Synopses & Reviews
The southwest Virginia murder trials of a young schoolteacher named Edith Maxwell made her a cause celebre of the 1930s. No newspaper reader or radio listener could avoid hearing of her case in 1935 or 1936, and few magazines neglected to run at least one story on the case. In the media attention that it received, the Maxwell case rivaled the Scopes monkey trial of the 1920s, and for some it seemed to involve many of the same sociological issues--the conflict between modernism and tradition, between urban and rural values, between the sexes, and between generations. Feminist organizations like the National Women's Party and other women's business and professional organizations rallied to Edith's defense because women were not allowed on criminal juries in Virginia in the 1930s.
Review
...Best should be commended for piecing together the story of a woman abused by a corrupt legal system as well as by a brutual father. This is a valuable historical account of patriarchy in action.The Journal of American History
Review
...a colourful and fascinating narrative of a story once so explosive that it even captured the attention of the first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Readers interested in women's history, the relationship between the media and the justice system, and the clash between modernity and tradition will find this book both engrossing and informative.Canadian Journal of History
Synopsis
Like the Scopes "monkey trial," the two murder trials of Edith Maxwell were the subject of extensive publicity and controversy because many women believed she was tried and persecuted for her gender.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [177]-182) and index.
About the Author
GARY DEAN BEST is Professor of History at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Table of Contents
Introduction
In The Land of the "Lonesome Pine"
The Death of Trigg Maxwell
Preparations, Publicity, and Prosecution
The Defense
Verdict and Reaction
Edith Tells Her Story
Challenging the Verdict
Preparing for the Second Trial
The Second Trial
Prison and Pardon
Postmortems
Sources
Index