Until the Twelfth of Never: The Deadly Divorce of Dan and Betty Broderick

by Bella Stumbo

Book Overview

They were two of the most notorious and controversial murder trials of the last twenty-five years, splitting American public opinion in half.Before dawn on November 5, 1989, Betty Broderick got into... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671726668
• ISBN13: 9780671726669
• Release Date: July 1993
• Publisher: Pocket Books
• Length: 546 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

In-Depth

I’ve seen all the movies and interviews, read several books, and gone over many articles. This book covers it ALL. This is an objective, in-depth account of the story and the things that came before and after the headlines.

A reader in NY

At first glance, the average person might be able to relate to the Brodericks with their wealth and social position. However, this book deals with so many universal themes: The inequity in divorce laws, parents who lash out in anger at each other and children caught in the middle. This is such a sad story for everyone involved, especially the Broderick children, who were not only victims of their parents anger, and of course, the murders, but also victims of a mother who refuses to take any responsibility for the pain she has brought to so many people. The author did an excellent job of telling this story and tying all the pieces together. I pray that the Kolkena and Broderick families find some peace of mind.

quite a bit different from the movie

While I in no way defend what Betty did, the movie version had Dan and Linda as angels just picked on by Betty. In the book, it showed the way Dan really manipulated the system and got what he wanted. They knew she was crazy but I don't think she would have went over the deep end as much if Linda hadn't took over her house, kids, even the Notre Dame games, just stepped into her shoes. You see it all the time, women work so he can go to school, give up their career and when men go through their "menopause" they want a younger woman along with their corvette. This is definitely a tragedy and I just wonder now how the kids lives turned out.

A WOMAN REALLY SCORNED

REALLY GOOD BOOK.SEEMS TO GIVE CHARACTER OR LACK OF CHARACTERS TO ALL THE PLAYERS. JUST HOW FAR DAN AND LINDA COULD PUSH THIS POOR WOMAN IS MIND BOGGLING. DID THEY ACTUALLY THINK THEY COULD KEEP PUSHING WITHOUT ANYTHING HAPPENING. THE DIVORCE SHOULD HAD A CHANGE OF VENUE.DAN BY MOST ACCOUNTS WAS NOT A NICE PERSON. HE WAS MEAN, CHEAP, PETTY AND SPITEFUL, AND HE TRULY MET HIS SOULMATE IN LINDA KOLKENA. AND JUST WHERE THEY LEFT OFF THEY GOT KERRY WELLS TO PICK UP.DID ANY OF THESE PEOPLE KNOW THE WORD COMPASSION. FOR ALL HER LAW DEGREES MS. WELLS SEEMS LACKING. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW AND PROOF POSITIVE IN THIS CASE.I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN.

Stacking the deck

This was an excellent book, a real inside look at the "all-American happy family of 6" turned dysfunctional, as well as the current state of our justice system. Betty Broderick was a product of her upbringing, a "good Catholic girl" who spent nearly 10 years cutting corners and making sacrifices to put her husband Dan through Harvard Law School, although he had already achieved a medical degree from Cornell. Betty, unfortunately, placed far too much importance on appearances and social aspirations. Her decision to "look the other way" from Dan's high-profile affair with his hand-picked 22-year-old assistant, Linda, proved to be devastating. When Dan decided to divorce Betty for Linda, Betty's entire world was shattered. Stumbo tells the entire story of Betty's "fall from grace" in an even-handed manner, showcasing Betty's selfishness as well as her descent into madness. Dan and Linda are portrayed in a good light by their friends and relatives, while shown by others to be petty and self-centered, especially in their continuous efforts to knock Betty down another notch, even years after Betty and Dan's separation. Stumbo's best moments, however, are in the courtroom, for both the divorce and murder trials. The divorce trial takes a beating by Stumbo, who shows just how unfairly long-suffering wives and mothers are treated by the justice system when the spouse is a prominent citizen, not to mention a millionaire who regularly rubs shoulders with law-enforcement officials. Dan Broderick got by constantly on his influence without having to prove himself as a "good" parent, a responsible individual, or even a wealthy one, as Betty constantly was forced to do. The tragedy that resulted is shown by Stumbo in all of its tarnish: there are no heroes in this story, only seriously flawed human beings, who by turns, were also victims. Betty was the first victim, Dan and Linda were the final victims, and the children were the ultimate victims. I would especially ! recommend this for anyone going through a divorce, civilized or not. It's a chilling look at how emotions, untreated and flamed by a lack of concern, can suddenly become an impulsive act.