The Tainted Legacy of Bertha Gifford: A Memoir by S. Kay Murphy (161 pages)

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

From Goodreads:

On August 25, 1928, the sheriff of St. Louis County took into custody a fifty-year-old Missouri farmwife. Authorities sought to question her in a mystery which had been building for twenty years: Was she a selfless saint who voluntarily cared for the acutely ill in order to nurse them back to health and restore them to their families? Or a minister of death whose crimes would qualify her as one of America’s few female serial killers? In this riveting nonfiction memoir, journalist S. Kay Murphy searches for the truth about her own great-grandmother—accused murderer Bertha Gifford.

My Thoughts:

I knew of Bertha Gifford before I read this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by all of the new information I gleaned. This book captured my interest from the dedication page. It was touching, deep, and complex, and I left with a different opinion of Bertha Gifford than I did when I started reading the book.

My Time to Stand: A Memior

My Time to Stand: A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Blanchard and etal. 264 Pages 

Summary: A victim of her mother’s Munchausen by proxy and child abuse survivor, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard’s unique and controversial case made headlines across the world.

Now, she’s finally free to start living her life on her terms—and to tell her own story as only she can.

Forced to use a wheelchair in public and endure a lifetime of faux illness, fraud, and exploitation, Gypsy was subjected not only to her mother’s medical, physical, and emotional abuse, but deprived of childhood milestones. Prevented from attending school or socializing, Gypsy’s formative years were defined by pain and isolation.

After serving 8 years in prison for the role she played in her mother Dee Dee’s murder, Gypsy is embracing her fresh start—and reminding all of us that it’s never too late.

In this revelatory, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful memoir, Gypsy shares the painful realities she grew up with and the details of her life that only she knows, including:
The abusive cycle that began with Dee Dee’s abuse by her father
Gypsy’s fear that continued unnecessary surgery would leave her truly disabled
How she coped with guilt and accepted responsibility for her mother’s death
Memories of her final days in prison
What she learned upon reviewing her own medical records for the first time
How it felt to finally see her family again as her authentic self

Featuring Blanchard family photos and new facts about Gypsy’s life that she previously kept private, My Time to Stand offers an unprecedented look at the real Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, proudly embarking on her ongoing journey to recovery and self-discovery.

My Thoughts: I actually really enjoy reading about Gypsy Rose. I hate that this all happened to her and don't necessarily agree with how she handled it, but also I get why she did what she did. I truly am enjoying learning about her more now that she's out of jail and is actually taking the steps to become a better human and embracing finding out who she wants to be. It was a good book to read if you've ever had any curiosity about her life as we get a glimpse of her now in her 30's and reflecting back on her past. 

The Amendment by Kiersten Modglin

 The Amendment by Kiersten Modglin - 240 pages

First, there was the arrangement.
A simple, yet salacious fix to the problems looming in their marriage.
But when things took a tragic turn, Peter’s and Ainsley’s lives quickly fell into disarray.

Now, their secrets have been exposed.
They know the truth—about each other and their marriage.
As they struggle to move on from their past and the damage they’ve caused, new problems begin to surface.

Someone they love is hiding a catastrophic secret. The fragile ground they stand on is starting to crumble. Their family is being torn apart at the seams. And, maybe worst of all, a threat from the past is lurking, ready to unveil the things they’d kill to keep hidden.

They thought the nightmare they’d made it through was over, but the worst is just beginning…

Once, they vowed to do anything to make their marriage work.
Now, that vow will push every boundary they have left.

In order to survive, they’ll need to completely trust each other.
But can they?
Last time they did, things went terribly wrong…
This time, it might be worse.
If there’s one thing that’s certain, their secrets are too big to let anyone walk away alive.

This is the second book I have read by Kiersten Modglin and I really like this series. It kept me engaged and guessing to the end. This is the sequel to The Arrangement, but I also feel like you could read this as a stand alone because they only reference a few parts to The Arrangement that are important.