WINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY BOOK AWARD
In Cara Robertsonâs âenthralling new book,â The Trial of Lizzie Borden, âthe reader is to serve as judge and juryâ (The New York Times). Based on twenty years of research and recently unearthed evidence, this true crime and legal history is the âdefinitive account to date of one of Americaâs most notorious and enduring murder mysteriesâ (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 coupleâs 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. Everyoneârich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars, and laypeopleâhad an opinion about Lizzie Bordenâs guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didnât 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, âCara Robertson presents the story with the thoroughness one expects from an attorneyâŚFans of crime novels will love itâ (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 Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden is âa fast-paced, page-turning readâ (Booklist, starred review) that offers a window into America in the Gilded Age. This âremarkableâ (Bustle) book âshould be at the top of your reading listâ (PopSugar).