See What I Have Done

Sarah Schmidt

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Paperback

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English

Hachette Australia
28 March 2017

Fiction & Literature; Thriller & suspense; Historical fiction

ABBEY’S BOOKSELLER PICK —— Some time on the 4th of August 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death in their home. Their daughter Lizzie was charged with the murders, but after a sensational trial was acquitted and released. No-one else was ever charged, and Lizzie became the subject of an infamous rhyme which squarely judged her as the perpetrator.

Out of these bare facts, Schmidt has constructed a creepily addictive novel. Told through the voices of Lizzie, her sister Emma and their step-mother's relative Benjamin (who appears at the time of the murders and is obviously hiding something), this heavily researched novel conveys a sinisterly claustrophobic atmosphere as it traces the days leading up to the killings, and the aftermath.

The characters are believable, from the flighty highly-strung Lizzie to the sensible Emma on the cusp of escaping her constrictive family life; the controlling, parsimonious Mr Borden and his compliant second wife, whose only power is to lash out unexpectedly; the oleaginous Benjamin; the much put-upon, homesick Irish maid Bridget. The sisters' relationship is particularly interesting and Lizzie's personality most disturbing, whether she committed the crime or not.

See What I Have Done is a well-crafted story that will linger (like the stench of mutton soup in summer) with the reader long after the book is finished! Lindy Jones

——

'Eerie and compelling, Sarah Schmidt breathes such life into the terrible, twisted tale of Lizzie Borden and her family, she makes it impossible to look away.' - Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

He was still bleeding. I yelled, Someone's killed Father. I breathed in kerosene air, licked the thickness from my teeth. The clock on the mantel ticked ticked. I looked at Father, the way hands clutched to thighs, the way the little gold ring on his pinky finger sat like a sun. I gave him that ring for his birthday when I no longer wanted it. Daddy, I had said. I'm giving this to you because I love you. He had smiled and kissed my forehead. A long time ago now.'

On 4 August 1892 Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. During the inquest into the deaths, Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged with the murder of her father and her stepmother. Through the eyes of Lizzie's sister Emma, the housemaid Bridget, the enigmatic stranger Benjamin and the beguiling Lizzie herself, we return to what happened that day in Fall River. Lizzie Borden took an axe. Or did she?

By: Sarah Schmidt
Imprint: Hachette Australia
Country of Publication: Australia
Edition: 1
Dimensions: Height: 233mm, Width: 155mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 420g
ISBN: 9780733636882
ISBN 10: 0733636888
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 28 March 2017
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

After completing a Bachelor of Arts (Professional writing and editing), a Master of Arts (Creative Writing), and a Graduate Diploma of Information Management, Sarah currently works as a Reading & Literacy Coordinator (read: a fancy librarian) at a regional public library. She lives in Melbourne with her partner and daughter. See What I Have Done is her first novel.

Reviews for See What I Have Done

Schmidt's writing is rich and confident, painting a vivid portrait of a household with something rotten at its core. It's a strong debut that promises much from an original and compelling new voice in Australian literature. - The GuardianSchmidt is a consummate storyteller whose account of the Borden murders is utterly compelling. - Australian Book ReviewSee What I Have Done is a meticulously researched and boldly imagined book that crackles with tension throughout. Schmidt's portrayal of Lizzie is haunting and complex, a deeply psychological portrait that forces the reader to question their preconceptions about what women are capable of - for better and worse. Both disturbing and gripping, it is an outstanding debut novel about love, death and the lifelong repercussions of unresolved grief. - The ObserverCompelling and incredibly haunting - Australian Women's WeeklyBelieve the hype around this Australian authors debut novel. - Marie Clairea grand gothic novel - Books + PublishingFor the originality of its voice and the power of its language and imagery, See What I Have Done deserves to be considered a Gothic classic - THE SATURDAY PAPERMelbourne-based author Sarah Schmidt's first novel was 10 years in the making and it's a cracker - GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA