sent to prison and they live with their maternal grandmother until she passes away. They are taken by their mom's sister and her husband because their fraternal grandmother is too sick to care for them. Their aunt decides she cannot have them around because of the memories and so they are sent to an orphanage. After some years one of the social workers takes them as foster children and life improves so
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Jan 22, 2010
Colleen
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This debut novel tracks the lives of two sisters as they attempt to create lives in the shadow of a harrowing family tragedy. Older sister Lulu must cope with the guilt of opening the door to their father the day he stabbed their mother to death, while younger sister Merry lives with her memories of the murder and her father's failed attempt to kill her and himself. Forced into an orphange by the death of their maternal grandmother, the sisters are lucky enough to find a stable foster family who
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Dec 10, 2009
Jenny
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I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Randy Susan Meyes' debut novel and thus not have to wait for a novel I was very excited for.
The premise of THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS is that sisters, Lulu and Merry, lose their mother in an especially horrifying way when their father kills her.
But THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS is not a roadside accident, a spectacle which the more honest among us admit we can't help gawking at a little.
Instead, Ms. Meyers, who has a background in More...
The premise of THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS is that sisters, Lulu and Merry, lose their mother in an especially horrifying way when their father kills her.
But THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS is not a roadside accident, a spectacle which the more honest among us admit we can't help gawking at a little.
Instead, Ms. Meyers, who has a background in More...
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Dec 08, 2009
Nichole
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I was fortunate to get my hands on an early copy of The Murderer's Daughters, and three Big Think questions framed the poignancy of this book for me: 1) When children witnesses something no child should have to, how do they continue to live their lives overcoming the searing images, memories, and lasting significance to self esteem; 2) how does that affect their sibling relationship, banded together in relation to an outside world which cannot possibly understand; and 3) is every parental sin po
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Feb 07, 2011
Sheila
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A story of two young girls who are left alone after a tragic event - their father, in a drunken rage, killed their mother. And he ends up spending over 30 years in jail before being released on parole. Their aunt and uncle do not want responsibility for them, so they are considered orphans and dropped at a group home in Brooklyn. It is a rough place to grow up, and the are fortunate enough to be fostered out to a wonderful couple who raised the girls like their own. Unfortunately, the two gi
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Dec 10, 2009
Kasa
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The reason Randy Meyers writes with such authority is explained in her acknowledgement section. She has worked with men who are not monsters but who have committed monstrous acts. This book addresses the collateral damage inflicted on children who witness, in this case, the murder of their mother by their father. Meyers pulls off the difficult feat of two-person narration, alternating between the two sisters at the center of the story. It is astounding that this is her debut in that she has
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Dec 28, 2009
Corey
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It has been a long time since I've devoured a book as quickly as this one but once I started reading I did not want to walk away for long.
The story begins with Lulu whom is awaiting her 10th birthday and makes a single mistake that will haunt her for the rest of her life. For the next 30 years, the story switches from Lulu to Merry's point of view to tell the story of growing up as a "Prison Girl" and overcoming that stigmata.
Lulu gets tough, buckling down and More...
The story begins with Lulu whom is awaiting her 10th birthday and makes a single mistake that will haunt her for the rest of her life. For the next 30 years, the story switches from Lulu to Merry's point of view to tell the story of growing up as a "Prison Girl" and overcoming that stigmata.
Lulu gets tough, buckling down and More...
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Jul 08, 2011
Karen & Gerard
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The Murderer’s Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers is an interesting read about how a father ruined his daughters’ lives when he killed their mother. This story is about Merry and Lulu who were left without parents. Lulu felt responsible for her mother’s death and so always felt as though she had to take care of her younger sister. LuLu became a doctor and Merry became a probation officer. This book has some interesting family dynamics and deals with issues of grief, guilt, foster care and relat
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Dec 19, 2011
Lisa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 29, 2011
April
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4.5 stars
At nine years old, going on ten, Lulu's mom asks her to do many things: grab a drink, get the milk, help your sister. One day she asks something that would burden Lulu for the rest of her life: don't let Daddy into the apartment. Forced hours later to choose between her begging father and sleeping mother's last words, Lulu opens the door for her father and watches as a shouting match turns into the unthinkable: her father kills her mother, stabs her sister, Merry, and then s More...
At nine years old, going on ten, Lulu's mom asks her to do many things: grab a drink, get the milk, help your sister. One day she asks something that would burden Lulu for the rest of her life: don't let Daddy into the apartment. Forced hours later to choose between her begging father and sleeping mother's last words, Lulu opens the door for her father and watches as a shouting match turns into the unthinkable: her father kills her mother, stabs her sister, Merry, and then s More...
