See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

“Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. And when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.” So goes the rhyme we all know about the sensational murder of her father, Andrew, and her step-mother Abby Borden. Both had been killed with an axe.
This story is told by four different people, Lizzie, her sister Emma, the housekeeper, Bridget, and a drifter hired by an uncle to do be what we would today call a hit man. While these people are relating the events of the two days this story is set in, we see that just about everyone would not have minded if Andrew and Abby were dead. Anyone could have done it or had reason.
In the beginning, because Lizzie opens the story, it is quite obvious she isn’t quite right in her head. Her story is detached, a bit convoluted, wandering. I thought as I read it that I was glad I wasn’t inside her head. Almost immediately Lizzie is the prime suspect. She was home, she bought an axe and she burned a dress and she was angry enough with her father to be wanting revenge, to teach him a lesson in the manner he deserved. And there was that step-mother who could never live up to her deceased mother. But then, Bridget, too, had cause and opportunity. And there was Benjamin.
In the end, Lizzie is acquitted of the charges. This isn’t a spoiler, it’s history. And this was a very good reimagining about what really happened that day Lizzie Borden took an axe.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Sarah Schmidt for the opportunity to read this great novel.

Although we probably all know the story of Lizzie Borden from the rhyme and her acquittal of the crimes of murdering her father and stepmother, this book takes an extraordinary look at all the parties involved. The story is told in 4 distinct voices - Lizzie (whose chapters really show her immaturity and attachment issues); Emma (the other Borden daughter - older and made to be responsible for Lizzie); Bridget (the Borden family maid, who sees it all and is desperate to return home to Ireland); and Benjamin (a thug hired by the sister of the first Mrs. Borden, the girls' Uncle John).

Creepy, creepy - this book is written in a fabulous way by really getting into the story from these different viewpoints and time periods. You learn more and more as the book goes along from these alternate voices, although there is of course no definitive answer to who-done-it.

I marveled at the way the voices changed and made you feel in each chapter - kudos to the author for this wonderful ability. I love true crime books and this one won't disappoint!

This is an uninteresting book. Moves too slow for my tastes. The most interesting part was the description of the book.

'See What I Have Done' surely has a compelling blurb but it didn't live up to my expectations.
The story is told from four different POVs. There's Lizzie Borden, whose father and step mother are brutally killed in an ax murder at the beginning of the story. Another part of the story is told from the point of view of Emma Borden, her older sister. Their relationship is a pretty wacky one but you certainly get the impression that Emma can't stop caring about her sister no matter what happened. Then there's Benjamin, a stranger who's more involved with everything than you might expect.
The last POV - and probably my favorite one - is Bridget. She's the Bordens's Irish maid desperate to get back home to her family.
As you move on with the story and slowly start to get to know the Borden family I actually related to Bridget a lot. Being gone would have certainly been high up on my list. So many messed up relationships and passive-aggressive people are doomed to end up in a catastrophe.

The story presented is interesting and I wasn't familiar with it before. Unfortunately, the author's writing style, as well as the constant skipping along the time line, made it tedious to follow the story. I believe there's a lot of potential and it might get easier if you read the book for the second time or are already familiar with the story but I got confused a lot.

While the author manages to capture your attention I don't think that switching between different time lines numerous times in one chapter made the story more interesting. It was a good read and I would recommend it to fans of real-live crime stories but it didn't really work for me.

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt is a well-done historical fictionalization of the infamous Borden murders which continue to fascinate people over a century later. This book is not for the faint-hearted, but then I doubt they would select this to read anyway. What it is, is a gritty, absorbing look at a very dysfunctional family. While Lizzie is obviously the most troubled, she is by no means the only one with issues in her family!

Told in 4 points of view, Emma (older sister to Lizzie), Lizzie, Bridget (the maid) and Benjamin (a stranger), Schmidt holds our attention as the characters talk of what happened prior to the murders, the day of the murders and the time after the murders.

A very good read!

My thanks to NetGalley, the author & Atlantic Monthly Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I always loved the story of Lizzie Borden and this made me love it more. Why do things happen the way they do? This was a good explanation well written, and captivating.

I think everyone knows the old rhyme based on Lizzie Borden. You know...

"Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one."


