Beverly Lowry's memoir 'Crossed Over' explores her deep connection with convicted murderer Karla Faye Tucker, whom she visited in prison. The book delves into Tucker's troubled past and Lowry's personal grief, offering a poignant and graphic account of their relationship and the complexities of the death penalty.
Beverly Lowry's 'Crossed Over' is a deeply personal memoir that chronicles her unexpected bond with Karla Faye Tucker, a convicted murderer on death row. Lowry, who had experienced significant personal loss, found herself drawn to Tucker's paradoxical nature—her serene appearance contrasting with her violent past. The book is brutally honest and lyrically poignant, exploring themes of redemption, grief, and the death penalty without taking a definitive stance. Lowry's love for Tucker and her sorrow at Tucker's execution are palpable throughout the narrative. The memoir is a haunting exploration of human connection and the complexities of justice, reminiscent of Rachel Kushner's 'The Mars Room'.
Quick quotes
For reasons author Beverly Lowry did not understand then and does not now, she began visiting convicted murderer Karla Faye Tucker at the Mountain View Unit near Gatesville, TX, in March 1989.
She had been through a series of years when “it seemed all I did was choose caskets and throw funerals.
Lowry’s book was made into a 2002 movie starring Diane Keaton as Lowry and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Karla Faye Tucker.