Trigger Warning - This book is about a rape. The Sewing Girl's Tale is a well researched exploration into the first published rape trial in revolutionary era America. Not only that, it examines the class discrepancies in social justice. This book should, and will, make you angry and disgusted with the criminal justice system of the past. Although society has come a long way since this trial, remnants still linger and are palpable to those who are involved and are observant. I feel for the victim in this case - and for all the victims that come forward and are shamed and blamed and get no justice.

The author has put an extraordinary amount of research into the book. Very informative and well written,
'This case is known as the first publicized rape case in American history.
It showcases how much has changed over two histories and how much, has not.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Have you heard of Lanah Sawyer? I hadn’t until I came across The Sewing Girl’s Tale last year. She has an entry on Wikipedia, but it only has five external references. Four are from books on rape and the legal system; only one is specifically about Sawyer’s case and it was written by an eyewitness of the trial back in 1793. In contrast, one third of this book by John Wood Sweet is dedicated to notes and references.

The Sewing Girl’s Tale presents the known facts in a straightforward manner. Lanah went for a walk with a member of the city’s elite, a man she’d recently met. Maybe she was naïve, maybe she had a fairytale dream that he’d marry her. Regardless, she ended up in a room in a brothel where she lost her innocence. She reported the events to her family within 72 hours, and her stepfather then pressed for criminal charges against the man involved. But where Lanah’s family struggled to find the funds for a lawyer, the accused had easy access to at least a half dozen attorneys. The book then shows how it was that the accused really was judged by a jury of his peers because they were all men of status. To them, Lanah was a nobody because she was a working-class woman. It was, in today’s parlance, a slam-dunk for the defense.

After, men rioted in the streets. They burned down the brothel involved, as well as other houses of ill-repute. I couldn’t decide if the author believed it was a case of attacking the unfair legal system or if it was action against the “unruly” actions of women who kept such places. He cited both as possible reasons and went on to explain how women who went against the norm were often deemed “unruly.” Even the esteemed Abigail Adams could be dismissed by her husband when she voiced her opinion on the subject. But in all the violence and debate that took place after the court case, few remembered the woman who had had the guts to stand up to her accuser. Lanah Sawyer was left to fade into obscurity, a forgotten symbol of the disparity between the genders during the Gilded Age.

There’s so little information on Lanah Sawyer that this book, supposedly about her, mostly looks on the lives and rights of women in the new country in general. The author provided evidence on the wrongs done to women - particularly working-class women - in the late 18th century, but he also repeatedly wondered what might’ve gone through the minds of all involved in the trial, and the events before and after it. At least he didn’t give us the answers to his questions. After all, can any man comprehend what a woman would think and feel about the injustices forced on them by a society favoring a wealthy patriarchy? Ultimately, this was an interesting dramatization of an historical event, but with so little information to go on regarding Lanah other than the trial proceedings, I wonder if it was worth making her the focus of it.

Disclaimer: Although I received an uncorrected digital galley of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this one, the legalities of a potential rape and its potential repercussions in late 18th century New York. The story is that of Lanah Sawyer, who was taken advantage of by a gentleman who pretended to express interest in courting her, only to sexually assault her and then leave.

The rest of the story follows the consequences of Lanah deciding to pursue legal action against said gentleman, and what it ultimately cost her.

While the plot was interesting, this book struggled with pacing and keeping my interest. I felt as though it dragged by the end and could’ve been edited more.

When I was in graduate school, we were assigned Midwive's Tale to read. The guys in the class chidingly referred to the book as the history of knitting 101. They were wrong but that is a tag often tied to books about women's history. So when I saw the title of this book, The Sewing Girl's Tale, I thought uh oh, another historical tale that will be relegated to the women's studies genre. I was wrong. The title is very misleading. Yes the tale does revolve around a young woman who happens to be an excellent seamstress, But the tale is so much more; Sweet weaves a rich tapestry of greed, lust, power, avarice, prostitution, family rights, and justice set amid post-revolutionary New York City.

Lanah, a sweet young teen, finds herself the center of attention of a local lothario who hides his true identity as he courts her. Winning her trust, he then kidnaps her and brutally rapes her in the back room of a dirty bordello. When Lanah reveals her tale, her indignant stepfather decides to have the cad tried and pushes for justice. Using this true legal case, Sweet draws on every aspect to create a portrait of a sleazy, corrupt city ruled by a select elite. While Lanah's brutal rape is the center of the story, the author pulls out threads of her tale to provide an indepth look at life and social norms in the 1790s New York. One chapter goes into great detail of the bordello business thriving at the time and its own weird set of norms. Another chapter examines the roles of the men who work on the docks as Lanah's stepfather did. Other chapters investigate the moneyed world of the rich and powerful who weild incredible influence over society and politics.

