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    The Murderer's Daughters
    The Murderer's Daughters
    The Murderer's Daughters
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Murderer's Daughters

    Written by Randy Susan Meyers

    Narrated by Susan Bennett and Angela Goethals

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    This emotional debut by Randy Susan Meyers tells of two sisters torn apart by domestic tragedy. When her mother throws her father out, young Lulu is told never to let him in again. But Lulu disobeys, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Lulu's mother ends up killed, and Lulu and her sister Merry are orphaned. Now, as the sisters grow into adulthood, they find the ghosts of their past are difficult to outrun.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 21, 2010
    ISBN9781449808723
    The Murderer's Daughters
    Author

    Randy Susan Meyers

    Randy Susan Meyers is the internationally bestselling author of five novels, including Waisted, The Widow of Wall Street, Accidents of Marriage, The Comfort of Lies, and The Murderer’s Daughters. Her books have been designated one of the ten best works of fiction in 2010, 2014, and 2017 by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Library of Congress. She lives in Boston with her husband, where she teaches writing at the GrubStreet writing center. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty-six languages.

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    Reviews for The Murderer's Daughters

    4/5

    78 ratings75 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The Short of It:An impressive, fictional debut that had me in tears at one point. Beautifully told, sad at times yet ultimately hopeful.The Rest of It:The murder of Lulu’s mother and the near murder of her younger sister, Merry is hard enough for Lulu to understand, but at the hands of her own father? How does a ten-year-old child deal with the fact that her mother is no longer there for her? How does she accept that her father is a murderer and in prison? In addition to the enormity of the situation itself, Lulu feels responsible for her sister, who happens to still love her father, despite the fact that she almost died because of him.This book did all sorts of things to me. It made me angry and sad and sometimes I hated the father, but other times I questioned myself. Would it be possible to forgive someone for killing your own mother? Does a child’s love run that deep? Although The Murderer’s Daughters deals with some really heavy themes, there is a brightness to it. It’s not all dark. In fact, much of it is hopeful.I loved these sisters. I loved their relationship and I could relate to both of them. Meyers managed to create realistic tension between them, without it seeming forced. They were each complex in their own way, and each so different, yet close, very close and I admired the skill it took to make them that way. I also loved the touches of detail here and there that helped round out the story. It wasn’t too much. Not the “in your face” filler detail that you often see with new writers.I’m not sure what I expected when picking this one up, but I think I expected a more melodramatic tale and I was so pleased that it wasn’t that kind of book. Book clubs would do well with this one. There is so much to discuss and much of it is still on my mind. I recommend it highly.
    • 4/5
      An intense, emotional book about the aftermath of domestic violence in its worst possible outcome--a father murders a mother in front of his children and tries to kill the youngest child and himself. What is striking about the book is that it shows what happens in this situation when the family fails to come together or become stronger or support and care for children-Lulu and Merry-who must live with this forevermore. The girls, both under 10, have to face that their remaining relatives either cannot or will not take them in, and they are sent to live in an orphanage. There they learn to fend for themselves and only to trust oneanother, and will deal with their tragic past by becoming two very different people--one a doctor who will not deal with her past and one a parole officer who dutifully visits her father in jail, not knowing how to stop. When it becomes clear that the father is going to be paroled and plans to move near "his girls", the sisters must face their past head on and deal with the monster in the closet at last. A difficult and great book.
    • 5/5
      This was just an awesome book from beginning to end. Well put together with the book flowing like a river. I invested a lot of emotions into the reading of this book. My first book with this author and I'm will absolutely check into others. I keep thinking what an awesome movie this book would make.
    • 4/5
      One could categorize The Murderer's Daughters as a drama, but that seems to ignore the nuances behind the story. Rather, The Murderer's Daughters crosses from a drama into a psychological study on the impact of tragedy and its ripple effect. Sharply written and emotionally evocative, Ms. Meyers is not afraid to discuss a situation that occurs far too often and is ignored by society just as much. It is a great reminder that suffering does not end when the physical wounds heal.At its heart, The Murderer's Daughters discusses the age-old debate of nature versus nurture and child-rearing. In fact, it raises many questions about Merry's and Lulu's fates and the journeys through childhood and beyond. Were the girls ultimately better off without both parents or were they doomed to a life filled with drama and pain from the start? Would they have each recovered from the trauma better if they had been allowed to go their separate ways? Is it fair to put the burden of familial responsibility on children? Not only does Ms. Meyers present discussion points about child-rearing, she raises questions about what it means to be a parent. Is it a title that is earned or granted upon birth? What right does a father or mother have to demand affection and attention when said parent has done something so despicable that it changes his or her child's life forever?Tragic and intense, The Murderer's Daughters will leave readers questioning everything they know about parenting and what it means to be a family. Its portrayal of the murder and the emotional aftermath is haunting yet lyrical, demanding the reader to continue with the story. In Merry and Lulu, Ms. Meyers created two characters about whom it is easy to empathize, involving the reader emotionally. The entire Zachariah family is one that lingers well after the last page is read. Not an easy read at times, The Murderer's Daughters is well worth the time and effort.
