false 290594 3 In 1836, the murder of young New York City prostitute Helen Jewett and the ensuing trial of her lover captivated the nation. Jewett (her real name was Dorcas Doyen; Jewett used many pseudonyms during her short life) was an archetypal 1830s model of fallen virtue. A bright, literate girl who worked as a servant for a respected Maine family, Jewett became "disgraced," losing her virginity outside of wedlock, and eventually taking up work as a prostitute in bustling New York City. One of her clients, Richard Robinson, was a young clerk of uncommon literary talent. The two exchanged a long series of letters, often loving and careful, then as quickly as a summer storm, they turned violent and angry. Early on the morning of April 10, 1836, Robinson stabbed Jewett to death in her brothel room and set fire to her bed. Robinson was eventually acquitted of the crime despite an overwhelming amount of evidence that both placed him at the scene and his hand on the murder weapon. The decision was universally reviled, and Robinson became an outcast who eventually exiled himself to Texas.<p> Cohen ably places this rather ordinary crime within the context of 19th-century urban life and the development of a fledgling tabloid journalism, showing just how people throughout America came to be shocked by a crime that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. <I>The Murder of Helen Jewett</I> is as much about mores and customs as it is about a lost soul. <I>--Tjames Madison</I> 281927 1998 The Murder of Helen Jewett total:115|5:1|4:1|3:1|2:0|1:1| 115 420 182 29 5 0 false false Tue Jul 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 20 03:52:59 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 11:42:35 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Sep 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 18:39:06 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 22 16:55:49 -0700 2009 The story was sort of interesting but it felt more like I was reading a historian's college thesis rather than a novel about murder and prostitution. The author obvio...more...]]> 3 1 false false Mon Aug 25 08:12:21 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 10 07:34:52 -0800 2009 The Murder of Helen Jewett is a misleading title, in a way. The murder takes place in the first few pages; then, this central event is set aside in favor of an exploration of Helen's life and times.

This involves a bit of historical detective work, and I will say that I am impressed with...more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1999 Fri May 15 22:44:26 -0700 2009 Fri May 15 22:52:51 -0700 2009 1 0 true false Tue May 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 01 09:00:37 -0800 2008 Wed May 28 14:20:31 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Tue Feb 24 12:27:47 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 24 12:28:19 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Thu Oct 18 09:31:05 -0700 2007 Thu Oct 18 09:33:11 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Nov 09 11:22:59 -0800 2007 Fri Nov 09 11:25:12 -0800 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jan 30 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 20 08:12:08 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 01 12:45:49 -0800 2009 5 0 true false Wed Aug 06 07:11:34 -0700 2008 Tue Apr 22 06:45:18 -0700 2008 Wed Aug 06 07:11:34 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Sep 12 18:25:12 -0700 2007 Wed Sep 12 18:25:14 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 02 07:44:33 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 03 06:13:57 -0800 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Dec 26 06:45:44 -0800 2007 Wed Dec 26 06:48:53 -0800 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2002 Sat Oct 18 11:13:14 -0700 2008 Sat Oct 18 11:16:41 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 21 10:01:58 -0800 2007 Fri Dec 21 10:01:58 -0800 2007 4 0 false false Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Tue Jun 12 08:42:13 -0700 2007 Tue Jun 12 08:55:19 -0700 2007 5 0 false false Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Tue Jul 10 16:33:10 -0700 2007 Tue Jul 10 16:33:10 -0700 2007 3 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Apr 05 12:47:11 -0700 2008 Sat May 10 06:51:26 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Fri Mar 09 07:35:28 -0800 2007 Fri Mar 09 07:38:34 -0800 2007 5 0 false false Fri Apr 06 08:39:13 -0700 2007 Fri Apr 06 08:41:29 -0700 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=290594