Lady or the Tiger

Gr 9 Up–“Not all little girls are born murders, but every woman becomes one. Most simply destroy pieces of themselves—their dreams, their desires, their right to speak to who and what they please. I kill men instead.” This how Alice Springer became a murderess called Belle King in the 1880s. A dark, compelling exploration of Alice’s dreams pitted against men’s demands on her, the tale moves back and forth from the present where Belle King decides to face justice for her crimes to Alice’s past witnessing of her mother’s murder and marrying her killer. Alice flees her sadistic husband with her lover, Cal, and his “family.” They become the Carnival of the Damned traveling and performing in the West. Cal gives her a tiger, Omisha, which leads to Belle’s first kill. Belle flees to Europe, finding acclaim as a singer and object of desire, leaving dead men in her wake. On trial for murder her life becomes more surreal and surprising. Throughout these harrowing events, her “Shadow” hovers around reminding her of who she is. The swiftly paced writing is intriguing, pulsing with danger and desire. The sex scenes are more implied than detailed. A few chapters are articles about Belle King’s crimes or from the perspective of some of her victims.