    • 4/5
      A combination of alcohol and passion change a family's dynamics within minutes and leave two sisters virtually on their own. Louise, the elder, continues her caretaking role, watching over and guiding Meredith. Paradoxically, their roles appear to reverse in regard to their father causing the one major disagreement between them. Regardless, they remain very close. I enjoyed The Murderer's Daughters but felt that at times it stagnated, was too balanced. An additional subplot or more variations in the storyline would have increased its depth and texture.
    • 5/5
      In this wonderfully written novel, author Randy Susan Meyer has surpassed all my expectations with a debut novel that reads nothing like a debut. Well-crafted characters with depth, the story of Lulu and Merry is one that is sure to touch your heart. It is a true representation of how abuse and childhood trauma can truly stunt the growth of children, emotionally - so much so that they spend their entire lives trying to overcome their emotional handicap. A must read for all.
    • 5/5
      This is the story of the aftermath of two girls whose father kills their mother. Told in alternating voices, this well written book asks a variety of questions and manages to answer many of them, but leaves others--as it would be in real life--unanswered.How do you survive such a horrific crime and still respond to forces (real or imagined) that compel you to not only survive but remain bonded to a criminal? One child cuts him off and the other feels compelled to hold onto him. How does each justify their position?I found the relationship between these sisters believable if not frustrating. The older girl, Lulu seems to call the shots and pay no price, either from her husband (who did feel a little too good to believe at times) and her sister. In fact the only consequence for her comes from an unrelated third party. I still loved this book. The characters were masterfully drawn and the story held my attention. Ms. Meyers' storytelling skill was compelling and I can't wait pick up her new book!
    • 4/5
      I really loved this book even though it was such a sad story. The characters were all so believable -- they all had their faults, some of them glaring, but it made them all seem so real. I couldn't put the book down because I really wanted to find out what happened to each of the characters in the end -- and when I wasn't reading, the characters were still with me. The book was very moving and really made me think about how hard it is to deal with a family member who does something terrible and unforgivable. Everyone deals with that in different ways, none of them perfect.
    • 5/5
      Lulu and Merry had never had an ideal childhood, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father does something that shatters their lives altogether. He has always hungered for the love of the girls self-obsessed mother, but after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly. Lulu's mother has warned her never to open the door to him but when Lulu's father arrives at the house he bullies his way past her and into the house.What follows is horrific. Lulu listens to her parents fight and runs to get help. When she returns, Lulu finds that her father has killed her mother, stabbed her sister and tried to kill himself. For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened: one pretends he's dead, while the other feels compelled to help him. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, influencing all their life choices. They both fear the day when their father's attempts to win parole might meet with success.I enjoyed this book very much. It was very well-written and the characters were believable. I give it an A+!
