When Mothers Kill: Interviews from Prison

Oberman and Meyer first sought to understand one of the most terrifying crimes in their 2001 Mothers Who Kill Their Children, creating a ""comprehensive typology"" of the perpetrator based on careful case studies. Taking the next step, the authors and professors interview 40 female inmates incarcerated for the crime to test their typology. What they find, disturbingly, is ""a heavy truth: these mothers were not that different from any other mothers we know."" The common themes that emerge in each of these women's stories include domestic violence, troubled relationships with parents, twisted notions of romantic love and deep conflicts about motherhood. Even more pervasive is how many of these women were failed by the social and institutional systems set up to detect and defuse problems before they become tragedies; their interaction with the health care system, the foster care system, public assistance and child protective agencies all offer insights into how these women literally slipped through the cracks. Unflinching and not for the feint, this important title should provide great insight for anyone whose job affects the welfare of mothers.