Women Who Love Men Who Kill : 35 True Stories of Prison Passion

The "engrossing, thoroughly researched look at women who are in romantic relationships with incarcerated men"--fully updated with twenty-first-century cases ( Publishers Weekly ). In 1991, Sheila Isenberg's classic study Women Who Love Men Who Kill asked the provocative question, "Why do women fall in love with convicted murderers?" Now, Isenberg returns to the same question in the age of smart phones, social media, mass shootings, and modern prison dating. The result is a compelling psychological study of prison passion in the new millennium. Isenberg conducts extensive interviews with women who seek relationships with convicted killers, as well as conversations with psychiatrists, social workers, and prison officials. She shows that many of these women know exactly what they are getting into--yet they are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of a love without hope, promise, or consummation. This edition of Women Who Love Men Who Kill includes gripping new case studies and an absorbing look at how the digital age is revolutionizing this phenomenon. Meet the young women writing "fan fiction" featuring America's most sadistic murderers; the killer serving consecutive life sentences for strangling his wife and smothering his toddler daughters--and the women who visit him in prison; the high-powered journalist who fell in love and risked it all for "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli; and many other women absorbed in online and real-life dalliances with their killer men. They may be professors, reporters, nurses, social workers, waitresses, office workers or corporate executives. They may have advanced college degrees or have never gotten past the sixth grade. They may live in a bustling big city or a small town. On the surface, these women seem like ordinary people. They aren't. They are the women who love men who have killed—and their numbers are growing.At once both disturbing and fascinating, Women Who Love Men Who Kill is an extraordinary, compelling psychological study of prison passion as we've never seen it before. For the first time, author Sheila Isenberg examines this national phenomenon. Through extensive research and interviews with the women themselves, as well as psychiatrists, social workers, and prison officials, she sheds light on why these women are drawn into relationships with men who are the outcasts of society, men with whom they can never enjoy a “normal” relationship. Although some have been victims of abuse and violence, many of the women vulnerable to these relationships know exactly what they are getting into, but their capacity for denial and their need for a safe, idealized, romantic fantasy of love transcends judgment. These women are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of a love without hope or promise, or consummation, and they welcome the sacrifice because it means that they and their feelings are worthy.“[Sheila] Isenberg provides a fascinating look at women ‘compelled to dance with the masters of death,'women so obsessed with convicted murderers that they marry them, giving up all else in their lives, including their children, to fulfill their deepest fantasies.” (Kirkus Reviews) "Thirty years after she first asked, "Why do women fall in love with convicted murderers?," Sheila Isenberg answers the question anew in the age of smartphones, mass shootings, celebrity worship of murderers, and modern prison dating. Through research and interviews with women who seek relationships with convicted killers via snail and email, and through conversations with psychiatrists, social workers, and prison officials, Women Who Love Men Who Kill sheds light on why women are drawn into relationships with incarcerated outcasts. This updated edition includes gripping new case studies and a look at how the digital age is revolutionizing this phenomenon. Meet the young women writing "fan fiction" featuring America's most sadistic murderers; the killer serving consecutive life sentences for strangling his wife and smothering his toddler daughters -- and the women who visit him in prison; the journalist who fell in love and risked it all for "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli; and many others." -- Back cover Author Sheila Isenberg provides a fascinatîng look at women „compelled to dance with the masters of death“ women so obsessed with convicted murderers that they marry them, often giving up everything else in their lives, including their children, to fulfill their deepest fantasies. Isenberg interviewed dozens of these women, some of their men, as well as corrections professionals, psychiatrists, and psychologists. The profile that emerges is of „little girls lost“, women who were damaged by painful childhoods who are living in a fantasy world, in love not with a real man but with an illusion based on denial. Isenberg's skills in getting these women to reveal themselves, her ability to present them as sympathetic and understandable, and her synthesis of the material they provided make for an engrossing report. - Kirkus Review Author Sheila Isenberg Provides A Fascinating Look At Women'compelled Todance With The Masters Of Death'—women So Obsessed With Convicted Murders That They Marry Them, Often Giving Up Everything Else In Their Lives, Including Their Children, To Fulfill Their Deepest Fantasies. Isenberg Interviewed Dozens Of These Women, Some Of Their Men, As Well As Correcitns Professionals, Psychiatrists, And Psychologists. The Profile That Emerges Is Of 'little Girls Lost,' Women Who Were Damaged By Painful Childhoods Who Are Living In A Fantasy World, In Love Not With A Real Man But With An Illusion Based On Denial. Isenberg's Skills In Getting Those Women To Reveal Themselvs, Her Ability To Present Them As Sympathetic And Understandable, And Her Synthesis Of The Material They Provided Make For A Engrossing Report.—kirkus Review "Through research and interviews with women who seek relationships with convicted killers via snail and email, and through conversations with psychiatrists, social workers, and prison officials, 'Women who love men who kill' sheds light on why women are drawn into relationships with incarcerated outcasts."--Page 4 of cover **The "engrossing, thoroughly researched look at women who are in romantic relationships with incarcerated men"--fully updated with twenty-first-century cases (__Publishers Weekly__).**__Women Who Love Men Who Kill__ __Women Who Love Men Who Kill__