Have at It, Sister
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Have at It, Sister
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Written by:
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Bill Griffeth
About this listen
Gloria Burtzlaff feared for her life one day back in April of 1991 when her abusive husband, Larry, drunk and violent, slapped her, hit her, and began pelting her with glasses. After he tried to drown her in a tub, she got the family shotgun and confronted him in his underwear. “Larry, I’m going to kill you,” she declared. Defense lawyers would later claim he lifted a glass as if to say, “Have at it, sister.”
Have at It, Sister is a true-crime tale about Gloria, a South Dakota woman who shot her abusive husband and was put on trial in a precedent-setting case. She’s also a cousin of the wife of Bill Griffeth, a retired TV anchor on CNBC and PBS, and her story drew him into a years-long obsession to try to understand what was really at the heart of the shocking killing. How does a seemingly ordinary South Dakota marriage descend into abuse and murder? How have our views on abuse and justifiable homicide changed since the 1990s?
This is a true-crime story that’s not just about murder and mayhem; it’s about something real, relevant, and important. At the time that Gloria’s trial was held in the summer of 1991, South Dakota was the only state in the country not to allow expert witnesses to offer a diagnosis that a female defendant suffered from a psychological condition called “battered woman syndrome” as part of a self-defense plea in a murder trial. Gloria’s case helped lead to a change in the law, and Bill looks into why the case made legal waves and struck such a nerve with the public. Through the up and downs and appeals of her case, we see how society’s view of domestic violence in general, and battered women in particular, evolve.
As #MeToo continues to empower women, her case has become increasingly relevant. Like I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, this is a true-crime story that hits close to home. Bill Griffeth has served as an anchor at CNBC and a former cohost of PBS’ Nightly Business Report.
©2022 Bill Griffeth (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC.What listeners say about Have at It, Sister
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Debraann
- 2022-10-16
heartful truths which built strength
what an amazing honest account both sad and heroic. amazing family support to the end ❤️
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Suzanne
- 2024-11-18
unfairness
it's very surprising how the justice system works for one and not another. Thank you for sharing your story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Les
- 2022-09-07
truly a heart breaker of a story
this story highlights the Glacial pace of both the psychiatric and legal systems.
and the huge gender bias in punishment of offenders!
20 years for a woman but only 1 year for a man!!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-09-11
Interesting and well done.
Narration was so well done. The only small irritating thing was the woman portraying Gloria in the police car. I found for the most part well done except for the added noises she made were annoying and unnecessary.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Melissa
- 2024-08-21
Her honesty
Amazing story
I could relate to her and learned a lot
So happy she is helping others not to make the mistakes she made
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Heather
- 2023-05-18
Powerful story
As Gloria says, the shortest distance between two people is a story. Hearing what she went through was powerful, and helped shed more light on domestic abuse. It outraged me to see the double standard she was subjected to by the legal/penitentiary systems.
If you or someone you know is being abused this is worth a listen. And don’t kid yourself, someone you know IS being abused. Open your heart to hear her story and understand theirs.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-09-09
an important issue
what a heart wrenching story. I was near tears and am so grateful I found this story and listened to it.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Christine
- 2023-03-27
Drawn out
There is a powerful story to tell, but something about the book made it less powerful. I thought it was too drawn out.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2022-09-14
Awkward Relating of a Tragic Case
To be honest, there is nothing particularly "sensational" or even "engrossing" about the events in this story. I'm hesitant to use the term "routine".. but Domestic disputes that end in alcohol-fuelled murder happen EVERY DAY in North America.
That said, one-time CNBC anchor and 'Nightly Business Report' Co-host Bill Griffeth provides a capable discussion of this particular episode. He writes clearly, understands the controversial aspects of the case and trial strategies, and admirably sticks to a just-the-facts approach to chronicling the tragedy - at least in the first ⅔ of the book (albeit noticeably overusing "nobody knew that would be the last time.." foreshadowing).
Less fortunately, Audible Originals made an error enlisting a full cast of voice actors for the project. To be certain, sound quality is excellent and the performances are emotive and professional - but the shifts in readers in a True Crime exposé.. and some editorial choices (the singing of Hymns is just weird, for example).. are somehow offputting.
The events in this recording often feel inauthentic/dramatized.
Altogether, 'Have At It, Sister' is a 4/10 star production. If you can get it as a 'Plus' selection, it's a reasonable distraction for listeners fascinated by human conflict & jurisprudence.. but save your Credit if they ask for one.
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