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Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch
In 1856, in the rural town of Alabama, NY one woman's family suffered from multiple unexplained deaths. The town folk grew suspicious of the now remarried Polly Frisch. An investigation commenced, bodies were exhumed, an affair—exposed. Polly would be arrested for the murders of her first husband and daughters. Her fourteen-year-old son would testify against her. If found guilty, the punishment for such a crime was the gallows. Bread & Butter is the true story of Polly Frisch who poisoned her family with arsenic and the five trials it took to convict her.
- GenresTrue CrimeHistory
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
14 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Amrhein
14 books29 followersI'm the County Historian for Wyoming County, New York. I write a lot of non-fiction, local history, for work in our quarterly called Historical Wyoming. As for enjoyment reading, I prefer mysteries.
I was a weekly columnist for 2 1/2 years for a now out of print (2006) Native American newspaper called The Akwesasne Phoenix Sundays, under the pen name HistorySleuth which I've kept. As you probably can guess, my column was about Native American issues and history--mostly the Six Nations of NYS. My latest book, A History of Native American Land Rights in Upstate New York is on its way to becoming a reference for land claims. It is now carried by 27 college/university libraries in 18 states including Columbia University, Princeton, Harvard, Oklahoma State, Texas A &M, and Yale University Law School Library.
I co-authored one book called, Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch The re-edited, revised edition, with new information, came out April 1, 2014. A local true crime set in the 1850s about a woman who murders her husband & children with arsenic, and the five trials it took to convict her.
I wrote a mystery for NaNoWriMo 2009 called The Milk Carton Murders which is basically a cozy. Done, but needs to be edited when I finish my non-fic book on Indian land title in NY State, called Right of the Soil, which I expect to self-publish since it's a local history niche topic (although a publisher is looking at it as of Feb 2014). Started a new fiction project last NaNoWriMo which is a YA adventure--sort of a "National Treasure" kind of thing. It's a work in progress, but I'm forcing myself not to touch my fiction projects til my non-fic is done!
I am a founding member of my historian's organization GAHWNY (Government Appointed Historian's of Western New York) www.gahwny.org
I was a weekly columnist for 2 1/2 years for a now out of print (2006) Native American newspaper called The Akwesasne Phoenix Sundays, under the pen name HistorySleuth which I've kept. As you probably can guess, my column was about Native American issues and history--mostly the Six Nations of NYS. My latest book, A History of Native American Land Rights in Upstate New York is on its way to becoming a reference for land claims. It is now carried by 27 college/university libraries in 18 states including Columbia University, Princeton, Harvard, Oklahoma State, Texas A &M, and Yale University Law School Library.
I co-authored one book called, Bread & Butter: The Murders of Polly Frisch The re-edited, revised edition, with new information, came out April 1, 2014. A local true crime set in the 1850s about a woman who murders her husband & children with arsenic, and the five trials it took to convict her.
I wrote a mystery for NaNoWriMo 2009 called The Milk Carton Murders which is basically a cozy. Done, but needs to be edited when I finish my non-fic book on Indian land title in NY State, called Right of the Soil, which I expect to self-publish since it's a local history niche topic (although a publisher is looking at it as of Feb 2014). Started a new fiction project last NaNoWriMo which is a YA adventure--sort of a "National Treasure" kind of thing. It's a work in progress, but I'm forcing myself not to touch my fiction projects til my non-fic is done!
I am a founding member of my historian's organization GAHWNY (Government Appointed Historian's of Western New York) www.gahwny.org
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 22, 2017
This is the only book "HistorySleuth Publications" has produced, and it has all the hallmarks of a self-published book, including the crying lack of a copy-editor. Discreet/discrete, affect/effect, aisle/isle, grammatical errors, punctuation errors. The writing is amateurish, although--to give credit where it's due--they generally achieve goal #1, which is clarity.
Where they really fall down is their pop psychology. They decide that Polly Frisch was "deranged" and "mentally ill" and apparently have never heard of personality disorders, or even their more pop-psych names, "sociopathy" and "psychopathy."
