Customer Reviews

Catch My Mother's Killer

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First of all if you are an avid reader of true crime novels this book is not for you. If you are a psychology student or a professor of psychology this book would probably be worth value as a supplimental reading. The book is written by the daughter of a schizophrenic mother and deals mostly with the difficulties and emotional trauma of growing up with an insane mother which she goes into great detail about. This book was more of a Catharsis for Paula then anything else. Basically Paula in her early adult life is no long able to cope with the emotional roller coster and ships her off to Elaines (Paula's mother)sister who refuses to believe she has a problem. The sister then puts Elaine on a bus to who knows where. Elaine then vanishes into the wild blue yonder not to be heard from for another 3 years. Come to find out she was homeless living only 15 minutes from Paula who gets a call from the coroners office telling her her mother is dead as a result of being violenly raped and violated which caused to bleed to death. Its during the trial that I began to find the book rather boring at times. For example she quoted the attorneys openning and closing statements verbatim rather then simply summarizing the high points of the there strategies in the case.
My intent here is not to down play Paula's writing abilites. Or attempt to minimize the trauma and guilt she endured during the time her mother was alive. This book simply does not focus on the crime it self but the emotions and struggle Paule dealt with.

Paula Mints is a outstanding new Author. I found her book about her mother to be very captivating. I could not put this book down. I especially liked the way Paula described her early years with a family life that most people would never dream she could live through. Her perseverance and strength prove that anything is possible if you can get beyond the embarrassment and shame and see the love and compassion that Paula did indeed learn. Her mother must have been a very special lady. Paula has inherited more than her mothers eyes she also has her caring heart.