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    The Trial of Lizzie Borden
    The Trial of Lizzie Borden
    The Trial of Lizzie Borden
    Ebook602 pages9 hours

    The Trial of Lizzie Borden

    By Cara Robertson

    3.5/5

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    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 Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden is “a fast-paced, page-turning read” (Booklist, starred review)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).

    Editor's Note

    Infamous…

    This gripping account of an infamous murder mystery uses new evidence to reexamine the sensational trial of Lizzie Borden, accused of hacking her parents to death with an ax in 1892. The jury acquitted Lizzie, but did they get it right?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster
    Release dateMar 12, 2019
    ISBN9781501168383
    Author

    Cara Robertson

    Cara Robertson began researching the Borden case as a Harvard undergraduate in 1990. She holds a PhD from University of Oxford and a JD from Stanford Law School. She clerked at the Supreme Court of the United States, served as a legal adviser to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague, and has written for various publications. Her scholarship has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Humanities Center, of which she is a Trustee. The Trial of Lizzie Borden, her first book, won the New England Society Book Award in 2020.

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    Reviews for The Trial of Lizzie Borden

    3.5/5

    112 ratings12 reviews

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    • 4/5
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    • 3/5
      For anyone new to the story of Lizzie Borden, this book pretty much tells it all. For those who already know about it, there are plenty of courtroom details and other information surrounding the murders that may be of interest.I found some of the courtroom details fascinating--especially how women were treated and their views of what women were or were not capable of. The fact that Lizzie was a well-to-do, church-going woman almost cleared her of any possibility of being a murderer.With all the information cited in the book, I felt sure I was going to solve the mystery. Did Lizzie commit the crime or did someone else? Maybe someday the mystery will be solved, but in the meantime readers can play armchair detective.Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy and offer an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Most people are familiar with the murder that Lizzie Borden was accused of as there have been numerous books and movies based on it. In August of 1892, Lizzie’s father and stepmother were brutally murdered in their home. Lizzie was accused of the murder and the trial became a sensationalized spectacle. People then and now all have different opinions of what happened that day in Fall River, Massachusetts. Was Lizzie a guilty murderess or was she wrongly accused? I have read many accounts of this murder and even saw a play based on it. Ms. Robertson’s book is one of the most extensively researched and unbiased accounts I’ve read. This most definitely does not read like a historical novel as well it shouldn’t, though never ceased to hold my interest. This is a fact-based accounting based on Ms. Robertson’s twenty years of research. The book itself ended at 65%, the rest being a list of notes detailing the source of almost every sentence in the book. What I found the most impressive about the book was that the author includes much information about society at the time of the murder and the way people perceived women. The men on Lizzie’s jury just couldn’t imagine a lady such as Lizzie committing such an atrocious act. For a women to do what was done to these two victims, she would have had to have been a monster and that would have shown in her countenance. The book also touches on what was thought to be the cause of “hysteria” in women. The book not only covers the trial in detail but also the discussions that were taking place outside of the courtroom and newspaper accountings, as well as rumors. Another plus is that the book is chock full of photos that help the details to life. A must read for true life crime readers. Highly recommended.This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson concerns itself, as the title suggests, almost exclusively with the trial of Lizzie Borden. But the trial as a whole, not simply what took place in the courtroom.Important to any trial is background and context. Robertson covers the history of the town, the Borden family, and of Lizzie herself. This is done along with the description of the murders and the investigation into the murders. There is also context throughout the book, beginning in this section, about such things as women's roles in society during the period as well as the class structure of the time. These are mentioned throughout whenever it might shed some light on an action or inaction.The trial itself is covered thoroughly, down to descriptions of what was worn and various reactions of the participants and observers. This was presented without embellishment, which might be a disappointment for some drawn to the sensationalism of the crime but makes the account much clearer and free from opinion and conjecture that otherwise would get in the way of learning what happened.Finally the verdict and aftermath, as well as a brief overview of pop culture references, where Robertson provides a nice wrap-up of the case and its implications. She does not go into a lot of detail here but then it isn't the focus of the book.A couple things surprise me about some of the reviews, so I thought I would mention a couple things to warn potential readers. I actually saw someone complain about it being "fact focused." A warning, this is a nonfiction account focused on, as the title says, the trial of Lizzie Borden. This is not a fictional dramatization or a sensationalistic embellishment. So if the facts of the case presented in a straightforward manner isn't what you want, there are plenty of fluffier accounts of the murders. Also, a few mention that it seemed to be mostly about the trial. Well, okay, check the title again before deciding if you want to read it. It seems pretty clear to me that this will be about the trial, but maybe the title wasn't clear enough for some.In short, I would highly recommend this to readers, both well-versed in the case as well as newbies, who primarily want to know the facts of the case. This, for those less familiar with the case, will provide a solid foundation for future ventures into the wide range of texts about Lizzie and the murders. It will better enable you to have an idea where conjecture departs from the course of evidence.Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
    • 3/5
      The author of this account of the well known 1892 murders in Fall River, Massachusetts has obviously done extensive research on the case. Unfortunately it seems like every bit of research made it into the finished product. Numerous, repetitive direct quotes really bog down the flow of what should be a fascinating story. The book was marketed to the general public, but seems aimed to the true aficionado. It was interesting to ponder a time when references to classical literature were appropriate for jury arguments.
    • 4/5
      Just as the title promises, this is a courtroom story, soberly reported and vividly described. You'll get a much more vivid picture of the trial here than if you'd followed the newspapers of the day, all of which seem to have read like a hybrid between a Post-style tabloid and a mass-market magazine by today's standards. I came away quite impressed by the seriousness and competence with which this sensational trial was conducted. If you make allowances for the 19th century's prejudices regarding gender, ethnicity, and class—a tall order, I know—it's hard to think of how the trial might have been done better.The author sets the scene and presents the trial with equal seriousness. There's gore, of course, but no sensationalism, no breathless reconstructed conversations or caricature portraits. The facts and the mysteries are all laid out without embellishment. You be the juror.
    • 3/5
      Not a great book on Lizzie. A tad on the boring side, lots of descriptions of clothing & so forth. I just didn’t find it that great. It LITERALLY was on,y the trial & I thought the author could have done better & gone a little deeper.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      This is an extremely detailed history of the infamous Lizzie Borden trial which took place after the grisly murder of the defendant's father and step-mother. Although Ms. Borden was acquitted, the crimes would long be ascribed to her and the legendary trial would linger in popular memory.The author dissects the entire legal proceedings essentially recreating them in whole. Although there is definitely a market for this book, I found it a bit too detailed and rather tedious at times. As with many such cases, it's hard to know what really happened, and so there are no comforting or satisfactory answers. However, there are plenty of trial transcripts so that is something.What this book really amounts to is a study of how women and especially women criminals were viewed at the time. There are plenty of primary sources which make clear the very narrow view taken of women at the time and the scope of behavior they were believed capable of. From a sociological standpoint, it's all very interesting. However, again, a bit dry at times.
    • 5/5
      Everyone knows the story of Lizzie Borden and her subsequent acquittal for the murder of her father and step-mother. This book goes beyond the lore to focus on the evidence and trial against her. Well researched, the author utilized court records, newspaper accounts, and local accounts to paint a picture of what truly happened in the court room. Overall, a well written and fascinating book. Highly recommended.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      We all know the rhyme “Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother 40 wacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41”. We’ve all heard the story. Women of us have even seen the movie. Now we have a detailed account of the crime, the investigation and the trial.

