Synopsis:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Stranger Beside Me comes Small Sacrifices, a shocking true crime account of the destructive forces that drove a beautiful young mother to shoot her three young children in cold blood.
“Somebody just shot my kids!” Diane Downs brought her car to a halt in front of a Springfield, Oregon, hospital, her three gravely wounded children beside her. Thus begins the tale of a truly unthinkable crime that shattered the tranquility of a tight-knit community. As police searched for the “shaggy-haired stranger” Diane accused of shooting 8-year-old Christie, 7-year-old Cheryl, and 3-year-old Danny, a suspicion grew that was even more horrifying than the crime itself: Did Diane shoot her own children? Haunted by this question, a dedicated district attorney searched for the answer and uncovered a chronology of incest, psychological wounding, desperate affairs, and surrogate motherhood. Ann Rule’s gripping, powerful, and ultimately terrifying true story of passion and murder will hold you in thrall as it plumbs the unimagined depths of darkness concealed within a human being.
Edition:
Paperback
Trigger Warnings:
Hover for Trigger WarningsMy Thoughts:
If you’ve been around for a while you probably know I enjoy reading true crime. I do also recognize that there are ways in which true crime content can be problematic. You can find an interesting write-up on the genre in the article True Crime is Cathartic for Women. It’s Also Cop Propaganda by P.E. Moskowitz. I recommend giving that a read if you’re so inclined. It’s good stuff, and I think the author really nails why true crime is a passion among so many. Myself included.
I also feel it is worth noting that I received this book as a gift from Charlotte at Horror Bound. Thank you Charlotte. And I promise I’m still planning on sending you those Murder, She Wrote books. *Wow, this all came together weirdly, didn’t it? Unintentional, but I like.* I’ll get them out just as soon as shipping drops back down to non-astronomical rates.
I also like themed reading a lot, and I read Small Sacrifices at a time when I was trying to read more Oregon-set stories. Since this particular tragedy played out in rural Oregon, it fit the bill perfectly. But fair warning if you aren’t of an age to remember this being in the news (spoiler: I’m not. I was born 2 years after it happened) – Diane Downs’ crimes are SHOCKING. This is the story of a dangerous human being who was obsessive in her need to be noticed, to be validated. She needed to feel important, and in control.
“Downs did not blunt her pursuit of excellence at Moon Valley High. Her intelligence was part of her armor against the world. Her name on the honor roll bolstered her still fragile ego.”
I have seen some criticism aimed at Small Sacrifices for the way it tells Diane’s story, but I feel like you see some of those leveraged at almost every true crime book in existence, don’t you? I feel like that, at least. Honestly I think this is kind of Rule in top form. She can get a little sanctimonious in her narratives when the crimes are particularly heinous ( or maybe just particularly misaligned with her own morals, idk). I think she avoided that beautifully here. What Diane was convicted of is fucking terrible. I think if I had written a book about her I’d have been hard pressed to keep my own thoughts and emotions out of the narrative, but I think that Rule succeeded admirably.
Rating:
I don’t think Rule broke any new ground with Small Sacrifices, but she told Downs’ story in a compelling enough way, and did what I felt was an admirable job of providing straightforward commentary.
Small Sacrifices By Ann Rule Berkley Books Published: July 5, 1988 Originally Published in 1988 ISBN: 9780451166609 Paperback, E-book, Audio 496 Pages