    • 5/5
      A most provocative title, The Murderer’s Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers, tenders a vivid narrative of two young girls trapped in the vicious cycle of domestic violence.In an unusual twist, the emotionally grueling scene of a selfish, immoral shell of a father cajoles his older daughter Lulu into unlocking the door to the apartment he is banned from entering, and then proceeds to murder his wife, cruelly injure his younger daughter Merry, and in a pathetic attempt to kill himself.The prequel to this horrific scene acutely describes its harbinger, the incessant levels of highs and lows that personify domestic violence and how it affects its victims, especially two young girls. Without parental care, with a heinous father in prison, Lulu and Merry become wards of a girls’ home that accommodates a diverse population of girls whose only desire is to be noticed and rewarded for the unrelenting pain of living in an institution that only satisfies their basic needs.Randy Susan Meyers writes with a powerful and deeply emotional voice about a painfully ubiquitous subject that rarely receives the consideration it deserves, that of the collateral damage of domestic violence, the children.We follow the lives of Lulu and Merry through those early painfully disturbing years of yearning, not only for a conventional family life, but also for the overwhelming desire for acceptance as typical children, rather than the children of a murderer.Though ferociously protected by Lulu in childhood, vigorous attempts to dissuade Merry from contact with their father fail. Merry is adamant and with her fraternal grandmother, visits her father in prison on a consistent basis. Lulu refuses to participate in what she considers a bizarre ritual, and rejects his specious enticements to see him. Without perceptible discernment, Lulu suppresses her powerlessness to fully understand, accept, or forgive her father’s actions. Extremely driven and highly intelligent, she immerses herself in medical school, and as a well-respected doctor proceeds to follow the Hippocratic Oath on her own terms by selectively choosing which women patients she will accept. Merry exhibits the characteristic manifestations of a physically and mentally abused childhood. Frequent meaningless sexual encounters usually fueled by excessive drinking, and an intermittent relationship with a married man, Merry’s reckless façade is inconsistent with her chosen profession as a parole officer. Subconsciously, she seeks to heal her ex-convicts’ shattered psyches in order to save them through motivational counseling and assiduous encouragement.A watershed event occurs which alters Lulu’s and Merry’s increasingly fragile relationship, and provides a powerful catalyst to liberate two young girls tethered to the past by shame and guilt which haunted them to this moment in their lives.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of 2 sisters Lulu & Merry whose father in a drunken rage kills their mother, stabs Merry and attempts to kill himself. They are sent to live with their grandmother then with their aunt but the aunt is too upset about her sister to deal with these girls and sends them off to an orphanage because their father’s mother is too sick to take of them properly. For reasons I never fully understood Merry wants to visit her father in prison and her grandmother takes her there to visit him every weekend. After a few years at the orphanage which has been tough on the girls they are fostered by the Cohen’s but the girls don’t ever feel like this is their home either and even after their grandmother dies Merry convinces her foster father to continue the visits to her father. Lulu never goes and tries her best to get Merry to stop going to no avail.These girls grow up with a lot of dysfunction Lulu tells people her parents died in a car accident and forces Merry to do the same. Lulu goes to college and becomes a doctor, meets a great man who she does tell the truth to and has 2 girls of her own she tells them the lie she’s told everyone else. Merry becomes a probation officer and hops from man to man and never really settles down.This book really bogged down in the middle and was a slow read. The story was interesting but neither of these girls were very likable and I never understood why Merry wanted to see her father when it was her he had stabbed. Even as events at the end unfold and we never get an answer to why he did what he did or why Merry has this compulsion to take care of her father. Lulu was a workaholic and didn’t ever seem to have much feeling. And their father was a narcissist who never seemed to have any remorse for what he did.The subject of this book is very interesting but for a more thrilling read I’d recommend The Killer’s Wife by, Bill Floyd.3 Stars
    • 3/5
      When a man kills his wife and tries to kill his 5 year old and himself, Lulu, age 10 and her little sisters enter a cold, uncaring world. They are both forever damaged, each in different ways. Pretty slow and depressing.
    • 2/5
      This book was just OK for me. The premise of the novel sounded very interesting, and I would say the first half of the novel was very good. The first half of the novel dealt with the details of Lulu and Merry’s abusive childhood and the terrible conditions they lived in. This led up to the murder of their mother and what happened to the two girls after her death and their father’s imprisonment. The girls are bounced from family member to family member until they finally end up in an orphanage.As Lulu and Merry become adults, the novel became much less interesting and very predictable. One of the sisters is super straight-laced, living out the perfect life she never had as a child. The other sister is a slutty, emotional wreck, choosing relationships with men who are bad for her, and being generally directionless in life.The latter half of the novel was very predictable and lackluster. The amount of enjoyment that I derived from the first half of the novel was shattered by the latter half.I don’t think I would recommend this book. There are many more better and enjoyable novels out there and I wouldn’t advise wasting your time on this one.
    • 5/5
      Simply heartbreaking and yet affirming. There is much to be learned about the kids left behind when a man murders his wife--this book speaks to it. I found this book to be page-turning, gripping, and, at times, surprisingly funny and heartwarming.
    • 3/5
      I had a hard time getting to know either sister. The sisters aged too fast, going from childhood to adulthood too quickly. I ended the story wanting to know more about the relationship of Merry and Lulu's parents and more about the girls' teen years. While not one of my favorites, this was a quick read and not too bad!
    • 5/5
      An up-all-night book with characters you do not want to leave.
    • 4/5
      What happens when the unthinkable occurs? This is the story of the 30 year journey of two sisters whose father murders their mother. At times it is chilling and horrible, but it is always engaging. I didn't want to put it down and read it in under 2 days!
