Bonnie by Christina Schwarz

 

Bonnie by Christina Schwarz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bonnie and Clyde have always fascinated me. This book tells Bonnie's side of the story. Legend often paints them as a pair of romantic Robin Hood gangsters.  This book makes clear they were not.  They were cop killing petty thieves, often very stupid in their thievery. Their life on the run was not glamorous. They were often dirty and hungry, sleeping in their car or at campsites. 

The author suggests that Bonnie was smart and educated enough to provide a better life for herself.  She wrote poetry while on the run, and much of her poetry proved to be prophetic.  It was clear she had no delusions about how her story would end.  It makes me wonder why she was so attracted to Clyde and the life she chose.  This all occurred during the Great Depression when food, jobs, money, and maybe most importantly, hope were scarce.

I like that this book humanized Bonnie and Clyde; the good and the bad. It gave the reader a glimpse of the realities of life on the run, and showed what punks they were. Since it is historical fiction, the author took known events and then filled in the blanks. She did a good job.

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