It's pretty clear to me (armchair psychiatry warning) from the evidence they present, that Polly Frisch had a personality disorder, probably antisocial personality disorder. It wasn't that she didn't know the difference between right and wrong, it was that she didn't care. She murdered her husband and two, or three, or possibly six of her eight children. (One child, Rosalie, survived only because she only ate half of her piece of arsenic laced bread and butter. Her sister Frances ate the remaining half along with her own piece and died horribly.) It took five trials to convict her, 1 for her husband Henry Hoag (acquittal), 1 for two-year-old Eliza Jane (acquittal), and 3 for six-year-old Frances (2 mistrials and a conviction). At the last second the defense grabbed at not guilty by reason of insanity and Polly was diagnosed as epileptic (which of course in the 1850s was a useful catch-all, and Polly apparently had "fits," although I honestly can't tell from Amrhein & Bachorski whether she really did have fits all along and nobody mentioned them, or whether she obediently started shamming fits when her lawyers told her to). So instead of being hanged, she was sent to Sing Sing . . . and, no, that makes no sense to me, either. If she was insane, why wasn't she sent to the insane asylum at Utica? And if she wasn't insane, hence being sent to Sing Sing, why wasn't she hanged?
(Of course, we all know why she wasn't hanged. She would have been the first woman in Genesee County to be hanged, and neither the judge nor the jury had the stomach for it. As the LeRoy Gazette tartly recommended: "Either abolish the laws or enforce them" (199).)
But it's obvious Polly wasn't insane. Like most sociopaths, she was a model prisoner (which Amrhein & Bachorski do not recognize as evidence of sanity), ending up working as a nurse in the prison infirmary and apparently completely reformed. She was released in 1892 and quietly disappeared.
I'm interested in female serial killers like Mary Ann Cotton and Polly Frisch because they can be documented much farther back than the male (sexual) serial killers who grabbed the headlines in the 20th century and because the model of why and how they commit homicide is so different. (I like poking at things that explode the myth of the 19th century as a more "innocent" time and oh woe is us the evils of the 20th century have destroyed us.) Female serial killers (except for the outlier Aileen Wuornos) don't commit stranger murders and they don't kill violently. They poison their husbands and their children, and for no real reason that anyone can discern, except that they're tired of having them around.
On that basis, this was a very interesting book, and Amrhein & Bachorski definitely did their primary research. But this is definitely a book for the, um, enthusiast. Three stars.
Where they really fall down is their pop psychology. They decide that Polly Frisch was "deranged" and "mentally ill" and apparently have never heard of personality disorders, or even their more pop-psych names, "sociopathy" and "psychopathy."
It's pretty clear to me (armchair psychiatry warning) from the evidence they present, that Polly Frisch had a personality disorder, probably antisocial personality disorder. It wasn't that she didn't know the difference between right and wrong, it was that she didn't care. She murdered her husband and two, or three, or possibly six of her eight children. (One child, Rosalie, survived only because she only ate half of her piece of arsenic laced bread and butter. Her sister Frances ate the remaining half along with her own piece and died horribly.) It took five trials to convict her, 1 for her husband Henry Hoag (acquittal), 1 for two-year-old Eliza Jane (acquittal), and 3 for six-year-old Frances (2 mistrials and a conviction). At the last second the defense grabbed at not guilty by reason of insanity and Polly was diagnosed as epileptic (which of course in the 1850s was a useful catch-all, and Polly apparently had "fits," although I honestly can't tell from Amrhein & Bachorski whether she really did have fits all along and nobody mentioned them, or whether she obediently started shamming fits when her lawyers told her to). So instead of being hanged, she was sent to Sing Sing . . . and, no, that makes no sense to me, either. If she was insane, why wasn't she sent to the insane asylum at Utica? And if she wasn't insane, hence being sent to Sing Sing, why wasn't she hanged?
(Of course, we all know why she wasn't hanged. She would have been the first woman in Genesee County to be hanged, and neither the judge nor the jury had the stomach for it. As the LeRoy Gazette tartly recommended: "Either abolish the laws or enforce them" (199).)
But it's obvious Polly wasn't insane. Like most sociopaths, she was a model prisoner (which Amrhein & Bachorski do not recognize as evidence of sanity), ending up working as a nurse in the prison infirmary and apparently completely reformed. She was released in 1892 and quietly disappeared.