Sweet's work also reveals many of the problems that women still face when it comes to social and legal equity especially in rape cases. Lanah's was the first rape trial in this new country forged by the American Revolution. Yet many of the issues she faced--the dismantling of her reputation, the lack of belief in her story, the gendered weight of the justice system still exist today. Even with all the changes in the legal code since the Women's Liberation Movement, the system is still stacked against women. It would be nice to think Lanah's tattered tale would have blazed a trail for legal justice in rape cases in the US, but that is not the case. Even with the #metoo movement, women still face many of the stigmas poor Lanah did over 200 years ago. Such a sad history lesson to learn.

Do you dream of following along a map of 16th century NYC as you read the specific path of people walking around? I do. Even if you're not really as map-oriented as I am, I'm sure you'll find a lot to love about this fantastically well-researched book. It's a compassionate, detailed portrait of early American law, attitudes towards women, and class-- I feel confident that Sweet has excavated every possible detail of this story, and he tells it with confidence. Highly recommended for lovers of NYC history, Alexander Hamilton completionists, and anyone who wants to trace back American attitudes towards sex and consent to the very beginning of the "free" state.

Given the nature of the subject of this book - the first rape trial in the United States - I went into this not entirely sure what to expect. This is a subject that can be difficult to navigate respectfully and can veer off track in less-adept hands. I was pleasantly surprised, though, at how well the Sweet handled the subject matter and presented it. In addition to presenting this case in an extremely thorough and well-researched manner, highlighting a case that most people will never have heard of (but that is still so familiar in this country) , Sweet includes details on the social and political context in which this rape and case occurred, which will be very helpful for those who are less familiar with this particular moment in history.

Thank you so much to Henry HOlt & Co as well as Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

Let me start by saying that this book is extremely well researched. As someone who adored research papers while in school, this made me so happy. I really enjoyed that this story was brought to light and found the content very interesting. I thought the actual crime of sexual assault was handled well and was not overly graphic, which I appreciated. One thing that I really liked about this book was how it showed NYC at the time, how women were viewed especially when a crime was committed against them as well as how men were viewed when they had status. I really liked how Lana did not stand down even when people did not believe her or continued to make her tell her story again and again. She was such a strong woman in a time when she had to fight even harder to get her voice heard.

There were times when I felt that there was a lot of information that did not need to be included such as the history of a man who was in the mob attacking the brothel. This is a personal preference but did not take me away from the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about history and very well researched books.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While the story takes place in the Revolutionary Era so much of the storyline is one we can relate to today in many respects. Hard to believe that such a story can be so relevant today. A great read…would highly recommend.

At first, when I realized over a quarter of the book was endnotes, I was wary of this book, thinking it would be a stodgy historical examination of a court case, but instead, this read richly, a bit like a novel. Sweet's telling does lean heavily on historical account, but later, we learn of the records he uses, and some of what he tells was laid out by previous researchers. Instead, Sweet brings this account to life and imagination, and I was startled at the ways in which we treated rape so many centuries ago. I expected certain elements to be laid out but there were some surprises at decisions made by the players in the story, and I gained a lot of respect for some of the tenacity and bravery people took on when accusing others of terrible deeds.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an extremely well researched book about one of the first rape trials in what is now the United States. The author did some great reconstruction of what life was like in the 1790s for women of many different walks of life while also using some really unique sources for the trial. I do wish there were a bit fewer tangents, but overall it was very good.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* this was a really great read. would buy, reread and recommend! long but very much worth it!

An interesting story that gives a lot of detail and explanation to the crime and trial that came afterward. Sometimes I felt like our main character, Lanah, was often forgotten.

I enjoyed reading this historical story. This is a new author for me which I enjoyed and look forward to seeing what is next for them. This is a well written story where the author used details to give the story a realistic feel. Their writing skills made the story easy and entertaining to read. This is a fast paced story where the characters are connectable and have great growth. I enjoyed being pulled into the story and found it hard to put down. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

A young woman goes on a date with a man who turns out not to be who he claims. He charms her with a stroll and an ice-cream sundae, then when she tries to go home he has other ideas. Her exciting evening turns into a nightmare as she is overpowered and sexually assaulted. It’s a story that could have happened yesterday.

