The Massey Murder

I really enjoyed this book. It is not a novel, it is not fiction. And it does not pretend to be. The author describes the social environment of the time very well. It was definitely an intense time for women and for immigrants. Toronto was booming, times were changing.

Ostensibly it's the story of an 18 year old maid who, at point blank range, fired 2 shots and killed her employer Bert Massey - he of the Masseys (think Massey-Ferguson and Massey Hall) A guilty verdict brings with it a death sentence and for a few short weeks it held the city of Toronto's rapt attention.

But that's just the thread that moves the story forward. It's also the story of Toronto at the turn of the century. We see rival newspapers vying for readers with partisan politics and brash editorial personalities. It's the story of Canada a mere generation after Confederation, looking to shrug off the yoke of British colonialism. It is the start of WWI and Canadian soldier showing their nation's resolve at Pachendale, Vimy and Ypres. With the men off to war women are entering the workforce and we see the beginnings of social reform and the seeds of the suffragette movement. Narrative historical non-fiction generally falls outside my wheelhouse but this proved an engrossing read and a vibrant snapshot of Toronto for a few weeks in the winter of 1915.