Book Review: Whatever Mother Says

I’m a big fan of true crime and am always searching for a new book to read, a documentary to watch, or a podcast to listen to. True crime fascinates me because the stories are true with the twists and turns and unexpected events that keep me on my toes. Psychology has always interested me and when I follow true crime stories, I want to understand the killer’s motivation and explore their mind. As much as I enjoy true crime stories, they can be difficult to take in because the disturbing content can be an emotional burden. It’s not unusual to feel sad or angry when following a true crime story, but sometimes the stories can live in your head and heart longer than you wish.

At least, that’s the case after I finished reading Wensley Clarkson’s book, Whatever Mother Says…: A True Story of a Mother, Madness and Murder.

In February, a former coworker who also has an interest in true crime recommended I read it. I purchased it off of Amazon right then and there and got started on reading it as soon as it arrived on my doorstep a few days later. As soon as I began reading it, I instantly became attached and finished it within two days. I admit I had to take multiple breaks because of the terrifying events detailed in the book. The story is severely disturbing and left me feeling all sorts of emotions: beyond furious, severely heartbroken, and utterly confused.

To avoid providing too much detail since I don’t want to give any parts of the book away, here’s the overview: 

The gruesome actions of Theresa and the indescribable pain and horrific acts she committed on her children left me puzzled, scrambling to understand how a mother could do this to her own flesh and blood. I
couldn’t stop thinking about what happened to those children for weeks after finishing it.

The question on my mind, and the minds of those who read it, I’m sure, is “What led Theresa to act this way?” Little light is shed on her family life. After losing her mother, she was left to care for her father who suffered from Parkinson’s disease. I wonder if anything happened in her childhood that impacted her. Theresa married young and started a family at an early age. Her insecurities and jealousy truly show with her controlling and angry behavior towards her first husband. From there, her behavior worsens and she becomes violent, physically abusing her children.

Aside from Theresa’s actions, what’s incredibly infuriating is that some of the children reported their mother’s abuse to authorities but no one believed them. It would, unfortunately, take some time before the truth was unraveled and Theresa was convicted.

This book doesn’t read like a day-by-day story. Instead, the chapters focus on the mother’s gruesome actions and leave out the “in-between events” of their lives.

I gave the book a 4 out of 5-star rating.

GoodReads rates the book a 3.9/5
Thriftbooks rates it a 3.8/5
Scribd rates it a 4/5

Did you read Whatever Mother Says…: A True Story of a Mother, Madness and Murder? Please share your opinion and thoughts in the comments!