Most people know the story surrounding it. It's fascinating. It's something that has fascinated people for over 100 years. Myself included. So I couldn't wait to read this version of the story!

See What I Have Done is told from 4 points of view. Getting the story from Lizzie and Emma Borden, their maid Bridget, and a stranger. Everything is condensed into mostly 3 days skipping back and forth and spanning the day before, the day of, and the day after the infamous murders.

Reading Lizzie's point of view is amazing. Sarah Schmidt wrote her so well. You can really feel the crazy in an almost uncomfortably real way. Some parts were a bit slow and boring, but then ended up making more sense and ties things together later on. It's actually kind of brilliant. I think the worst part was towards the beginning it was difficult to actually get into the different characters heads when the POV changed. Again, it gets easier the more you know as the book goes on.

Overall, this was an interesting take on such a famous story. I would recommend it to those interested in unsolved murders and historical fiction in general.

I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Relating the tale of Lizzie Borden who was accused, tried and eventually acquitted of the axe murders of her father and stepmother, See What I Have Done is a twisted but compelling drama of a volatile, loveless family. Lizzie is portrayed as a capricious, narcissistic, vengeful woman. Her older sister, Emma, has gone to stay with a friend for an indefinite period of time, wanting to be her own person away from her demanding family and Lizzie cannot stand it. Lizzie obsessively loves Emma and doesn’t want her to have anyone else in her life but Lizzie, scuppering Emma’s every chance of escape. Lizzie wants to subjugate Emma, to enslave her to her sister’s will, while expecting Emma to be the doting motherly figure she has not found (or will not accept, depending on your viewpoint) in her stepmother. This book looks at whether Lizzie, pushed too far by her parents and desperate to force her sister to return to her, snapped and killed Mr and Mrs Borden. It also considers other suspects though – the maid planning her escape, the greedy uncle wanting control of his brother-in-law’s money through his nieces, or the mysterious but deadly Benjamin who is new to town and loiters threateningly near the house.
This is a very impressive debut novel for Sarah Schmidt as she skilfully moves from one character perspective to another. It is a well written look at an infamous case that has never been solved and is the subject of great speculation. The narrative jumps back and forth across time periods surrounding the murders, which should be confusing with all the characters in the same house moving back and forth across the same events but actually works really well. The senses are very important to the novel with strange smells and tastes constantly intruding, bringing the horror further to life. This is a deeply chilling novel – this look into Lizzie’s psyche is very disturbing – but it is a gripping read.

4 Stars.

A family at its most dysfunctional. What happened is therefore, not exactly surprising.. Its retelling is however, brilliantly done. “See What I Have Done” is the historical retelling of the story of Lizzie Borden, by Sarah Schmidt. You’ve all heard the story:

Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.

As we all know, Lizzie Borden was tried and acquitted for her alleged crimes because there was no hard evidence – it was all circumstantial and Lizzie was set free.

This retelling is rather splendid. It embellishes upon the life of Lizzie Borden and those around her. Her sister Emma, her abusive, controlling and difficult father, Andrew; her step-mother Abby (with whom she didn’t get along); and her Uncle John (who almost no one liked). A stranger (and friend of Uncle John) named Benjamin, who made his appearance around the town and in the home the day before and on the day of the murders. And last but not least: the family maid, Bridget - who saw and heard everything. “See What I Have Done” is the story of why Lizzie Borden became the woman she did and the events surrounding that fateful day. And I must say, the story is truly captivating.

“See What I Have Done” starts with the crime. The morning of. The discovery of Andrew Borden’s body; and then the discovery of Abby Borden. Lizzie was questioned. Her behavior was erratic - which to be frank, was expected. First, she discovered her father’s body and second, she was always known as the strange one, the crazy one. Why wouldn’t she be out of it when questioned? Lizzie and her father had a tumultuous relationship and she never got along with her step-mother. She never felt loved, thus she sought out attention and affection any way she could. Further, Lizzie Borden was not in her right mind - but that should not come as a surprise, given the level of familial dysfunction she grew up with and how she was treated. Her sister Emma often tried to comfort her, but they too had their issues with each other. Their family was not an easy one.

