All for the love for a man. (Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule)

Member Name: Terrie

Product:	Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule
Date:	10/07/01 (321 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: well written & interesting, compassionately told, adopted by prosecuting attorney

Disadvantages: One child dies, other 2 seriously injured

Have you ever wondered what kind of a woman would shoot her own children to be with a man that she claimed to love? I sure couldn’t fathom it. We all know good parents. Those of us raising children do everything in our power to do our best by the children, from providing the basics of food, clothing, and shelter on forward to whatever else we can do for them. Anything less is unimaginable.

Well, awhile back, I read the book ‘Small Sacrifices’ by Ann Rule. And I have been a fan ever since. So much so that I have read this book a few times and enjoyed it every time.

This book is about Diane Downs, a mother and postal worker, who shot her 3 children. Two were critically injured while the other was dead on arrival at the hospital. Diane was also shot in her left (?) forearm, nothing serious.

As the story goes, Diane blames it on a bushy hair stranger. But it isn’t long before the police start to suspect her. Her story starts to sound funny. She is going through men like there is no tomorrow and living with her parents, which is a very strained relationship in itself. After a fight with her father Dad kicks Diane out of the house. She is sleeping in her car when the police find her and arrest her.

Prior to her arrest the police discover that Diane has quite a history, such surrogate motherhood, affairs with a lot of men, and an obsession with one in particular. Her obsession with the one man was unusual in the fact that he was still very married and didn’t want children. She shot the kids in an attempt to be with this man, even after his rejection of her to go back to his wife.

I really enjoyed this book. Ann Rule did an excellent job of writing this book. It was well written in the telling of the story and events. It had a good balance and flow to it and didn’t go from one extreme to the other. There weren’t any dull moments nor did go to the other extreme of having that in your face
action all the time. It was constant and well laid out. It was written in an interesting manner so it held my attention from beginning to end.

What I did find surprising though was that while Ann Rule told this story in an interesting, accurate fashion, she handled it pretty compassionately as well. I felt for everyone involved in this from the children to the police and prosecutors, relatives and the men Diane was involved with, to Diane herself. They were all in this hard situation and Diane seemed to be a person who both killer and lost soul. I liked her and hated her all at the same time.

Ann Rule has a very unique style of writing. She is definitely one of the best writers that I have read in a long time. I have been a huge fan of Ann Rule ever since I read this book.

If you like true crime, this is the book to read. Ann Rule is truly a treat to read.

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