“Women are often attracted to true crime, possibly in an attempt to comprehend the reasons behind a female death in order to safeguard themselves. Moreover, when a mother, particularly a pregnant one, becomes engrossed in the murder of a child, the question arises – what does this signify?
Birgitta Sivander, a nine-year-old child, was cruelly murdered in 1948, but the murderer was never revealed. Segtnan uses The Eighth House to illustrate the sequence of events that led to the killing in the town it took place and its aftermath, with detailed research and her personal experiences. Being pregnant with her first child, Segtnan’s story is rendered into an intimate journey, underscored by a sense of urgency.
The book’s intense philosophical outlook and extensive research make it an engrossing read. The narrative speeds up due to the suspense of a murder mystery twinned with the anticipation of childbirth. The real-life horror within the story, however, stops it from being considered as a work of fiction. The life of a young girl brutally ripped away is at the heart of the story. Books like Ghost in the Throat and Into the Night that Flies So Fast are comparable due to their use of literature as a means to narrate the stories of voiceless individuals from the past.
Despite the potential controversies surrounding the reconstruction of a life with incomplete facts, it is crucial to acknowledge that the biases of the authors influence all historical literature. In The Eighth House, the author’s place within the story allows for this bias to be examined. Segtnan confidently portrays herself within the narrative, thereby personifying a historian, a novice sleuth, and a concerned mother. This level of personal involvement elevates the story, evidencing that factual stories can often be deeply enriched by a touch of creative writing.
At its core, The Eighth House delves into the patterns of violence that culminated in Sivander’s, and several other children’s deaths, raising the question of how this might evolve. The book is a uniquely absorbing entry into the arena of women’s literature which seeks to challenge and redefine existing power structures.”
Juli Min’s ‘Shanghailanders’: A saga of love, matrimony, and concealed family mysteries across generations.