In case you did not know, at the time of the crime, Lizzie was not alone in the house. Yet her behavior was singled out. Bridget, was of course, in the house as always and did nothing to garner suspicion of any kind. Yet another individual was in the home and acted crazy suspicious. A man named Benjamin. He was neither seen nor heard - by anyone but Uncle John. He was, however there for a reason. And he was never discovered.

This story then moves forward and backwards at pivotal points, told from the alternating perspectives of Lizzie, Emma, Bridget and Benjamin. This is highly effective in that it gives the reader an idea of each person’s POV and allows us the opportunity to understand how each person felt during specific points in time. You feel what they feel and inevitably can’t help but wonder who was the victim in this story. Sarah Schmidt makes you question this in her retelling. I felt as though I was reliving this with Lizzie herself. For a few moments, I felt her craziness stirring inside of me. It was not a welcome feeling. I am glad it’s gone.

So to be frank, I can’t say for sure if Lizzie Borden actually picked up the axe, but then I work in the legal field and I believe in reasonable doubt. Had I not read this story, I previously would have said I thought she did it. Now, I’m not so sure and that is because of Ms. Schmidt’s brilliant embellishment of Lizzie’s family and her history. While I don’t know how much research went into this book, I can honestly say that Sarah Schmidt breathed life into the story and that’s enough for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery/suspense novels as well as those who enjoy true crime books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Sarah Schmidt for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 7.26.17.

*Will be published on Amazon on 8.1.17.

I really, really wanted to love this book. The synopsis sounds so cool, I love hist-fic (especially regarding famous murders), and the cover is gorgeous. I was so excited when I was approved for the ARC!

Sadly... I just can't do it. I tried really hard, but this writing style is horrible. I have never cringed so much in the first chapter of a book as I did in this one. I might try it again someday, but for now, I'm just going to have to DNF this one.

I found this story to be fascinating. After reading it, I went on Goggle and researched what happened. Did Lizzie Borden murder her father and stepmother with an ax? This is a good book based on fact with a little fiction thrown in. The author did a good job letting the reader know what probably happened in this true crime drama. This is not a story for the faint hearted, but if you enjoy reading about historical crimes then this book is for you. I gave it four stars because the end did not seem as well written as the rest of the book. I felt it could have ended a little sooner.

Based on a true story, Sarah Schmidt's debut novel See What I Have Done tells the story of the murders of Andrew and Abbey Borden in 1892. On the morning of 4th August 1892 Lizzie Borden shouts to her maid, Bridget, that someone has killed her father in a horrific attack. The police are called and the body of her stepmother is also found in a bedroom upstairs.

There is no evidence as to who could have committed these atrocious crimes, but Lizzie's behaviour sparks some interest in the police. Could she really be behind the murders? Or was it Bridget, angry at Abbey for hindering her plans to go home to Ireland? Or perhaps it had something to do with the appearance of Lizzie's uncle and the mysterious stranger he has brought with him.

See What I Have Done blends fact and fiction to give an in depth look at one of history's most talked about murder cases. Although, much to the dismay of my true-crime obsessed mother, I didn't know much about Lizzie Borden before reading this book. I'm glad of this in a way as it meant I had no expectations and was able to immerse myself in the story completely without thinking about the facts.

I didn't get into the story straight away, however. Lizzie was a jarring character as I wasn't sure how old she was supposed to be at first. Her behaviour and way of thinking was very childlike so I thought she was just that, a child, for the first few pages. It wasn't until it was mentioned that she was a Sunday School teacher and in her thirties that I realised I was wrong. I guess this could have been a conscious effort on the part of the writer to make the reader see Lizzie's unusual mind-frame, but it took me a little while to get it all straight on my head.

Once you get to know Lizzie however, her childlike and mindset becomes a lot more unsettling. It's unclear whether she is aware just how naïve she comes across, but she more than likely is as she is obviously very manipulative. Her though processes after she discovers her father's body are definitely not what you would expect from a grieving daughter. She is more concerned with looking at the bodies and the pile of vomit in the corner than she is about who could have committed the murders.

Her relationship with her sister, Emma, is disconcerting as well. As we find out more about their past we see that Lizzie is most manipulative of her and everything she does seems to hinge on her trying to make sure Emma doesn't leave her, despite Emma wanting nothing more than to leave the Borden house to live a life of her own. She is one of the characters I actually felt sympathy for as she is forced into every aspect of her life because of Lizzie.

