The First Day of Spring

This was a tough read for me, and it could have some serious triggers for people concerning child abuse, and child murder.  This book is tragic and explores the argument of nature vs nurture as you take a journey from present to past and explores how an unhinged young girl who commits murder struggles with being a first-time parent.  When Chrissie tells her story in her 8-year-old voice, it is eloquent in capturing her age.  It is very easy not to like Chrissie, and while she has murdered a child you just want to reach out and hug her.  The book is a slow burn, and where the book can be quite disturbing, I wouldn’t call it scary.  The book, I feel, is meant to show just how our past childhood can affect our present life.  The writing was gripping and yet delicate. The subject matter is dark and chilling and yet the writing is lyrical so that it isn’t totally jarring. I found myself quickly immersed in the timelines and in Chrissie’s outcome.