I'm interested in female serial killers like Mary Ann Cotton and Polly Frisch because they can be documented much farther back than the male (sexual) serial killers who grabbed the headlines in the 20th century and because the model of why and how they commit homicide is so different. (I like poking at things that explode the myth of the 19th century as a more "innocent" time and oh woe is us the evils of the 20th century have destroyed us.) Female serial killers (except for the outlier Aileen Wuornos) don't commit stranger murders and they don't kill violently. They poison their husbands and their children, and for no real reason that anyone can discern, except that they're tired of having them around.
On that basis, this was a very interesting book, and Amrhein & Bachorski definitely did their primary research. But this is definitely a book for the, um, enthusiast. Three stars.
February 5, 2014
It took me awhile to finish this book since I had brain surgery, lost it and had to get a fresh copy to finish months later.
BREAD AND BUTTER is the historical account of a murder case in which Polly Frisch killed her husband and children. It reads like INTENSE courtroom testimony. I enjoy True Crime and found all the details and the web of intrigue to be quite gripping.
This crime spree that took place in the 1800s reminds me that the darker side of humanity has its own timeless themes: sex, deception, jealousy and selfishness. These crimes could have--and truly do--take place all around us every day. With such a well-researched account, Ms Amrhein offers up nothing less than a crystal clear vision into the soul of a killer.
BREAD AND BUTTER is the historical account of a murder case in which Polly Frisch killed her husband and children. It reads like INTENSE courtroom testimony. I enjoy True Crime and found all the details and the web of intrigue to be quite gripping.
This crime spree that took place in the 1800s reminds me that the darker side of humanity has its own timeless themes: sex, deception, jealousy and selfishness. These crimes could have--and truly do--take place all around us every day. With such a well-researched account, Ms Amrhein offers up nothing less than a crystal clear vision into the soul of a killer.
June 20, 2014
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. It arrived gift-wrapped, with a lovely note from one of the authors. The book was also signed by both authors. These are nice gestures and I think the authors are probably very nice people, but...
The story of Polly Franklin Hoag Frisch, who was tried for the murders of her first husband and two of her children, is very interesting. In the right hands, it might have made a good book. However, this is a bad one.
One problem is that the authors tell us right up front that they have concluded that Polly was guilty and that she was insane. They then marshal the evidence to support their conclusions and constantly include little asides which amount to “See…this proves we are right.” The book would have been much better if the authors had let us draw our own conclusions based on evidence presented more neutrally and hadn't told us at the outset what their own conclusions were. (For what it's worth, based on the evidence in the book, I think she was guilty, but am unconvinced she was insane.)
Another problem is that the book is exceedingly repetitive. It begins with the narrative of Polly's marriage, her affair, the deaths of her children and husband, her remarriage, and the attempted murder of her second husband. Much of this material seems to be based on the transcripts of the trials. Then the narrative moves on to the trials themselves--and the narrative repeats much of the information already covered.
Moreover, while I think the authors did a good job of researching local history, they don’t cite their sources. The book does have a bibliography. I’m sure if I read every publication listed, I would find the source they relied upon in making a particular statement,but footnotes or endnotes would have been helpful. For example, the authors state at one point that the attorneys “didn’t think they had a chance in hell of saving their client from the hangman’s noose.” (See p. 134.) There is no citation for this statement; thus, we don’t know the basis for it.
Ihe authors engage in a lot of speculation. For example,the authors opine that Polly’s husband Otto Frisch was probably related to her sister Julia’s husband, whose mother was a Frisch because “The last name is too odd to be a coincidence.” (p.61) Frisch is a fairly common surname in both Germany and Norway. My quick search on a genealogical website showed that Frisch was a fairly common name in the US in the 1860 census. Maybe the two men were related; I don’t know,but the basis on which the authors reach the conclusion they are is just plain silly.
At another point, the authors make a big deal out of the fact that a lot of people showed up for an exhumation even though it was only 10 days before Christmas. In the antebellum North, Protestants did not treat Christmas as a major holiday. Doing something 10 days before Christmas would not have been the least bit remarkable.
