Read about a crime through the lens of women surrounding it
Notes on an Execution — Danya Kukafka
What to Read This Week
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
Content warnings listed in the footnote of this newsletter.1
“She knew violence, from the lifetime she had spent chasing it—she knew how it lingered, how it stained. Violence always left a fingerprint.”
What It’s About
Ansel Packer’s narration begins this novel—about him—as he prepares to die. He is scheduled to die on death row in twelve hours, and he has prepared for this moment. He wants to be revered, celebrated, lauded on television, not remembered for his death. So he has a plan.
But his story is not the only one that needs to be told. In fact, the stories of his victims takes higher precedence and unfolds through their eyes: from homicide detective trying to catch him to his mother to his wife’s sister. Saffy devoted decades of her life to putting him behind bars, catching him once and for all and giving his victims justice. Hazel, the twin sister of Ansel’s wife, watches as her sister falls under his spell, unable to break free or see how much danger she’s in until it’s too late.
“She had known from a young age that everyone had darkness inside—some just controlled it better than others. Very few people believed that they were bad, and this was the scariest part. Human nature could be so hideous, but it persisted in this ugliness by insisting it was good.”
Kukafka’s writing brilliantly examines the ongoing cultural obsession with serial killers and asks why we consistently look for reasoning behind their actions—what made him snap, why did he turn out this way, what happened to him—rather than accepting that they committed these crimes and turning our attention, instead, to those affected by it.
Why You Should Read It
I am so so happy the Harper Collins strike is over, not only for the union who was able to secure slightly higher wages and protections, but also because I can finally recommend my favorite book of 2022, which was Notes on an Execution. To say this book blew me away would be an understatement.
With society’s fascination with true crime, victims are often forgotten, misrepresented, or passed over even though these horrendous crimes happened to them. We saw it recently with the new Netflix series on Jeffrey Dahmer, which the victims’ families called “careless” and irresponsible, promoting and glorifying the role of a serial killer.
Though the main character in this book is seemingly Ansel, according to the news outlets covering his story, Kukafka and her characters know the story is truly that of the women in his life who were all victims of violent crime—at the hands of Ansel and others—and that their stories are the ones to be telling. What starts as an examination of a man on death row turns into a story about his victims, centering them and their lives and how they were affected by the heartless and senseless actions of one man. I’d hand this to anyone who says they’re a “fan” of true crime, both because it unfolds slowly, much like a case in real life, rather than with big exciting scenes as TV leads us to believe, and because it’s an important look at why society is fascinated with killers yet leaves the victims forgotten.
Next Up
It’s been a while since I’ve shown you some of my recent bookmail! This is what I’ve gotten as review copies most recently from publishers, and I’m loving the bright colors on the spines. I’m particularly excited to check out Your Driver Is Waiting and Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry, though everything in this stack looks excellent!
And the first essay in Meet Cute Missives has launched, asking if Jane Austen was the OG rom-com writer (I def think she was!). I have an essay later on in this series—subscribe so you don’t miss it!
More Books
Can’t get enough, or looking for a different recommendation? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations:
Read a book about a bank heist, con artists, and falling in love
Read this suspenseful dual timeline mystery about the nuclear scare
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Content warnings include addiction & overdose, harm to animals, sexual assault, domestic violence & abuse, violence against children.
Thought this one was so well done. Pushing my book club to talk about it.