    • 4/5
      After reading numerous positive reviews of this debut novel, I was expecting to love it but something kept me from getting completely absorbed by it. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of two sisters, Lulu and Merry, who have to figure out how to live with the fact that their father murdered their mother in their presence when they were young children (10 and 6 years old, respectively). For the most part, they have to cope with this trauma on their own. There aren't any adults in their lives that are up to the task. Because the story is told from the girls' perspective, you never learn what the reasons are for this but I would have liked to understand more about what was going through the minds of their father, aunt, uncle and foster parents in abandoning them in various ways. I did like the way the author made you understand how desperately the girls wanted to be rescued by the adults in their lives (how they felt compelled to always be good in their presence) and how they decided to keep what happened a secret as much as possible (because being identified as the "murderer's daughters" was just too painful). All in all, this book was worth reading and I would recommend it. It's just that I was hoping it would be a book I couldn't put down, and it turned out that I could.
    • 3/5
      A bit of a disappointment. I liked the beginning - the story of two little girls whose father murders their mother. One of the girls, Merry, is also stabbed by her father but survives. For the majority of the book the father is in prison and only Merry goes to see him. Lulu, the older daughter is too angry to see him. The girls have a difficult time and chapters are told by each of the girls as they grow up. Lulu becomes a doctor, marries and has two girls of her own. Merry has random sex and is unhappy in her work as a parole officer. The book comes to a climax when the father is due to be released from prison and the two women have to figure out how they will deal with that. It is a well written book. I think what bothered me was that there were too many chapters that were repetitive. I think a good editor could have made an excellent book from what the author wrote.
    • 4/5
      Thought provoking, haunting tale of two sisters raised in an environment of domestic abuse. Time passes but the pain and confusion of this tragedy leave deep, although differing, scars. The author chose a heavy topic for her debut novel but she was able to successfully incorporate light touches of humor in order to keep the story from becoming too oppressive. This novel certainly speaks to the triumph of the human spirirt and I enjoyed it immensely.
    • 4/5
      Ten-year old Lulu's mother always warned her to keep her father out. But on Lulu's birthday, as her father's knocking got more and more incessant, she did open the door and the unraveling of their family began.Lulu his as their parents began to fight. Hearing the commotion and her mother's pleas for help, Lulu ran to the neighbors'. But when she returned, it was too late. Her mother was lying dead on the floor, her five-year-old sister Merry was on the bed with a gash in her chest and her father was nearby, with his wrists slit.Merry and Lulu's father do survive, and he is imprisoned for his crimes. Due to no fault of their own, the girls are labeled as the "murder's daughters" and shunned by their relatives. When their grandmother, who took pity on the girls, dies, they are sent to an orphanage and left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, Lulu still feels as if her mother's death is her fault and refuses any contact with her father. Merry, on the other hand, visits him often in efforts to connect with her only remaining parent.As the girls grow up, Lulu becomes a doctor, wife and mother. Merry entertains herself with men and booze, not committing to anything or anyone. Both girls agreed long time ago to tell everyone, including Lulu's children, that their parents died in a car crash. However, as events come to a crescendo, they will be finally forced to deal with their past and face their mother's murderer.The Murderer's Daughters is a heart wrenching story, and if you're expecting a happy ending, don't look for one here. The girls' experience a terrible childhood and have to deal with irresponsible parents long before the crime; their lives would have likely been tainted even if the murder never took place.
    • 5/5
      I couldn't stop reading this book. I became so caught up in Lulu and Merry's lives and their struggles to deal with the past and create a future. They are two wonderfully complex characters, and I loved watching them in their stubbornness and their growth. The writing is strong, the story compelling, and I can't wait to see what Randy Susan Meyers offers us next.
    • 5/5
      Randy Susan Meyers' debut "The Murderer's Daughters" is a solid first novel. It's a novel of family, familial duty, sisterhood, compassion and the definition of oneself. Merry and Lulu, the two sisters of whom the novel revolves, have a very antagonistic relationship. Their father is in prison for murdering their mother. He also tried to kill himself and Merry. Throughout their life the sisters struggle to come to grips with the situation. The book is well written, the characters very accessible and the story is heartbreaking. A very good first novel. I look forward to reading more from this author.
    • 3/5
      This book started out wonderfully. I couldn't believe I was reading something by a first-time author.Then it started to drag, and I couldn't believe I had to finish it (but I did, because a friend recommended it and I felt obligated.) Lulu and Merry as adults - boring, shallow, stagnant.I gave it three stars based on the beginning and the end (which I liked, because it wasn't predictable), but the vast majority of this book is simply moderately well-written chick lit.
