Mary Lamb was born in 1764 in London, England. She was the third of seven children born to her parents, John and Elizabeth. Her father began cognitive decline, her mother became ill and crippled, and her bother moved home after an accident. Mary assumed care for her family members, while also working outside the home as a seamstress. Mary's other brother, Charles, suffered from mental illness and spent time in private care facilities. Mary also began exhibiting symptoms of mental illness, which culminated in her stabbing her mother to death in 1796, in front of her siblings. She was sent to a mental care facility, but was eventually released. She went on to become an avid reader and writer, helping with a literacy society in partnership with her brother, Charles. Charles did have her confined to mental care facilities several times throughout the rest of her life due to episodes of mental illness.

I bought this book because it was a dollar, and also because I like old crime cases. This was not my favorite book for the month of November, but it wasn't the worst. It was interesting to learn about Charles and Mary Lamb and their contributions to the literary community. I did also like learning about her mother's murder, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting it to be. Certainly not a bad read for a dollar though.