A third example is the fact that the authors argue that Henry Hoag must have really trusted his apprentice Matthew Bardwell because he allowed him to live in his home and left Bardwell in charge of his business when he had to be away. My understanding is that that was the typical arrangement between a master and apprentice at the time, and doesn't indicate any special degree of trust. I thought it was possible that Hoag had had another apprentice(s). A quick look at the 1850 census for the Hoag household shows that in 1850 there was a different apprentice living in the Hoag household, i.e., Bardwell was not the first apprentice to do so.
A fourth example is that the authors make much of the fact that Polly remarried only two months after her first husband's death.They opine that a longer period of mourning was normal at the time. Again, no citation is given for that statement. I have two ancestors--one on my mother's side and one on my father's-- who remarried quickly in the same era. When a woman was left with young children to provide for, quick remarriage was often her best option.
There were many, many instances of these sorts of flights of fancy in the narrative.
This is a second edition. By this time, one would expect that grammar, capitalization, spelling and usage errors would have been corrected. They haven’t been. The book is filled with them. Moreover, some sentences in the book seem to have been written in a foreign language and badly translated. Sometimes the book repeats the same information on the same page and sometimes in the very next sentence. This is an example (at p. 84):
“Dr. Ganson admitted ‘Chemistry has not been a specialty with me. Two or three grains of arsenic would produce death; there is no difficulty in finding arsenic, when body has been buried a year.’
Dr. Holton Ganson gave his medical opinion on the effects of arsenic on the human body, but he admits that it was not his specialty. “
I really wish I could give a more favorable review to this book. I think local history is important. However, this book is at best a first, rough draft which should have been reworked extensively before publication.
The story of Polly Franklin Hoag Frisch, who was tried for the murders of her first husband and two of her children, is very interesting. In the right hands, it might have made a good book. However, this is a bad one.
One problem is that the authors tell us right up front that they have concluded that Polly was guilty and that she was insane. They then marshal the evidence to support their conclusions and constantly include little asides which amount to “See…this proves we are right.” The book would have been much better if the authors had let us draw our own conclusions based on evidence presented more neutrally and hadn't told us at the outset what their own conclusions were. (For what it's worth, based on the evidence in the book, I think she was guilty, but am unconvinced she was insane.)
Another problem is that the book is exceedingly repetitive. It begins with the narrative of Polly's marriage, her affair, the deaths of her children and husband, her remarriage, and the attempted murder of her second husband. Much of this material seems to be based on the transcripts of the trials. Then the narrative moves on to the trials themselves--and the narrative repeats much of the information already covered.
Moreover, while I think the authors did a good job of researching local history, they don’t cite their sources. The book does have a bibliography. I’m sure if I read every publication listed, I would find the source they relied upon in making a particular statement,but footnotes or endnotes would have been helpful. For example, the authors state at one point that the attorneys “didn’t think they had a chance in hell of saving their client from the hangman’s noose.” (See p. 134.) There is no citation for this statement; thus, we don’t know the basis for it.
Ihe authors engage in a lot of speculation. For example,the authors opine that Polly’s husband Otto Frisch was probably related to her sister Julia’s husband, whose mother was a Frisch because “The last name is too odd to be a coincidence.” (p.61) Frisch is a fairly common surname in both Germany and Norway. My quick search on a genealogical website showed that Frisch was a fairly common name in the US in the 1860 census. Maybe the two men were related; I don’t know,but the basis on which the authors reach the conclusion they are is just plain silly.
At another point, the authors make a big deal out of the fact that a lot of people showed up for an exhumation even though it was only 10 days before Christmas. In the antebellum North, Protestants did not treat Christmas as a major holiday. Doing something 10 days before Christmas would not have been the least bit remarkable.
A third example is the fact that the authors argue that Henry Hoag must have really trusted his apprentice Matthew Bardwell because he allowed him to live in his home and left Bardwell in charge of his business when he had to be away. My understanding is that that was the typical arrangement between a master and apprentice at the time, and doesn't indicate any special degree of trust. I thought it was possible that Hoag had had another apprentice(s). A quick look at the 1850 census for the Hoag household shows that in 1850 there was a different apprentice living in the Hoag household, i.e., Bardwell was not the first apprentice to do so.
A fourth example is that the authors make much of the fact that Polly remarried only two months after her first husband's death.They opine that a longer period of mourning was normal at the time. Again, no citation is given for that statement. I have two ancestors--one on my mother's side and one on my father's-- who remarried quickly in the same era. When a woman was left with young children to provide for, quick remarriage was often her best option.
