reviews
Aug 02, 2011
Josiah
rated it: 
I hardly know what to say about this one. An Unspeakable Crime: The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank is in all probability the best nonfiction book I've ever read. It takes an old, generally forgotten court case from the dusty annals of the history of the American justice system and forms from it a story of gripping tension and twisting, burning intensity that hits hard in the gut as forcefully as any masterful work of fiction. This story of a court case in 1913 Georgia is all the mor
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Jan 24, 2012
SwensonBooks
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The case of Leo Frank—the Cornell-educated, Jewish supervisor of the Atlanta Pencil Factory who was convicted for the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan in 1913 and lynched for the same in 1915—has been with me much as of late. In the last three weeks, I have reviewed Steve Oney’s And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank (Pantheon, 2003); attended another performance of Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown’s musical “Parade” (this time with my 13-year-old dau
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Sep 03, 2011
SharonJH
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Civil rights and lynching stories for teens usually involve crimes against blacks during the early-mid 1900s. This outstanding non-fiction work, though, chronicles the wrongful conviction and eventual lynching of white Jewish businessman Leo Frank. Alphin gives us inside view of the legal system in Atlanta and the motives of lawmen and prosecutors and judges that led to Leo's conviction. It was interesting that most Georgians passionately believed he was guilty, while many letters and support ca
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Apr 03, 2011
Karen
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"The murder of Mary Phagan must be paid for with blood. And a Negro's blood would not suffice."
This incredible statement sums up the feelings of frightening number of Atlanta's population in 1913, the year thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan's body was discovered in the basement of the pencil factory where she worked. Though police initially suspected the black night watchman and later evidence showed that another black employee likely committed the rape and murder, detectives More...
This incredible statement sums up the feelings of frightening number of Atlanta's population in 1913, the year thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan's body was discovered in the basement of the pencil factory where she worked. Though police initially suspected the black night watchman and later evidence showed that another black employee likely committed the rape and murder, detectives More...
Feb 13, 2011
Karen
rated it:
Atlanta, Georgia: April, 1913. 13-year-old Mary Phagan went to pick up her week's pay at the National Pencil Company before she was to join her friends at a parade. She was murdered shortly after collecting her wages, and her badly beaten body was discovered in the factory basement the next morning. There were bloody handprints, some poorly written notes near her body, and very few suspects. The police virtually ignored the factory janitor, and instead focused their investigation on Leo Fran
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Nov 30, 2010
Marjorie
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I was shocked by how much I liked this. Would be a great gift for budding true-crime fans ... and I know whereof I speak. When I was a kid, I devoured The Stranger Beside Me and read everything I could about the Black Dahlia. I would have LOVED this – and it would have been way more educational than the dreck I was reading. It’s rigorously researched and very, very gripping. The story, in case you haven't had it drilled into your head as part of growing up Jewish and paranoid in America (or in
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May 15, 2010
Donna
rated it:
In 1913, 13-year-old Mary Phagan went to the pencil factory where she worked to pick up her paycheck. That was the last time anyone saw her alive. Police arrested Leo Frank, the factory superintendent, who was both a Northerner and a Jew.
I was grabbed immediately by the story, and pulled through very quickly. Photographs of the people involved and images from the trial and aftermath appear throughout. Reproductions of newspaper headlines about the case are also integrated into the t More...
I was grabbed immediately by the story, and pulled through very quickly. Photographs of the people involved and images from the trial and aftermath appear throughout. Reproductions of newspaper headlines about the case are also integrated into the t More...
May 08, 2011
Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
rated it:
I had heard of this murder before reading this book, but I had no idea that it lead to the birth of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith and to the revival of the Ku Klux Klan. I will NEVER understand prejudice. It's so illogical. Yet when a mob gets hold of an illogical idea, everyone is afraid to think contrary to it for fear of being attacked themselves, which makes those few, like Governor Slaton, who did speak out all the more heroic. Leo Frank certainly did not get a fair
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Sep 24, 2010
Kate
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Once again I'm reminded of Michael Cart's definition of YA including readers 18+. This title is great for high school/college, and is flat out fascinating for true crime buffs. It gives a different dimension than most true crime, focusing on the trial and lynching of a man convicted of, but not likely guilty of, the murder of a young girl. Well-written and well-researched, the book occasionally reads as though the author supposes you familiar with the case, which I was not.
I wonde More...
I wonde More...
May 04, 2010
Marsha
rated it: 
A wonderful, but disturbing book. Ever since moving to Georgia and learning more about the state's colorful history, this particular story has fascinated me. The mob mentality unfortunately still exists even today and I think this book is perfect for the secondary student. Mary Phagan, Leo Frank, the KKK--all part of Georgia's history, yet far too often overlooked or intentionally ignored. The story is compelling, the pictures hook even the non-reader, and the tale is true. What more could
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Jan 31, 2011
Lisa Delaine
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This non-fiction account of the prosecution of Leo Frank brings home the injustice that occurred when a young girl is found murdered in a factory in the South. Regardless of the evidence, lack of evidence, and numerous suspects, hardworking Jew Leo Frank is accused of the crime. Photographs, illustrations, and reprints of historical newspaper articles extend the readers vision into the lives and lifestyles of Americans during the early 1900s.
Feb 26, 2010
Maurene
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A tragic crime led to a tragic series of events, which Alphin chronicles in this excellent overview of the trial of Leo Frank in the early 1900s. Written for young adults, the information is presented in an engaging way, leading the reader through the events as they unfold. Definitely worth reading.
Apr 11, 2010
Abby
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In 1913, thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan went by the pencil factory where she worked to pick up her paycheck. She didn't make it out alive. Police searched for clues as to who had beaten and raped her, at first suspecting the African-American watchman. Eventually they arrested and prosecuted Leo Frank, the factory's Jewish superintendent. Leo Frank was lynched... for a crime he may not have committed.
Painstaking research obviously went into this book and it's a fascinating and importa More...
Painstaking research obviously went into this book and it's a fascinating and importa More...
Feb 23, 2011
BreAnne
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If you like true crime stories, this is well written. It happened back in the early 1900s and the author did a good job showing all the different view points. So sad what really happened. I still think about the families.
Feb 05, 2011
Hannahlily
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Clear, Informative, and thoroughly compelling – I read it from cover to cover in one sitting – the most suspenseful book I’ve read in ages. I only wish that the text wasn’t quite SO completely prejudiced in Leo Frank’s favor.
Dec 30, 2011
Tammy
rated it:
This was actually much better than I thought it would be. Interesting case. Non-fiction is just not my thing....
Feb 09, 2012
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