“The world is ours, but we walk in it noticed.”

“Was Jane waiting to happen? In my imagination, she was the most driven person I knew. A woman who did what she wanted. A woman who wanted.”

This is an extraordinary book. It is haunting and deeply moving. It is eerie and ethereal. The title says it is about a murder, and indeed it is, but more than that, it is a fitting tribute to the author’s Aunt Jane. Within this tribute is a scathing disdain for those fascinated with “true crime” stories—a commentary on how perverse human nature is. Maggie Nelson also manages to weave a commentary on the social position of women into this story about her aunt’s life being ripped away from her.

Nelson traces her aunt’s life using what little information she can find and does so marvelously. I feel a keen sense of loss for Jane—it is clear that she was a great woman and would have become even greater, if only a man had not selfishly and cruelly ripped her from the world.

Nelson’s prose electrifies the text. However, for me, Jane’s writing stole the show. She herself was a wonderful writer and Nelson really allowed Jane’s work to shine.