There were many, many instances of these sorts of flights of fancy in the narrative.
This is a second edition. By this time, one would expect that grammar, capitalization, spelling and usage errors would have been corrected. They haven’t been. The book is filled with them. Moreover, some sentences in the book seem to have been written in a foreign language and badly translated. Sometimes the book repeats the same information on the same page and sometimes in the very next sentence. This is an example (at p. 84):
“Dr. Ganson admitted ‘Chemistry has not been a specialty with me. Two or three grains of arsenic would produce death; there is no difficulty in finding arsenic, when body has been buried a year.’
Dr. Holton Ganson gave his medical opinion on the effects of arsenic on the human body, but he admits that it was not his specialty. “
I really wish I could give a more favorable review to this book. I think local history is important. However, this book is at best a first, rough draft which should have been reworked extensively before publication.
May 31, 2019
Interesting piece of history
I found the book interesting though it was hard to follow at times. I think it would have been better if it was an actual story.
I found the book interesting though it was hard to follow at times. I think it would have been better if it was an actual story.
June 10, 2015
This is a good local history, but it's subject to the flaws of a lot of local history books that are self-published: it's clearly a passion project that didn't have a professional editor.
The subject matter is interesting - Polly Frisch murdered her husband and two children in an effort to end up married to a much younger man she was having an affair with. She's tried four times before they manage to convict her.
The book reads as an indictment of Polly - there's no balance and the writers have come to the conclusion she was guilty of all charges and spend the entire book foreshadowing, and then condemning her. My guess is that's probably the local consensus about this "local legend."
I believe she was likely guilty due to a preponderance of circumstantial evidence, but it doesn't really look at the other side - they found her not guilty three times. It also assumes that the son (ten years old) was telling the truth. There's a bit of hand-waving at this. There's room for doubt, but this book doesn't contain that. I can't help but think of the Salem witch trials - they just kept hammering until they got the conviction.
The book also suffers from repetition - construction the event and then repeating them (over and over again in some cases) in a thorough covering of the trials. I did enjoy getting to read the legal transcripts (my former life as a paralegal in New York State comes into play), and I also thought the reconstruction was believable and well done based on the census, court and property records available. However, the authors do draw emotionally-based conclusions and lapse into "we" on multiple occasions. I really hate it when a history writer uses the second person.
Despite my reservations, this is a good self-published history. The bones of something awesome are there. I think a professional editor would have shaped this more so the book contained a consistent tone and avoided the repeats.
The subject matter is interesting - Polly Frisch murdered her husband and two children in an effort to end up married to a much younger man she was having an affair with. She's tried four times before they manage to convict her.
The book reads as an indictment of Polly - there's no balance and the writers have come to the conclusion she was guilty of all charges and spend the entire book foreshadowing, and then condemning her. My guess is that's probably the local consensus about this "local legend."
I believe she was likely guilty due to a preponderance of circumstantial evidence, but it doesn't really look at the other side - they found her not guilty three times. It also assumes that the son (ten years old) was telling the truth. There's a bit of hand-waving at this. There's room for doubt, but this book doesn't contain that. I can't help but think of the Salem witch trials - they just kept hammering until they got the conviction.
The book also suffers from repetition - construction the event and then repeating them (over and over again in some cases) in a thorough covering of the trials. I did enjoy getting to read the legal transcripts (my former life as a paralegal in New York State comes into play), and I also thought the reconstruction was believable and well done based on the census, court and property records available. However, the authors do draw emotionally-based conclusions and lapse into "we" on multiple occasions. I really hate it when a history writer uses the second person.
Despite my reservations, this is a good self-published history. The bones of something awesome are there. I think a professional editor would have shaped this more so the book contained a consistent tone and avoided the repeats.
July 12, 2014
It isn’t often that I manage to read a true crime story in a single day, but that’s exactly what happened with Bread & Butter. With each chapter, I was pulled further into the strange life of Polly Frisch, even as I became more horrified by her actions.
