Fourth Award for 'Mary Bean'

The sordid tale of a young woman who died from a botched abortion makes an unlikely subject for a prize-winning book, but historian Elizabeth DeWolfe has managed to turn an 1850 tale into a pile of awards.

The Murder of Mary Bean and Other Stories [Amazon; B&N] has won an IPPY award as well as a ForeWord Magazine award and two more. The publisher, Kent State University Press, is continuing its tradition of elevating the genre by producing excellent true crime literature that attracts the perennial notice of prize judges.

In this book, the author took a broad view, detailing a shocking case along with the social conditions that brought it about. On top of the awards, it's that combination of facts and context that merits putting the book on our To Read list. 

As Kent State explains:

In addition to the sensationalist murder accounts, De Wolfe looks back at these events through a wide-angle lens exploring such themes as the rapid social changes brought about by urbanization and industrialization in antebellum nineteenth-century society, factory work and the changing roles for women, unregulated sexuality and the specter of abortion, and the sentimental novel as a guidebook.

She posits that the real threat to women in the nineteenth century was not murder but a society that had ambiguous feelings about the role of women in the economic system, in education, and as independent citizens.

Congratulations to the author and publisher for the numerous honors.

For more:

See the Kent State University Press's book description

Hear an interview the author gave to New Hampshire Public Radio

Check out the plaque dedicated to the case

The Portland Press Herald on Mary Bean: True Crime Tale More About Mores than Murder

Comments

[carole gill]

Sounds so interesting. Definitely going to read that.
Here's a link for an npr interview with the author,
Elizabeth DeWolfe, really fascinating.
http://www.nhpr.org/node/13682

[carole gill]

oops see you have a link!
sorrrryyyyy!