For those of us who love a good read from the non-fiction section of the library, there is one that stands out for several reasons. The most interesting of facts I found was that the story itself was kept silent until “the principle characters had all passed off the scene…”.
The victims of Annie Cook were still terrified of the woman and the things she had done well past the date of her death.
The author Nellie Snyder Yost states “…written in the hope that the facts set forth will awaken readers to their duty and obligation to report knowledge of any known abuse to the proper authorities and see that something is done to put an end to it.”
Another Interesting Fact
The other interesting fact about this book is the events it contains took place only 83 miles north of Cambridge in North Platte, Nebraska. And not that long ago. Some of my family members remember hearing her name and being told the tales of what she was doing. I was surprised to find that I too recognized a few of the names as I read the harrowing tale of abuse, intentional starvation, murder, and greed.
Standing under the big cottonwood, almost on the spot where Clara’s blood had soaked into the dusty ground, the insurance man asked Joe what he knew about Miss Cook’s death, and he told him. The knowledge that Annie had killed her daughter had been a burden since the day it happened. He knew the doctor and the undertaker were going along with Annie’s version of the death (each believing that he would one day inherit a fine Eighty if he did).
Evil Obsession; The Annie Cook Story
A Road-Trip Idea
You can still go to Annie Cook’s farm. There isn’t much left of the original part of the farm. If you read the book I encourage you to take a drive, put a physical place with the book. If you are a historian and like to research and investigate go to her grave, read the court documents. It adds another element to the realness of the story.
Available at Butler Memorial Library
Look for Evil Obsession; The Annie Cook Story by Nellie Snyder Yost the next time you’re in the library. I promise you won’t put it down.