Bread and Butter is about a woman who, quite frankly, was a pretty horrible person who most likely struggled with some emotional impairment while also chafing against the restrictions society placed on her. Once she made up her mind to change her life, she decided she wasn’t going to let anything stand in her way. The authors of Bread and Butter devoted a great deal of time, not only researching and explaining the facts of Polly’s life and crimes, but also made an outstanding effort to explain the oppression Polly must have felt which might have driven her to make some pretty horrible choices.
I was impressed that the authors spent so much time covering each of the separate trials and how much of a hardship each one placed on the people involved. I had no idea how forensics worked during the time period and was impressed. The authors also do an excellent job of sharing the facts involving both the murders Polly committed and her trial without getting over sensualized.
There are parts of the book that do feel somewhat repetitive, but the mystery itself was bizarre. Not only did the manner of the crimes repeat, but the same is true of the trial, and even how forensic evidence was collected.
Bread and Butter is a good choice for anyone who is looking for an interesting book that will keep them engrossed while traveling or on a rainy day.
Bread and Butter is about a woman who, quite frankly, was a pretty horrible person who most likely struggled with some emotional impairment while also chafing against the restrictions society placed on her. Once she made up her mind to change her life, she decided she wasn’t going to let anything stand in her way. The authors of Bread and Butter devoted a great deal of time, not only researching and explaining the facts of Polly’s life and crimes, but also made an outstanding effort to explain the oppression Polly must have felt which might have driven her to make some pretty horrible choices.
I was impressed that the authors spent so much time covering each of the separate trials and how much of a hardship each one placed on the people involved. I had no idea how forensics worked during the time period and was impressed. The authors also do an excellent job of sharing the facts involving both the murders Polly committed and her trial without getting over sensualized.
There are parts of the book that do feel somewhat repetitive, but the mystery itself was bizarre. Not only did the manner of the crimes repeat, but the same is true of the trial, and even how forensic evidence was collected.
Bread and Butter is a good choice for anyone who is looking for an interesting book that will keep them engrossed while traveling or on a rainy day.
August 9, 2016
I was fortunate enough to receive this book through the Goodreads giveaway program. The authors delivered the book so quickly and sent it gift wrapped and signed, what a wonderful way to send a book. In looking at the books on the giveaway list, this one stood out because right away the description tells you the outcome. The desire to hear the details of how these murders took place, the mind-set of Polly (a Mother)of what could possibly drive her to murder her husband and children was intriguing.
The Authors research into this book you can tell was extensive and I believe they provided as much detail as they were able to obtain. Having said that, I will say that after reading this book, I was slightly disappointed. There were way too many questions left to be answered (which is probably due to the lack of complete historical documentation on this murder case). I felt that a lot of the information was repetitive, and some of the conclusions bordered on the Authors personal views (which may be correct) of why Polly murdered her family members.
I would recommend this book to those who want to learn more about historical true crime cases set in 1856. The Authors do a good job of providing you with the culture of that time period and the mindset's of people in that era.
Thank you again for the opportunity to review your book and the new knowledge I know have of this case.
The Authors research into this book you can tell was extensive and I believe they provided as much detail as they were able to obtain. Having said that, I will say that after reading this book, I was slightly disappointed. There were way too many questions left to be answered (which is probably due to the lack of complete historical documentation on this murder case). I felt that a lot of the information was repetitive, and some of the conclusions bordered on the Authors personal views (which may be correct) of why Polly murdered her family members.
I would recommend this book to those who want to learn more about historical true crime cases set in 1856. The Authors do a good job of providing you with the culture of that time period and the mindset's of people in that era.
Thank you again for the opportunity to review your book and the new knowledge I know have of this case.
May 27, 2014
I found this book to be fairly boring. The basic story is known early on in the book, so you know where it's heading. There weren't many exciting plot twists. There is a great deal of detail regarding the many, many, many trials that were held. I usually like that kind of thing, but here it is just hash and re-hash of the same stuff over and over.
The writing is fine, I just didn't feel glued to this book at all. I didn't particularly like or dislike any of the characters. Kind of a blah book for what would seem to be a very interesting story. Maybe because the details had to be dug up from historical documents, since everything happened well over 100 years ago, but then I have read other books with somewhat similar plots from the same time period that were gripping and exciting reads. This one just wasn't for me.
