Mrs. Trubilla’s 9th-grade classes are currently reading a book called The Borden Murders by Sarah Miller at Hamburg Area High School. The central focus is on Lizzie Borden, who was allegedly responsible for the murders of her father and stepmother. Students seem to like the book so far and love the suspenseful tone.
Noelle Bowen stated, “I think it’s interesting to get exposed to a different genre, kinda like mystery. I like the analysis we do and exploring different perspectives and opinions on the case. I feel like it is better than the normal books that we would read, like the older ones.” Mason Velilla does not mind the book so far, but believes it is too early to give a full opinion. The book contains a lot of different perspectives that can make an impact on the reader’s perspective, making it more interesting.
The case happened in the 1890s, and a lot of the information and tools we have today were not available at the time. There were also several societal standards that some believe were not the best, seen through a modern perspective. Lizzie Borden was seen as the most likely suspect for these murders. She was the daughter of Andrew Borden and the stepdaughter of Abby Borden, the victims of this murder.
There are several others that people believe today could have been responsible for the murder. Noelle Bowen stated, “My personal belief is that the uncle did it, but Lizze also has a lot of evidence pointing towards her.” Mason Velila’s personal belief is that Lizzie did it because there are just too many coincidences and evidence pointing towards her. Phalene Hoppes believes she did not do it, but does not know who else could have. Tristan Fajna believes it was Bridget, the maid the Borden family had at the time.
Students who are reading The Borden Murders enjoy it and the writing style, and are excited and nervous to finish the book, if they have not done so already.