The story is told from 4 different perspectives: Lizzie, Emma, the maid Bridget, and a stranger named Benjamin who is being paid by the girls' uncle to convince their father to treat them better. This way of storytelling always has the possibility to be difficult to follow if not done right, but fortunately, Schmidt does it perfectly. Each character has a unique voice so you always know exactly who it is that's speaking.

Her skills are even more evident in the way she uses the senses throughout the book. The claustrophobia of the Borden house is illuminated in the heat of the summer, the descriptions of the sloppy food, the sickness throughout the house. It all culminates in an oppressive atmosphere that serves to heighten the tension that already exists between all the family members.

See What I Have Done is a wonderfully written take on the Lizzie Borden story. It made me curious to find out more about the true details of the Borden family, and when I book can make you care about the story enough that you want to find out more, then you know it's done something right.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Only very shortly after I started reading this book I got to know that it was based on a true story so I decided not to read up on it before I'm finished.

The author is definitely very talented, her writing style is very beautiful. This was a huge plus since I was always happy to open the book because of that.

I'm the kind of person who is fascinated by negative characters and I must say Lizzy Borden is one of the most unappealing personalities I have ever seen on paper regardless of what she did or didn't do. She was so terribly spoiled, annoying and emotionally unstable that it was a real challenge to not toss my eReader to the wall. At the beginning of the book when we first met her I thought she was either a 5 years old or mentally challenged.

I found this book to be fascinating in its own way, telling a story from a lot of perspectives going deep into the emotional lives of the characters and portraying typical - and not so typical - ways of living in that era. Certainly there are topics that one could relate to even now, especially the parent - child dynamics and the intricate relationship between the two sisters.

While it's a story of a murder it doesn't really deal with the trial and the act itself rather it shows what happened on the days around it. So it's far from a standard crime or mystery novel. And partly that's why I found it a little bit lacking - I kept reading wanting to know more about what happened but there was barely any information about it. The past was in the focus, sometimes going way back in time. This is understandable since it is 'true crime' thus the writer had to work with limited data but at the same time I couldn't help but feel disappointed from time to time because I was halfway through and I barely knew anything about the murders.

Overall it's a very beautifully written book about a horrible thing that really happened. By the time I finished I got close to the characters and formed my own thoughts about what might have happened.

The ending was especially brilliant, one of the best I read in a long time.

I certainly recommend this book to anyone who likes to delve into the psychological side of a murder.

* I got this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review *

Paula Hawkins made a review for this book and mentioned the words ''eerie and compelling''. The setting was definitely eerie, but the plot not so compelling, dragged out and repetitive. Book was described as the ''terrible, twisted tale'', but only twisted thing about it is the writing style. Story was jumping all over the place, it was difficult to follow. Lastly, the review said that this story ''makes it impossible to look away'' and that was true, I couldn't look away from my page-number countdown, praying for this to end.

If I had to choose one specific thing that made me almost hate this book, that would be - characters. Everyone can enjoy a villain with snarky comments, twisted mind and dark ulterior motives. These people were not that. They were just unlikeable, evil, boring family. Every single one of them is amazingly one-dimensionally petty and rotten. Story was told from everyone's POV, but I couldn't relate to any of them, much less understand them and their drives.

I liked the ending, surprisingly. I kind of expected it, but I liked how over the top it was, like a scream.

I got this copy from NetGalley in exchange for honest review, I am very grateful for this reading opportunity.

I grew up jumping rope to the Lizzie Borden rhyme, so I was naturally intrigued when See What I have Done came up on the book list. Sarah Schmidt presents a cast of mostly unlikable characters and gives readers a peek into their private thoughts around the time of the Borden murders and thereafter.

The tone of the book is tedious and oppressive. Schmidt is excellent at conveying the boredom, the stifling heat, the troubled relationships and the workings of a dysfunctional family and mental illness.

The story moved along fairly well for me until after the murders. Here is where Schmidt lost me. Her writing was well done--maybe too much so. The gory details of the bodies, the constant descriptions of the blood, the stomach heaving and the smells, were among the reasons that made me not care too much about reading any further. I felt like I was right there in the house and the only way out of the house was to quit reading.