The writing is fine, I just didn't feel glued to this book at all. I didn't particularly like or dislike any of the characters. Kind of a blah book for what would seem to be a very interesting story. Maybe because the details had to be dug up from historical documents, since everything happened well over 100 years ago, but then I have read other books with somewhat similar plots from the same time period that were gripping and exciting reads. This one just wasn't for me.
August 6, 2016
I received a copy of this book as part of GoodReads FirstReads Program.
This book is written by two local historians in New York. It tells the story of a woman who poisoned many members of her family in the 1800s.
It is clear this book was well researched and has a great level of detail. Almost too much detail in parts. The book would benefit from some judicious editing to help the reader keep straight the many neighbors who eventually testified in the trials. Parts of the book moved rather slowly and others rehash what was already detailed verbatim.
There are also parts that are clearly intending this book for a local audience, describing location by what store is now located on the spot. This is I am sure wonderful for those in the area but distracting otherwise.
I did enjoy this book as it is an interesting crime. The storytelling though was at times distracting.
This book is written by two local historians in New York. It tells the story of a woman who poisoned many members of her family in the 1800s.
It is clear this book was well researched and has a great level of detail. Almost too much detail in parts. The book would benefit from some judicious editing to help the reader keep straight the many neighbors who eventually testified in the trials. Parts of the book moved rather slowly and others rehash what was already detailed verbatim.
There are also parts that are clearly intending this book for a local audience, describing location by what store is now located on the spot. This is I am sure wonderful for those in the area but distracting otherwise.
I did enjoy this book as it is an interesting crime. The storytelling though was at times distracting.
July 13, 2014
Let me start by saying this is not a genre I normally read. While I don't hate non-fiction, I'm usually reading to be entertained. That's what I'm looking for.
But sometimes truth is stranger...or in this case, maybe grittier, than fiction. As a mother, I cannot ever imagine doing anything to hurt my children...so reading this account of Polly Frisch is just mind boggling. An 1850's female sociopath.
The writing in the book is clear and concise, backed by lots of great research. This would make such a great movie, without any extra Hollywood embellishments.
It was refreshing to read a book, that drew me in with factual details about a truly horrific tale, and let me make the story come to life in my own mind.
But sometimes truth is stranger...or in this case, maybe grittier, than fiction. As a mother, I cannot ever imagine doing anything to hurt my children...so reading this account of Polly Frisch is just mind boggling. An 1850's female sociopath.
The writing in the book is clear and concise, backed by lots of great research. This would make such a great movie, without any extra Hollywood embellishments.
It was refreshing to read a book, that drew me in with factual details about a truly horrific tale, and let me make the story come to life in my own mind.
April 9, 2014
A fascinating historical investigation that keeps twisting and twisting, with an unexpected and beautiful ending. The book can be divided in two parts: the first part is the story of Polly Frisch, while the second part covers her trials. The authors did an amazing job in researching documents, paper clips, photographs, and trial transcripts. They carried out a true investigation, except the clues were in libraries and archives -- truly fascinating!
May 22, 2020
Extremely Interesting
This book provides an extremely interesting look into what life was like in the 1800s and to what the judicial system was at that time. For a woman to poison her husband and several children strongly suggests mental illness on her part. Extremely interesting and enlightening.
This book provides an extremely interesting look into what life was like in the 1800s and to what the judicial system was at that time. For a woman to poison her husband and several children strongly suggests mental illness on her part. Extremely interesting and enlightening.
April 14, 2015
Good Historical Read
This tragic story was thoroughly researched, and well written. I especially enjoyed learning what became of the main characters involved. The inclusion of those details were very helpful in providing a sense of closure to a very disturbing and horrific family tragedy.
This tragic story was thoroughly researched, and well written. I especially enjoyed learning what became of the main characters involved. The inclusion of those details were very helpful in providing a sense of closure to a very disturbing and horrific family tragedy.
September 10, 2012
Took place a few miles from where I grew up!
November 1, 2014
The authors did an admirable job on the research, but weren't able to craft the material into a very compelling narrative.
January 19, 2015
Ok but not gripping
While the tale is well researched it feels somewhat disjointed. There is also, for me, too much change from a historical report to opinion.
While the tale is well researched it feels somewhat disjointed. There is also, for me, too much change from a historical report to opinion.
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