The Trial of Lizzie Borden - Cara Robertson

The Trial of Lizzie Borden

By Cara Robertson

  • Release Date: 2019-03-12
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 4
4
From 59 Ratings

Description

WINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY BOOK AWARD

In Cara Robertson’s “enthralling new book,” The Trial of Lizzie Borden, “the reader is to serve as judge and jury” (The New York Times). Based on twenty years of research and recently unearthed evidence, this true crime and legal history is the “definitive account to date of one of America’s most notorious and enduring murder mysteries” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

When Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally hacked to death in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892, the arrest of the couple’s younger daughter Lizzie turned the case into international news and her murder trial into a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Reporters flocked to the scene. Well-known columnists took up conspicuous seats in the courtroom. The defendant was relentlessly scrutinized for signs of guilt or innocence. Everyone—rich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars, and laypeople—had an opinion about Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didn’t she?

An essential piece of American mythology, the popular fascination with the Borden murders has endured for more than one hundred years. Told and retold in every conceivable genre, the murders have secured a place in the American pantheon of mythic horror. In contrast, “Cara Robertson presents the story with the thoroughness one expects from an attorney…Fans of crime novels will love it” (Kirkus Reviews). Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden is “a fast-paced, page-turning read” (Booklist, starred review) that offers a window into America in the Gilded Age. This “remarkable” (Bustle) book “should be at the top of your reading list” (PopSugar).

Reviews

  • The Trial of Lizzie Borden a true story

    5
    By cobra429w
    I love this book. I have always been curious about Lizzie and this book was very well written. I loved all of the facts and references, it was very informative , and shows how good defense attorneys can wear on the prosecution. Cara Robertson made Lizzie come alive. I will use the reading list references in this book to learn more. Still fascinated by this true murder mystery. Loved it!
  • Coma Inducing

    3
    By JF0000T
    This book was dryer than the Mojave Desert. An absolutely grueling read that I dreaded, but since I paid for it, I was determined to see it thru. I've read 28% and can't bare to continue. I've added 2 stars to this review out of respect for the level of research this author went thru. 16 years? Admirable. I barely made it 16 minutes.

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