I liked Schmidt’s introduction of Benjamin and he definitely added a thrilling aspect to the story. Overall, I think Schmidt did a great job of descriptive writing and characterization. If you have any questions about whether or not Lizzie is guilty, you won’t after reading this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read this story and give an honest review.

"Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks; when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one." In Fall River Massachusetts, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were gruesomely murdered, and Lizzie (daughter of Andrew; stepdaughter of Abby) was charged with the crime before eventually being acquitted. In See What I Have Done, Sarah Schmidt gives a fictionalized account of the Borden murders, one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in American history.

I love true crime, I love fictionalizations of real people and real historical events… all things considered I was really excited for this book.

Unfortunately I didn’t like a single thing about it.

This isn’t eerie and twisted and sinister like I was hoping it would be… it’s mainly gross? And I mean, really, really gross. I think the author uses a lot of these disgusting descriptions to try to shock a visceral reaction out of the reader, and I don’t have a lot of patience for that. What’s so shocking about vomit or pieces of mutton in some man’s beard? Nothing, really, it just creates an atmosphere I have no interest spending any time in. It was such a struggle to pick this book back up every time I put it down. I very seriously considered DNFing this book at 85% because I just couldn’t gather the motivation to push through. I ended up skimming through to the end.

I thought See What I Have Done read like a first draft – a very rough, underdeveloped first draft. The structure of this novel is confusing and hard to follow; the prose is jarring and the pace is odd and uneven. It was kind of like trying to walk through a path in the forest that hasn’t been manicured, and constantly tripping over roots and branches, i.e., frustrating, painful, and more time consuming than it needs to be. The prose gets rather experimental at times, especially in the chapters told from Lizzie’s point of view; e.g., “the clock ticked ticked,” which I think was meant to be evocative and unsettling, but for me it served only to irritate. Here’s another example:

“I thought of Father, my stomach growled hunger and I went to the pail of water by the well, let my hands sink into the cool sip sip.”

I’m sorry but this just did not work for me.

All of the characters were rather loathsome, but not in a particularly intriguing way. This is a book about truly repulsive people who act a fraction of their age, and it gets old fast. I didn’t care about Lizzie, I didn’t care about Andrew and Abby Borden, I didn’t really care about Lizzie’s sister Emma… the only character who was even remotely sympathetic to me was the maid, Bridget, but her few point of view chapters (complete with dialogue that includes a truly horrendous transcription of the Irish accent) weren’t enough to hold my interest.

One star seems harsh, especially given that I am clearly in the minority here, but I just… didn’t like this book. At all. I really wish I could have seen in this book what so many other people seem to. All I can say is that if you’re interested in the premise (and have a strong stomach) I encourage you to give it a shot, because you never know. No two people ever read the same book, I guess!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley, Grove Atlantic, and Sarah Schmidt for the opportunity. Quotes taken from an ARC and may be edited before publication.

This book was interesting to say the least. I used to fascinated by the Lizzie Borden story, you know did she or didn't she!?! Did she make a deathbed confession or is there a long lost diary waiting to be found belonging to her or her sister. This book definitely gives you some things to ponder. My only complaint is the way the story is told. It has way too many varying stories and points of view without really saying much. Example the book has the opinions of Lizzie, Emma, Bridget, and Benjamin who I guess was thrown in to make the story pop. You get lost in their melodramas and not in a good way.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

**3.5**

This book had a slow-burn type of feel to it. It was hot and sticky and smelly and it made me feel anxious and sometimes a little scared. You'll know why as soon as you start reading it.

The way Schmidt navigated her narration through each character was important to the pace of the book. Each chapter was a different perspective from a different character (I LOVE when authors do this, by the way) and it was just enough information at the right time.

From the very first couple of pages, you basically know what happened, but like I said, it's a slow-burn type of book. The author really did a wonderful job with each character. You really get to know them; their personalities and habits, but also up close and personal. That's a good way to describe it. This book is up close and personal. The way she describes things...like the rancid mutton broth. Your stomach will turn.

Also, my favorite characters were Bridget, Mary and Emma...in case anyone was wondering :)

But this is based on a true story...so are they REALLY characters?

Thank you again to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy!