A groundbreaking work of historical nonfiction by Hallie Rubenhold, first published in 2019. Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize, the book reexamines one of history's most infamous murder cases by shifting the focus away from the killer and toward his victims.

Instead of centering on the identity and crimes of Jack the Ripper, Rubenhold reconstructs the lives of the five canonical victims:

• Mary Ann Nichols
• Annie Chapman
• Elizabeth Stride
• Catherine Eddowes
• Mary Jane Kelly

Drawing on extensive archival research, Rubenhold challenges long-standing myths, including the widespread assumption that all five women were prostitutes. Instead, she presents them as daughters, wives, mothers, workers, and individuals whose lives were shaped by poverty, domestic violence, addiction, illness, homelessness, and the harsh realities of Victorian society.

Set against the backdrop of Victorian London, the book paints a vivid picture of everyday life in the late nineteenth century, exploring social inequality, women's rights, labor conditions, and the limited opportunities available to poor women. The murders themselves remain part of the story, but they are no longer its defining feature.

Rather than sensationalizing true crime, The Five restores dignity and humanity to women whose identities were overshadowed for more than a century by the legend of their killer. It is both a compelling social history and a powerful critique of how history remembers victims.