I'd Know You Anywhere

I’d Know You Anywhere
By Laura Lippman
William Morrow, 2010. 373 pgs. Fiction

Lippman’s new piece of fiction was inspired by the sole surviving victim of a serial killer who preyed on underage girls. The author wondered what the effects of such trauma would be on the woman that girl became. Her story tells of 16 year old Elizabeth who is kidnapped by Walter, a disturbed young man who justifies to himself each brutal and selfish act he commits. Decades later, Walter is about to face death by lethal injection when he reaches out to his one surviving victim. Is he looking for forgiveness or is he simply struggling to survive even at this late hour?

This story is told from a variety of perspectives. Elizabeth as a teenager held captive, and then as the wife and mother that she will become. Young Walter as he attempts to engage with women and then later as he faces his last days on this earth. Others also tell their stories including one of the murdered girls’ mother and an activist who has taken on Walter’s cause. All these viewpoints weave a fascinating tale of redemption, courage, survival, and the journey we all take to truly know ourselves.

CZ