On October 24, 1911, Dr. Helene Elise Hermine Knabe’s assistant discovered the doctor dead in her bed with a slashed throat. It was a gruesome end to a remarkable life which Nicole Kobrowski chronicles in her new book, She Sleeps Well: the Extraordinary Life & Murder of Dr. Helene Elise Hermine Knabe.
“Extraordinary” is the perfect descriptor for Dr. Knabe’s life. She was raised under difficult circumstances in a northern German (currently Polish) town on the Baltic Sea. Her father disappeared early from her life and her mother struggled raising her. She always wanted to be a medical doctor and studied hard to achieve that goal. She also worked hard at domestic work and sewing. In her spare time she loved the water and forests of her hometown, reading and drawing.
In 1896, she followed her beloved cousin, Augusta Knabe, to Indianapolis. In Indianapolis, she enrolled in the Medical College of Indiana, a pioneer in educating women and using a clinical method of tutelage. She studied hard and did well. She became a pathologist and worked diligently on many public health issues. Along with her work, Dr. Knabe had an active social life. She was involved in many organizations and enjoyed shopping and teas with her friends. She was missed after her murder.
Kobrowski writes very detailed but readable prose. She includes amazing details such as the fact that Dr. Knabe’s father supported himself by diving into the water to clean the barnacles and other detritus from the bottoms of boats in the harbor and Augusta (Dr. Knabe’s cousin) had an incredible dream about the time that the Doctor was murdered. Kobrowski gives as much information as could be found about all the characters in the story. She goes through the trial day by day and posits a reasonable solution to the case.
The book is laid out well with many pictures. The type is much larger than the typical 12 point and easy to read. There are 39 pages of notes and bibliography at the back of the book.
Anyone interested in the immigration of Germans to this area, Indianapolis history, Indiana medical history or Indianapolis crimes would enjoy this book. The author will be at Bookmamas, 9 Johnson Ave., on Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m. to discuss the extraordinary life of Dr. Helene Elise Hermine Krabe and sign copies of her book.
