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Article: Mary, Mary, quite contrary; Except for killing her mother, Mary Lamb was famous for her generosity and kindness.(FEATURES)(BOOKS)(Book Review)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- January 18, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Christina McCarroll
Susan Hitchcock begins "Mad Mary Lamb" with what she calls "The Dreadful Scene Imagined": One Thursday afternoon in 1796, while preparing roast mutton and turnips, Mary Lamb killed her mother with a carving knife as she sat in her favorite chair.
She was in a trance, Hitchcock suggests. After years of selfless, grueling housework, the 31-year-old had slipped into delirium. The murder is her legend, and from the chronology of this biography, it seems to launch her life. In the aftermath of her gory crime, Mary became a pioneer of literature, a solace to her brother, a woman famous for her generosity and good sense.
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