    • 5/5
      10 year old Lulu's mother warns Lulu not to open the door to her estranged father and then retreats to her bedroom for a nap. Lulu's father does indeed come over and convinces her to let him in. He then murderers Lulu's mother and stabs her 5 year old sister Merry before trying to kill himself.The girls are passed between relatives before ending up abandoned to a group home. This book follows their lives well into adulthood. One sister shuts out her father completely while the other keeps him in her life by visiting him in prison and writing letters.This book explores the different ways that people respond to tragedy and how differently people choose to cope with the aftermath. The book alternates between Lulu and Merry's point of view so the reader not only learns each sister's point of view but also how each sister interprets the other's actions. Both sisters were such well-developed characters that the directions their lives took was unpredictable yet realistic at the same time. They were both relatable and frustrating at times.This was a wonderful debut novel from Randy Susan Meyers. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.
    • 4/5
      This is the first Target Book Club pick I have read, and honestly wasn't expecting much. Pleasantly surprised, but not blown away.
    • 4/5
      I really liked the characters in this book. Most of the characters were both likable and unlikable, which made them seem very real. Aunt Cilla was only unlikable, which also added realness to the story. (Because there are always unlikable people in this world). I enjoyed the progression of the story from Lulu and Merry's childhood through their adulthood. I wished a different ending for Merry, though.
    • 5/5
      The Murderer's Daughters, by Randy Susan Meyers, is less macabre than you'd think. I enjoyed it as much for it's coming of age theme as I did for the psychological drama. The story of Lulu and Merry, whose father killed their mother and attempted to kill Merry and himself, follows the girls to adulthood as they struggle with the tragedy that befell them. Lulu never loses her hatred for her father and can't understand Merry's willingness to support him. Each makes choices, as they mature, that reflect how the murder shaped who they've become. Though their choices differ substantially, the sisters remain closely bonded, even through the crisis that mirrors their childhood horror and threatens their newly established role as guardians, themselves. It's the unavoidable confrontations when their father is released from prison that lead to final acceptance and the courage to look back, in order to move on.I found this novel satisfying in a deep, humanistic way. The characters were portrayed with sensitive realism and served to move events in an interesting--and often unpredictable--direction. The Murderer's Daughters is easy to digest, yet offers fodder for thought. A well-written and engrossing tale.
    • 5/5
      I really liked this book. This is a powerful, compelling first novel about sisters growing up after a traumatic violent event - the murder of their mother by their drunken father as they watched, after which he turned on the younger daughter, six-year old Merry. It is the story of Lulu and Merry growing up, coming to terms and carving their own lives, their time in an orphanage, then living with a rich family. They have emotional scars that run deep. I couldn't put this book down. The author has written a truly gripping story which will stay with me for a long time. I will be looking for more books by Randy Susan Meyers.
    • 2/5
      I had such high hopes for this book. From the reviews and the synopsis, it seemed like it would be right up my alley: psychologically complex, angsty, dramatic. But nope, no dice. Okay, well, it was a dramatic (but not in a good way) and angsty, but it was just very mediocre. And here's my biggest problem with The Murderer's Daughters...it was repetition galore. Firstly, this book dragged. My God was this a long book! And it was only 320 pages, but man, did it feel long! Again, this was excacerbated by the repetition going on (I'll get back to that). Another thing was that there's no plot in this book. At all. Now, I don't mind books about character development...as long as the characters, you know, actually develop. But they don't. For Merry and Lulu it was the same shit, different year. In 1971: Merry [while touching her scar]: I want you to see Daddy! Lulu: I don't want to see Daddy! He killed our Mama and stabbed you! Stop seeing him and grow up! In 2003: Merry [while touching her scar]: Why don't you see Daddy? Lulu: He killed are mother! Why are you still seeing him? And on, and on, and on, and on. It started getting seriously annoying. Nothing happened in The Murderer's Daughter after the intial two chapters. Nothing different, anyway. This all could've been covered in two to three chapters and made a pretty good short story. Plus, Lulu and Merry started getting on my last nerves after a while. First of all, no one forced Merry to see her dad so that whole "I was smothered by everyone else's needs" was crap because she could've stopped seeing her dad whenever she wanted. And Lulu was a hypocrite with her whole "Merry, we need to stick together crap" considering that she kept telling Merry to get her own life. How is she supposed to do both? Gah! So, in short (or semi-long), I didn't really like The Murderer's Daughter. Two stars instead of one for having an extremely intriguing premise. Too bad it couldn't have worked out in a way that didn't have me turning back the pages thinking "I swore I've already ready this part!"