Thank you Netgalley for giving me a sneak peak into a fascinating story.

I've been intrigued by Ethel Rosenberg since I heard about her government murder as a child. I could not and still can not understand how this could have happened in the United States of America.

I feel like many things written about this horrible event have focused on Roy Cohn and the Greenglass betrayal.

I'm so glad that Anne Sebba has humanized Ethel and given us a more full bodied portrait into her life. It makes the ending of the story even more tragic when we learn what a talented and strong person Mrs. Rosenberg was.

I highly recommend this well -researched and well-written book with a focus on Ethel Rosenberg of the infamous Rosenberg's who were put to death by the U.S. Government. Sebba's access to people in Ethel and Julius' life gives a very nuanced and insider view of her life and that of her family. The tragedy of the Rosenberg family plays out like a biblical or Shakespearean tragedy and in Sebba's telling it is a real page-turner. I had read about the Rosenberg's in the past and also more recently seen a documentary that was made by Ethel's granddaughter that started to make me question how this historical episode was portrayed by the powers-that-be. What is unique about Sebba's book is that it focuses centrally on Ethel. The vindictive nature of the trial's prosecutors (Roy Cohn being one of them) and the Judge against communist sympathizers (who often as in this case, were sympathetic to the cause as an anti-fascist political statement and at the time the Soviet Union was the United States Ally).. The all male prosecution team also were anti-women, especially educated women who did not fit the role of what a 1950's housewife should be/do. The sentencing and resulting after effects were so vindictive, the children were at risk of being institutionalized instead of adopted.

As I said, I could not put this book down. It gave me insight into Ethel Rosenberg as well as her family. I can't help but wonder could something like this happen to any of us who have strong beliefs about something, and go against the tide?

I highly recommend this book.

This biography engulfed me for the two days it took me to read it. What a travesty of justice! This was well written with lots of personal anecdotes from Ethel’s friends, family and foes. The author also had access to letters between Ethel and Julius as well as Ethel and her psychiatrist. Definitely a must read for biography fans.

Ethel Rosenberg tells the story of to Americans who took their belief beyond the laws. American's have heard a lot about Ethel's husband, but to read about the woman who was devoted to him, give another picture of life in America at the time of their trials, and how one couple took their beliefs beyond the law.

Ethel was a devoted mother and wife who believed with her mind and heart that what her husband thought was right. It took that kind of devotion to follow her husband who was found guilty of selling America's secrets to foreign countries. Justice, as seen at the time, was swift and severe, but even in her death this woman did what she could to ensure a good life for her son, but never betraying her husband.

I found this book well done and very interesting.. I of course knew about the Rosenbergs and their getting the death penalty during the era of ‘Commie hunting’ in the US. But, I didn’t know much of anything about Ethel Rosenberg. She was a very complex woman with a strong moral core.

Ethel Rosenberg: An American Tragedy, by Anne Sebba, is an attempt to throw a spotlight on an American woman victimized by a government obsessed with fear of both Communism and political ambition. Sebba’s foundational thesis is that Ethel was innocent and used by the government as leverage to encourage her husband to confess.

While I admire Sebba’s efforts to give context to Ethel’s horrendous situation and her innocence, there is so much supposition and contradiction, that distinguishing fact from Sebba’s guesses is almost impossible. Also, the footnotes and citations heavily demonstrate reliance on secondary sources, trial transcripts, plus some author interviews. Unfortunately, Ethel never emerges with authenticity.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC and reacquaint myself with a dark and fascinating piece of history.

Very well researched book. As details come alight, people still wonder if Ethel Rosenberg was really a Soviet spy or even a part of a ring. Her husband along with others were spies. Lots of material, interesting but at times tedious.

I received this an ARC from Netgalley. I didn't know anything about Ethel and Julius Rosenberg before reading this book by Anne Sebba. I felt the author did a great deal of detailed research and presented the material in a way that was easy to understand. However, it just didn't flow well for me. I read a decent amount of non-fiction so was not excepting a story, but something a little faster pace is what I would have been looking for.

I was six the year the Rosenberg’s were executed. The death of the Rosenberg’s is the first national event that remains in my memory. When this book became available on NetGalley, I knew that I should read it to understand more about that time in our history.
Anne Sebba presents Ethel as a communist sympathizer who was caught up in the frenzy of the time and found guilty of treason. There seems to be enough evidence to suggest that she was unjustly executed: the lies told by Ethel’s brother and sister-in-law, the unwillingness of Ethel to testify against Julius, the poor testimony on her part in her trial, and the spinelessness of a government fraught with McCarthyism.
Sebba’s well-researched book paints Ethel as a talented woman devoted to her husband and family who refused to bend to the pressures that the government and court system tried to put on her. Hers truly is an American tragedy. The upside of this horrible blemish on our social conscious is that her two sons grew to become upstanding members of society and have fought to clear the name of their mother.
My thanks to Anne Sebba, NetGalley, and St. Martin Press for allowing me to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand the dangers of political power.

