I D Know You Elsewhere Analysis

I’d Know You Anywhere, Laura Lippman

Laura Lippman, an accomplished author in the crime fiction genre, strikes gold with her stand-alone novel I’d Know You Anywhere, loosely based off of real events. For the first section of the novel, Lippman flawlessly switches the setting from present time, mainly in Maryland to 1985 with almost every chapter. Eliza Benedict, the main character, frequently refers to 1985 as “the summer she was fifteen”. To her, it is much easier than saying “that time I was kidnapped and raped” to her husband, Peter. Despite Eliza’s oldest child being thirteen, her two kids were still unaware that anything tragic had ever happened. Even her husband never knew the entire story. But then again, had Eliza even came to terms with it herself? After shortening her name from Elizabeth, and moving into another county, she was mostly able to forget about those thirty-nine days, tuck it into a dusty corner of her mind. However, that will come to an end when Walter Bowman, the perpetrator, sends her a letter from prison.
Eliza had not seen Walter since the last court trial, and was shocked he knew where she lived.
At the end of the letter, Walter writes what will turn out to be the most famous quote of the book: "There was your photo, in a magazine. Of course, you are older now. Still, I'd know you anywhere." By now Walter was on death row, scheduled to be executed on November 25. Eliza, of course, was not his only victim. She was just the only one to survive, not be murdered like the others. Eventually Walter requests that Eliza have more contact with him, starting off with phone calls. Soon he promises to tell her about the other murders, the ones no one was able to prove. The catch? Eliza has to visit
him.
At this point, Lippman cleverly has the reader almost feeling sympathy for Walter, almost wanting to believe his reasons for the deaths of several girls. Most people are familiar with Stockholm syndrome, a fairly common outcome in the real world of these situations where victims begin to feel sympathy for their captor, rather than resentment and the strong desire to run away. It is hinted to the reader that this could have been a factor that spared Eliza from death, but never proved. During the time that Eliza was with Walter, she had many opportunities to sneak out of the hotel at night, run away, or even confide in a waitress. However, Walter made sure she was aware that if she was to do such, he would make her watch him killing Eliza’s family, and then Eliza herself. While reading, my reactions went far beyond “this book is great, I can’t put it down”. The writing style was just perfect and engrossing, surpassing my expectations. But instead, even early on in the rising action, reading was far more important than normal necessities, like food and sleep. I simply had to get an answer to all of the questions floating in my mind. “Will Eliza ever tell her kids what happened?” “Is she going to visit Walter in prison?” “Will Walter actually confess to the other murders?” It was an endless stream, demanding answers, not allowing me to stop reading for more than ninety seconds at a time. Reading I’d Know You Anywhere definitely challenged my current views on capital punishment, from both sides of the debate. Part of me started to even feel bad for Walter, when he described how he’s started a new life in prison and is a different person. I would strongly recommend this book first to everyone who has read the Tess Monaghan series, What The Dead Know, or any of Laura Lippman’s other stand-alone novels. While What The Dead Know has won awards, even Lippman feels that I’d Know You Anywhere is a much better book. At first, I was a fan of crime fiction, or mystery in general. I had never even heard of Laura Lippman. Now I plan on reading some of her other books, and I would recommend this one to people in a situation similar to my own just a few days ago. Even someone with an interest in capital punishment would enjoy trying to pick sides, and their views may even change without them realizing it. In loose terms, very loose terms, this book is similar to most other crime fiction novels out there. However, I would have to put I’d Know You Anywhere quite a few steps above most of the novels in this genre. Laura Lippman writes her characters with a remarkable elegance, developing characters that will stay with you well long after you finish reading. This is a book that I plan on recommending to many others, and look forward to discussing. Ultimately, I’d Know You Anywhere was superior in the thought-provoking category
(and many others), therefore deserving no less than a placement at the top.