The Trial of Lizzie Borden
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3.8 • 54 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher 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 Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden is “a fast-paced, page-turning read” (Booklist, starred review)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).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
One of the most infamous true-crime mysteries has also been the least understood…until legal scholar Cara Robertson took up the challenge with this meticulously researched history. In the summer of 1892, wealthy Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abby, were killed in the middle of the day behind locked doors in their Fall River, Massachusetts, home. Why was everyone convinced that the murderer was Andrew’s 32-year-old spinster daughter, Lizzie, even after a court found her innocent? Incorporating legal transcripts and press coverage, Robertson transports us from that sweltering courtroom to the average American’s breakfast table, where sensational headlines shaped misconceptions that persist today. We were shocked by her well-researched revelations, like how Lizzie’s acquittal was based in part on a bizarre 1890s perception that objects were gendered—surely a woman couldn’t wield a decidedly male weapon like an ax! This gripping, refreshingly intersectional true-crime history puts 19th-century society itself on trial.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lawyer Robertson debuts with the definitive account to date of one of America's most notorious and enduring murder mysteries. In August 1892, the bodies of Lizzie Borden's father, Andrew, and her stepmother, Abby, were found hacked to death in their home in Fall River, Mass. As the murders were committed during daylight, when the house was occupied by Lizzie, who lived there along with her sister, she became an obvious person of interest. Strong circumstantial evidence showing that Lizzie alone had the opportunity to commit the crimes along with testimony that she'd attempted to buy prussic acid the day before and that she'd burned a dress after the killings led to her arrest. The absence of a clear motive, any prior history of violence, and the difficulty many had in viewing the respectable churchgoing Lizzie as a savage killer proved obstacles to widespread acceptance of the prosecution's case, and Lizzie was acquitted after a trial. Robertson methodically rebuts the numerous theories advanced at the time and since, some of which pointed to other members of the household. The end result is a superior, page-turning true crime narrative that will leave most readers believing that the jury got it wrong.
Customer Reviews
The Minutia of the Trial
This is a very interesting and in depth look at Lizzie Borden’s trial. It has a very brief section on Lizzie’s life after the verdict. It covered the murders themselves clearly and concisely, but mostly from the angle of things that would be important later in the trial. Robertson even mentions that there is still a file locked away in a law firm that is the entire contents of the defence team’s notes and information on the case. What I wouldn’t give to get my hands on that, but the law firm is still claiming lawyer-client privilege, even after all these
Coma Inducing
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.
The Trial of Lizzie Borden a true story
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!