Wow, this is an eye opening book. I was born in the 50's and had heard of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg but didn't know much of their story. This book is unique because it specifically was more about Ethel and how she got to death row and eventual electrocution, with limited evidence that she was a spy for the Soviet Union. The Cold war is such an interesting topic.

This was an interesting read on the historical Ethel Rosenberg and her demise as the wife of a soviet spy. The author did a great job presenting questionable evidence to the contrary but fell short for me as the story progressed. At times I felt I knew what was going on but other times I felt lost trying to figure things out.
The book started out great but dragged a bit in the middle. Ultimately ending on a very sad note. I had to opportunity to listen to this as an audiobook which was easy to listen to due to great narration.
Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio & St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity for the ARC.
I hope my honest review helps others and would recommend this book to others who enjoy historical fiction of this type.  #EthelRosenberg, @anneseba, @StMartinsPress

This book tells the full story of Ethel Rosenberg and what events occurred that led to her execution in 1953. Hearing Ethel Rosenberg's full story opened my eyes to how unjust the case was, especially since her brother, David Greenglass, was also charged with espionage yet was not given the death penalty. It's a complicated story and tough to follow at times, but I'm so glad I now know that Ethel was more than just the crime she was charged with.

What a fascinating true story about Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. As someone who is fascinated with American History, I was truly impressed with Anne Sabba’s telling of the facts and surrounding opinions (without sharing her own) about the story of Ethel Rosenberg. She and her husband Julius were parents of young sons in the 50’s and were both electrocuted after being on Death Row for conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. There was no questioning Julius’ involvement, but evidence against Ethel was questionable. The book covers a lot of well researched history and facts and was incredibly well written. Anyone interested in history should definitely read this.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced reader copy.

This was a really interesting story. Having been born a couple of years before the end of this story, of course I have heard about the Rosenbergs, but not in this detail. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in history.

I may have been living under a rock, but I did not know the story of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. I've been fascinated with Cold War history since binge-watching the Americans, but this particular part of history had escaped me.

The author does an amazing job of researching their lives and the events surrounding this time period. This is absolutely a well-written piece of work where you're able to learn more about the two of them. It just became a bit hard to trudge through, for me, because I felt like I was more reading a piece of academia than a book. I appreciated being able to learn so much regarding a historical event I knew nothing about, but it became a bit of work to get through.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This biography is definitely for biography lovers. At times it felt very detailed and I got lost in those. There were some very interesting parts, like the connection to Sylvia Plath and what happened with their children. But I wish it would have been a bum it more focused. It felt just very wordy.

I received a free electronic ARC of this biography from Netscape, Anne Sebba, and St. Martin's Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read "Ethel Rosenberg: An American Tragedy" of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend this biography to friends and family. The little we were taught of this true tragedy in school in the '50s and '60s left a lot to be desired.

There is usually a right time and right place in history. Ethel was not blessed with either of those advantages. I am grateful to Anne Sebba for offering this biography of a hard-working, loving mother who faced this disaster of justice with courage and poise. I hope that never again in my lifetime are we faced with such a terrible miscarriage of justice. And that if we do, we are strong enough to stand up for what is right and true.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Marten’s Press, and Anne Seba for allowing me to read the ARC of Ethel Rosenberg in exchange for an honest review.
Our story opens with Ethel and Julius Rosenberg’s executions for being accused of being American spies. The intrigue and questioning begins with the story of how they met, their children, their lives, and their political affiliations. Even though Julius was a member of the Communist Party, how much was his wife involved in his political dealings?This is a story of loyalty to her husband, despite ending up on Death Row. Did the government protect her rights, or execute her out of fear of ideas they weren’t familiar with.
This is a story you will think about for a long time. I’m not sure that justice was truly served.

Ethel Rosenberg by Anne Sebba

Ethel and Julius, an in-love couple, are accused of spying and being communists sympathetic to the Soviet Union. This is an interesting, well researched story of the Rosenbergs.

In this book, the life story of Ethel, her imprisonment and trial are the focus. By the end of the author’s research, you may want to accuse or defend Ethel yourself.

Was she naive, just a neurotic mother, a neglected and unloved daughter, or a throw away sister? The author presents the facts and leaves you to decide if justice was served in her execution in 1953. Keep in mind that after the execution of Julius, two children were orphaned.

How would this compare to what’s tolerated by today’s standards? Was the U.S. government too quick to act? Take your place on the jury as this tale unfolds.

Like most people, I knew the story about the Rosenbergs at a 10,000 foot level. I was looking forward to learning more about Ethel as Julius tends to be the focus. This is a well researched book and highlighted the fear of Communism in the 1940's as well as the U.S. government's mishandling of the Rosenberg case. The prosecutors and FBI manipulated the situation to impose the maximum penalty - the death sentence. Was Ethel totally innocent? Probably not. Did she deserve the death sentence? Probably not.

While I learned more about the Rosenbergs and the situation, the writing style was lacking. The story was slow going and at times repetitious.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for honest feedback.