The Trial of Lizzie Borden - A True Story

The Trial of Lizzie Borden - A True Story (#838) by Cara Robertson began its life as a senior thesis when the author was attending Harvard.  Now an attorney herself, she has returned to a trial which has always fascinated her - the ax murders of Andrew Borden and his wife Abby in their Fall River home in 1892.  Andrew's youngest daughter, Lizzie, was put on trial for the  murders.  She was acquitted, but no one else was ever arrested in the matter.  The question remains, if Lizzie didn't do it, who did?

The trial was a sensation in its day, covered by all the major Boston and New York newspapers as well as the local press.  This book is evidence that the furor has never completely died down.  Books, movies, songs, opera, ballet and even a musical have been made about the events of that fateful August day.  I certainly grew up on the legends of Fall River, devouring every book in my local Massachusetts library.

If you are a fan of true crime literature hoping for a big reveal in this volume, you'll go away disappointed.  Lizzie's guilt or innocence is left for the reader to judge.  Maybe I've watched one too many crime drama on TV, but I know what my opinion is.  There were way too many discrepancies in the testimonies allowed at trial, and evidence and testimony which seemed relevant were disallowed.  I think Lizzie did it and got away with murder.  Much of the trial proceedings seemed biased in Lizzie Borden's favor as a well-to-do young woman involved in Christian charitable work.  Abby Borden's murder was treated as an afterthought, despite Lizzie's known ill will towards her stepmother.

I did find this an interesting read, though  In fact, one of my favorite quotes comes from Elizabeth Jordan, a journalist covering the trial for The New York World, commenting on the women spectators, "They bring cruilers [sic] and cookies and other New England food atrocities in their pockets, and actually camp out and lunch on the scene of the battle."  I personally am fond of crullers myself,  stick-shaped donuts which are especially good with cold apple cider.  It does make me wonder what on earth else those ladies could have had concealed in their pockets.  They certainly wouldn't have made it through the security check lines in today's courthouses!

Interesting note on the cover art on The Trial of Lizzie Borden: descriptions of Lizzie's appearance at the trial note that she appeared wearing dark clothing, black gloves and a black lace hat with red berries.  The cover model gets the apparel details right, but personally, judging from photographs of the real Lizzie Borden, she's much too attractive!