A Book by Camilla Bruce

I will be upfront and say that I did not finish this book – I normally don’t do reviews like this, but I felt that I made it far enough in to justify even a short review. The so-called “Bloody Benders” were a Family of nineteenth Century serial killers operating in Labette County, Kansas from May 1871 to December 1872. Not much is known about the family other than the fact that they opened a short-lived hotel and potentially killed upwards of twelve to twenty travelers trying to make a living out west. The Benders targeted their marks using the Inn as a way to fleece supplies from people, and was a convenient honey-pot for weary people trying to stay out of the rough Kansas elements.

In fact, most historical accounts can’t even settle on the actual names of the family, with some naming the family’s matriarch “Elvira”, and others “Elmira”, and Both “Johns” (Jr. and Sr.) being referred to as “William” at times – the family obviously stayed to themselves for the most part and were likely subject to discrimination. The Benders were widely believed to be German immigrants, with the elders speaking little to no English. Some believe they succumbed to a lynch mob, and others believe they escaped unscathed, so the canvas is pretty open for whatever interpretation of the characters one can come up with – which is why I was so saddened with just how dull this book was.

“The winds shift nervously on the Kansas plain whispering of travelers lost and buried, whispering of witches. Something dark and twisted has taken root at the Bender Inn. At first the townspeople of Cherryvale welcome the rising medium Kate Bender and her family. Kate’s messages from the Beyond give their tedious dreams hope and her mother’s potions cure their little ills—for a price. No one knows about their other business, the shortcut to a better life. And why shouldn’t their family prosper? They’re careful. It’s only from those who are marked, those who travel alone and can easily disappear, that the Benders demand their pound of flesh.
But even a gifted seer like Kate can make a misstep. Now as the secrets festering beneath the soil of the family orchard threaten to bring them all to ruin, the Benders must sharpen their craft—or vanish themselves.”

All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas shifts narratives between chapters, something that was somewhat jarring at first, but comes together well as the book progresses. Chapters are told between the point of view of either Kate Bender, Elvira Bender, and Hanson, a boy from the nearby trading station. I felt that this somewhat was a cause of the issues I had with this book as it really slowed everything down to a crawl. There never really was a big “gotcha” moment in the first 100-150 pages as the story just meandered around towards the first murder. I will say that the characterization was pretty good, considering that not much is known about the family aside from the daughter Kate, and that was because she was trying to work as a Spiritualist medium within the county. The weird incestuous relationship between the two siblings as well as Kate’s far too liberal opinions on everything dubbed sacred in that time had the hallmarks of the beginnings of a great folk horror story, but I just eventually lost interest.

It’s not a terrible book, but it never really grabbed me and most of the revelations can be easily gleaned from Wikipedia. All-in-all All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas was a missed opportunity, which is a shame because I really wanted to enjoy it. I need to hunt down a true crime book about this case since I was potentially planning a trip to the county museum of the area this happened in and I’d like to know more – that is if there is really much to go on.