Born Female Author: [UK] Hayley Rubenhold Publisher: Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House

This book puts an end to the misogyny that feeds the Ripper myth.

--The Guardian

"Just prostitutes", the media has always been keen to tell people that the people killed by "Jack the Ripper" were all prostitutes, and in this serial murder case, the killer became the focus of the story, and even became the object of people's pursuit. The women victims were not only ignored by the media and the public, but also distorted.

By collecting a large amount of historical archives, trial materials, witness testimonies, and combining the background of the time, Harley Rubenhold restored the rich and miserable lives of the five victims for readers. Those killed by "Jack the Ripper" were not all prostitutes, "they were daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and lovers", and more importantly, "they were human beings". They were killed not because of their immorality or moral corruption, but because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their greatest misfortune may be that they were born women.

This is an angry and important piece of historical detective work that exposes the misogyny behind the Ripper mystery. - The Guardian

Reuben Hodder rails against books that endlessly speculate on the identity of Jack the Ripper while ignoring the five people he brutally murdered. In this sympathetic collective portrait and thought-provoking social history, these women are finally vindicated. --The Washington Post

Reuben Hodder pieced together five moving stories that ended in the streets of Whitechapel, giving these women the immortality their murderer did not deserve. - Daily Mail

This book wants to explain how we can give dead women a voice again in the face of brutal men, inaction of police, and bloodthirsty public. - The Spectator

Reubenhold dispels years of myths and misunderstandings. The women killed by Jack the Ripper are no longer flat characters in Penny Dreadful, but real people with real struggles, hopes, and fears. With this important work, Reubenhold proves that she is a master of nonfiction, a historian with the soul of a novelist. - Lindsay Fitzharris, author of "Surgical Past"

This book is exquisite. It will bring you tears, sympathy and anger. - Lucy Worsley, author of If Houses Could Talk

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, it is timely to restore dignity to these unfortunate women. - Sue Black, author of "206 Pieces of a Puzzle to Solve the Mystery of Death"

This book is an intense and affectionate discussion of how we view the ethics of murder. It is an outstanding, thought-provoking and responsible political work. - Bridget Collins, author of The Bookbinder

About the Author