Real Time ReView: Notes On An Execution by Danya Kukafka

Many of us fall victim to the sensationalism that surrounds serial killers, but we as a culture seem to struggle with seeing their victims and loved ones as more than just a character in their story. 

 

What Notes on an Execution does (and it does so authentically and viscerally), is gives that story back to the woman who were a formative part of one criminal’s life. They take back their story. 

Ansel Parker, convicted serial killer, is on death row awaiting execution. While we are given windows in Ansel’s past, we’re never made to feel sympathetic or sorry for the actions this person took (while offering a window into the idea of nature vs. nurture). Ansel’s story is told TO him, as if someone is dictating his experience to him, which was really effective from a storytelling point of view. This POV has meaning as he spent his life trying to control and manipulate other people. 

But the real light in this book is the women who, at one point or another, were part of his journey. His mother, his girlfriend’s twin, and a childhood acquaintance all tell their story in beautifully unique and haunting ways, expertly written by Danya Kukafka. The story is woven together in a way that is both tender and thrilling. Each and every one of these characters go on their own journey, at their own pace, which can be at points heartbreaking and hopeful. 

The book will make you think twice about the characters in the background, especially the women who are too often depicted as just damsels in distress. While what happens to them undoubtedly affects them, their unique stories show how much more we are than what happens to us. 

Unique, emotional, and important; Notes on an Execution is the best book I’ve read so far this year.