The full title of today's book is We Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence, by Becky Cooper. It seems at least once a year I read at least one true crime book, and I am always fascinated...along with shocked and terrified. This book came to my attention as it was nominated for the Best Nonfiction category in the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards. It may not have won, but I am sure I am not the only one who has since added it to their reading list.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book that thoroughly explores the 1969 murder of Jane Britton, a graduate student at Harvard studying archeology. It is while attending Harvard as a student herself that the author hears the story - which at this point had become more of an urban legend or fable - of the young lady that was murdered in her nearby apartment by the professor with which she was rumored to be having an affair. It appears that after being bludgeoned, her body was covered in red ochre and not found until the next day. And then, after some initial questioning, it seems like the case is forgotten. It disappears, not to be talked about again, and the murderer is never found. But Cooper had already become too intrigued to let it go, so she spends the next nine years investigating, interviewing, digging, calling, making records requests...whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this decades old case. Of course, the ultimate focus and purpose is to find the killer once and for all, but what also comes up is Harvard's long history of trying to keep these kinds of things quiet, as well as the longstanding problem of misogyny in all of academics, but especially in archeology, and especially in archeology at Harvard. Cooper attempts to leave no stone unturned as she explores Jane's complex history, and the cryptic circumstances surrounding her death.
My Verdict: My one word for this book would be thorough. If a name comes up in relation to this case, Cooper tries her best to find the person and talk to them. If the person is deceased, she looks for their spouse, child, coworker, whatever. She flew all over the country, took a job that required her to live on Harvard's campus, and was willing to endure records requests that would take years to be fulfilled, if only because they were often repeatedly denied at first. There is a lot of information provided throughout the book that will look like it is leading to something, but turns out it is not. What results is something that is rarely boring, almost always fascinating, but sometimes frustrating. At times it can be hard to reconcile Cooper's obsession with case, but it is an obsession that is often seen with many true crime writers, and reminded me the most of Michelle McNamara, author of I'll Be Gone in the Dark. This book is dense and full of details, and in my opinion, is worth the time.
Favorite Moment: There is a photo that is introduced early in the novel of the group that went on an expedition to Tepe Yahya in the middle east, of which Jane Britton was one. The author will get to view two versions of the same scene, and it is the comparison of the two - where in the first, Jane is looking away from the camera, and in the second, she is looking directly at it - that was my favorite moment. I do not know if any real or helpful information could be pulled from the two pictures, but it is chilling when they are placed next to each other.
Recommended Reading: I highly recommend I'll Be Gone in the Dark by McNamara, as well as American Predator by Maureen Callahan.
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