Episode 260: THE FIVE (with Hallie Rubenhold)

Since Victorian times, people have been obsessed with Jack the Ripper. There are endless volumes full of history about him and the gory deaths of his five victims. What's missing is information about the lives of the women he killed—until now. This week, we sit down with Hallie Rubenhold, social historian and author of the recently published book, The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper. In this eye-opening interview, we discover that, contrary to popular narrative, Jack the Ripper's victims were almost certainly not all prostitutes. Rubenhold has painstakingly reconstructed the previously untold stories of these five women, whose greatest tragedy was not being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but rather being born women in the Victorian era. Instead of focusing on these women's deaths, as virtually all study pertaining to the mystery of Jack the Ripper does, Rubenhold instead focuses on these women's lives, which have been roundly ignored by historians until now. The story of each woman provides a portrait of the underbelly of Victorian London, as well as gives incredible insight into the entire Victorian period, highlighting the vivid contrast between rich and poor and demonstrates how unbelievably precarious life was for women, particularly lower-class women, of the time. Find Hallie Rubenhold on Twitter, or at her website. We'll be giving away THREE copies of this book in the coming weeks, so follow us on our social media sites to find out how to win (see below for links). -------------------------------------------- SPONSOR THE SHOW: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started.  DONATE: Click here to send financial support to The Bittersweet Life via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.  JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email at [email protected]. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram – Better yet, tag #thebittersweetlife with your story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!