Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with an advance copy of Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich's memoir, The Fact of a Body, in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT- In The Fact of a Body, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich blends memoir with true crime, exploring the dark secrets of her own family, alongside the 1992 murder of six-year old Jeremy Guillory in Louisiana.
LIKE- Wow. Marzano-Lesnevich has written a book that I'm positive will forever stick with me. It's surprising, shocking, and wrought with emotion. I can't remember ever reading a book that blends memoir with an unrelated true crime. It made for an absolutely fascinating read.
Jeremy Guillory was murdered by Ricky Langley, a twenty-six year old man who had a history of molesting children. Guillory was friends with the children that lived in the home where Langley was renting a room, and one afternoon, Guillory showed up while the other children were gone. Langley allowed Guillory to wait inside the house for his friends to return. Langley felt unable to control himself and he strangled Guillory, hiding the child's body inside his closet, which would not be discovered for three days. Langley would confess to the crime, although he changed the details of his confession several times. Although Langley was never considered mentally incapacitated, he mentioned being overcome by the spirit of his brother, who was decapitated in a car crash before Langley was born. It seems that Langley did molest Guillory, but it wasn't proven, and he has confessed, although again, not proven, to molesting several other children over the course of many years. There were three trials for Guillory's death and Langley was put on and subsequently taken off, death row. Guillory's mother testified on his behalf during the penalty phase, not wishing for him to be executed.
The true crime aspect of The Fact of a Body, would be interesting enough on its own, but Marzano-Lesnevich has taken a more in-depth approach to examining the case. She looks back at Langley's family and his troubled upbringing, stemming from a car crash before Langley was even born. This crash would kill two of his siblings and give his mother devastating life-long health problems. When she was pregnant with Langley, she was on heavy medication, the effects of which, surely impacted Langley's development. The family would struggle with poverty and addiction, never able to get their lives back on track.
Marzano-Lesnevich comes from a very different background, but she finds common ground with the Langley's and Guillory's. Her family doesn't discuss her father's depression or that her grandfather, has been molesting both Marzano-Lesnevich and her sister, for years. These secrets weigh heavy. Marzano-Lesnevich comes across the Guillory story when she is a summer intern during law school and the particulars of the case, make her reflect on her own family history of mental illness and molestation, on anger and forgiveness.
DISLIKE- Not a single thing. The Fact of a Body is a book that I couldn't put down. However, I will issue a warning that this story has extremely graphic and upsetting details, that might make it too difficult for some readers. Proceed with caution.
RECOMMEND- Yes, you must read this book. Marzano-Lesnevich has masterfully blended memoir with crime to create an unforgettable story. Her writing is poignant and courageous. I'm certain that The Fact of a Body will shoot to the top of the bestsellers list.