      This book was very well researched and written. At times it did become stagnant and boring but later ramped up the pace.

      This definitely made me look at the case and crime with a whole new look. Definitely a must read for true crime buffs.
    • 4/5
      Very informative about the Borden trial. Shows what living in the time period would be like. Has some comments from journalists. The remarks about her demeanor, and mood changes. The courtroom antics where fascinating a drama at it's most dramatic. Most of the book is of the trial, which is something I hadn't read much about before. If you're interested in learning about the Borden trial I recommend this book.Thank you to the publishers for an early review copy
    • 4/5
      I purchased this book from Amazon to read. All opinions are my own. ???? The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson. In August of 1892 one of America's most atrocious crimes happened in the Borden household in Fall River, Massachusetts. This book is a step by step retelling of the evidence of the murder, the interrogations, the trial, the verdict, and life after for Lizzie Borden. If you have formed your own opinions of what happened or have no clue about this story then this is the book that will allow you to form your own opinions of Lizzie. However, since I have been a huge fan of this story for a very, very long time I found a lot of what is in this book redundant information. I did however find an interesting fact of the tour of The Borden home now a Bed and Breakfast in Massachusetts and might need to plan a road trip to go see it! Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Library Thing, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Amazon, Twitter @jason_stacie and my blog at readsbystacie.com

    Book preview

    The Trial of Lizzie Borden - Cara Robertson

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