Lei: The Bad Seed by William March

I picked this up for 50 cents at the Shelter Island library book sale. 

I read it in about 3 days. 

Partially because the language is simple, and I could voraciously inhale pages in seconds like a teenage boy at any meal. Largely because it was engrossing.

A 9 year old girl who is almost too perfect. A mother who slowly comes to understand what her daughter is hiding, and, too, from whence such behaviour and emotional vaccuum is derived. The question of nature v. nurture is finally, if uncomfortably, answered. (And pray the gods - yes all of them - help you if you cross her.)

I particularly enjoyed the ending. The mother's conundrum of how to deal with her child's psychopathy kept me on edge. And once she finally decided, the way she executed it... well, let's just say I'm still scared.

I read somewhere that this book is an example of 1950s American paranoia about secret communists: anyone can be a psychopathic serial killer, even a perfect angelic child, even your own perfect angelic child. Keep your eye on everyone, and contemplate what you will do if and when you find out your own family has betrayed you.


PS
Netflix for books! Yippee!! http://www.bookswim.com/