Bertha Melish, a student at Mt. Holyoke college for women, goes missing in the late 1800's. Her roommate, Agnes, is a serious student of poor circumstances who basically keeps to herself and is Bertha's roommate and confidant. As the story unfolds, the reader learns that Agnes knows what happened to Bertha and has had a hand in her disappearance.

There is a cast of characters adding to the plot. Florence, Bertha's presumed sister is actually her mother as a result of incest with Florence's minister father. Dr. Hammond is the family doctor who is aware of Bertha's parentage and is fascinated and deeply in love with her although she is not the least interested in him. Agnes desires to become a surgeon and has the opportunity to learn anatomy at the school.

The story unfolds slowly but the reader sees that Bertha is pregnant as the result of a love affair with a illiterate Frenchman working at a mill. Agnes performs an abortion which goes bad and Bertha dies of sepsis and Agnes destroys the body promising Bertha that she will never reveal the pregnancy. The story is a bit of a stretch at times, but the school atmosphere with the girls seems very believable. The story might have had more of an impact if part of it could have been told from Bertha's point of view. ( )

3 / 5 ⭐️'ˢ

“Killingly” by Katharine Beutner


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