2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion
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Where the Dead Lie
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Question A
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Lauren
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rated it 5 stars
Apr 30, 2017 12:40AM
The focus in this story is on the brutal murders of several street urchins. What do you think of Harris's choice of victims and her portrayal of the crimes?
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All through this series my heart has always gone out to the plight of the children born to poor families. Some orphaned at very young ages and forced to survive for as long as they could on the streets. I can't even imagine what their lives must've been like. Having some of them be the victims of such atrocious crimes in this book was really hard. I think Harris has made it a point to show that life in Regency London wasn't all about Jane Austen's world of mannered and genteel people.
Yes, I appreciate the fact that Harris doesn't shy away from the darker truths of the times. Harris portrayal of the actual crimes wasn't as gruesome as I was expecting. She leaves most of it to the imagination without detailed descriptions (for which I'm grateful).
I agree. It's sometimes difficult to hold both extreme sides of Regency England life together in my mind.Harris does her readers a service with her knowledge of history.
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Yes, it was a very honest portrayal of the most vulnerable members of society, who were mostly invisible to the rest.
I agree with all your comments. I like how Harris doesn't sugercoat the situation for poor children at this time. The attitude the majority of the well to do had to street children was appalling and the sheer number of them. 30,000 children living on the streets. It's hard to get my head around the number. Yet you have to think so many people were sent or left from England to North American, Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and other places at this time. Often forcefully to work as slave labour in penal colonies.
