Between Me and Myself

Name: Between Me and Myself
Brand: Penguin Random House NZ
SKU: 9781922330116
Price: 36.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

A Memoir of Murder, Desire and the Struggle to Be Free

By Sandra Willson

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3.42

( 26 ratings, 7 reviews)

Summary

In Between Me and Myself by Sandra Willson, the story unfolds within the psychological landscape of a protagonist entangled in a life riddled with secrets and inner conflict. As they navigate a web of mystery and deception, unexpected twists and intense emotional struggles punctuate the journey. This gripping crime thriller explores themes of identity and truth, keeping readers on the edge of their seats without revealing all its mysteries upfront.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$36⁰⁰

Elsewhere:

~~$40⁰⁰~~

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Between Me and Myself

$36⁰⁰

Elsewhere:

~~$40⁰⁰~~

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this gripping read if you have an interest in exploring the complex psychology of crime, as it delves into the intricate workings of the human mind and what drives individuals to deviance. This book weaves elements of suspense and moral duality, making it a captivating choice for fans of psychological thrillers.

Between Me and Myself

A recently uncovered memoir, this extraordinary tale of murder, mental health institutions, love, desire and oppression in 1950s Sydney is an explosive and utterly unique work.

A recently uncovered memoir, this extraordinary tale of murder, mental health institutions, love, desire and oppression in 1950s Sydney is an explosive and utterly unique work.

Description

On 29 April 1959, Sandra Willson, a twenty-year-old trainee psychiatric nurse from Paddington, devastated by the break-up of her relationship with her female lover, left her home and hailed a taxi. Asking the driver to take her to a remote location on the coast near Cronulla, she waited until he had stopped to consult a map and then shot him in the back of the head.

Found not guilty of murder on the grounds of insanity and sentenced to detention at the ‘Governor’s Pleasure’, Willson spent the next eighteen years in prison and psychiatric hospitals, becoming the longest-serving woman prisoner in New South Wales.

Her memoir, largely written in prison and now published for the first time, describes the events leading up to the shooting, the day itself and the years of incarceration that followed. Raw, compelling, Between Me and Myself is a fascinating insight into life on the social margins of post-war Sydney, an indictment of the justice system’s treatment of gay women, and a tragic story of abuse, mental illness, desire and repression.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Sandra Willson's Between Me and Myself has been described as an extraordinary and compelling account of one woman's introspective journey while in prison, highlighting her quest for self-improvement. Reviewers note the book's searing critique of Australian society and its institutions, acknowledging it as a challenging yet necessary read. Its frank writing style and engaging narrative offer a powerful and instructive exploration of activism, love, and hate.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922330116

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 15 June 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Contributors:

Edited by Rebecca Jennings

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 368

Collections

Biography & Memoir Crime & Thriller Fiction Penguin Books Sandra Willson True Crime

About the Author

Sandra Willson was born in 1939 in Sydney to working-class parents. Her first attempt to express her feelings for a woman led her to the Children’s Court and detention in the Parramatta Girls Training School. At nineteen, she began training as a psychiatric nurse but, when managers intervened to end her affair with a fellow trainee, a despairing Sandra plotted a murder that saw her sentenced to detention at the ‘Governor’s Pleasure’ on the grounds of insanity. She spent the next eighteen years in prison and psychiatric hospitals.

After her release, she worked on prison reform, establishing and running the first halfway house for women prisoners in New South Wales, serving on a range of government committees and acting as a consultant for the hit television show Prisoner.

In 1991, Sandra retired to Queensland, where she died, in 1999, leaving her papers and memoir to her local church.