In The Sewing Girl’s Tale, it took place in New York in 1793. Lanah Sawyer, a 17-year-old seamstress, was lured and attacked by Harry Bedlow, a rich layabout aged 26. They had met a few days earlier, and he invited her to walk along the Battery, a common place for courting couples. He had told her his name was Smith, and she....

Whenever I read something about a historical event that I’ve never heard of, my history-nerd spidey senses tingle & I need to know more. I’m especially interested when it’s related to women’s rights or the rights/plights of marginalized communities. For years & still today, their narratives were/are ignored or, worse, purposely suppressed.

In this fascinating nonfiction book, history professor Sweet mixes scholarly research with embellished storytelling to explore the people involved in and the societal issues surrounding a New York City rape trial in 1793 colonial America (Alexander Hamilton was involved at one point!). The case: Working-class seamstress Lanah Turner was raped by wealthy entrepreneur Harry Bedlow. She said he pretended to be “Lawyer Smith” and feigned interest in her. After scheming to meet up with her for a stroll, he forced her to accompany him to a brothel, and, even though she screamed and tried to fight him off, he raped her and kept her there for the night.

What makes this case extra intriguing is how while some things about it are antiquated others are infuriatingly the same, even over 2 centuries later! Women having to “prove” their case beyond just their word. Men, especially white, prominent men are given the benefit of the doubt. The female victim is denigrated again & again & again. Sweet does a great job highlighting the inequities between men and women of the time, but also how Lanah’s case upended the status quo.

It’s a testament to Sweet’s skill that the scholarly info is never overbearing or didactic but deftly woven into the third-person narrative. All in all, this is an excellent book that spotlights a little-known but fascinating moment in history. I just wish some things weren’t still so unfair, 200+ years later.

If you’re a history fan, read this book! Thanks to @netgalley for the gifted ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start with this: it is extremely evident that this author poured an extensive amount of time and research into this book, which was certainly appreciated. I also really appreciated how Sweet, time and again, makes Lanah the center of this narrative, regardless of how often history and her own contemporaries make it seem otherwise.

With that being said, I think this book would function best as a research tool, not necessarily for someone who’s a more casual reader of non-fiction like myself. I certainly learned quite a lot—I particularly enjoyed getting a glimpse of life during that post-Revolutionary era. I found it striking (and, frankly, somewhat alarming) how this case parallels the state of our law today. I know how little information there can actually be found about Lanah Sawyer herself, but I think I was just expecting a little more and often found myself wishing for Sweet to get back to more about her.

All in all, this was a powerful, expertly written history—just maybe not for a casual reader.

I was fascinated by the topic and really wanted to read The Sewing Girl’s Tale just based on the relevant history aspect. This, however well researched, read a bit like a textbook. I truly don’t even feel like we got to know The Sewing Girl’s side of the story, because so little is known about Lanah Sawyer herself, what became of her after the trial, and so forth. This is a sad fact of history—women weren’t considered to be worth the parchment in most cases. I really enjoyed the connection to well known historical figures (Hamilton, anyone?) but frankly there was so much extraneous information that really holds little relevance to Lanah Sawyer’s life, case, or aftermath. (Mother Carey, for example, didn’t deserve that much mention). Missing for me was the actual story of the Sewing Girl—a critical error was naming the book after a character who for whatever reason, didn’t get to contribute much actual content. The audiobook was well done, but again, it seems pretty clear that the research did not involve Lanah herself.

This is a true story. A story of the first published rape case in Revolutionary America. Have things gotten better for women? This book aims to show how things have changed and how they haven't. This is an eye-opening book that is really good. I can't believe, but somehow do believe how things have not changed since that time. This is a definate MUST read!

I saw a review of The Sewing Girl’s Tale in the NYT and knew immediately this was a book I needed to read. John Wood Sweet explains at the end of this book why he became so interested in this tale of rape and injustice. His reasons were the same reasons why I wanted to read this book. This is a story that demands to be told. Even the most casual readers should read The Sewing Girl’s Tale to keep Lanah’s story alive.

Sweet has obviously compiled a great deal of research in bringing this young woman’s story to life. As I read Lanah Sawyer’s story, I could not help but think how little change has occurred in the treatment of rape victims. There were places where I was so angered I had to stop reading and reign in my emotions. For some readers, this book will provide triggers and so it is important to include that warning.

Sweet’s research and inclusion of history are impressive. He provides multiple examples of other trials for comparison. The names of far too many important men are included, which will no doubt shock some readers. Not all our country’s founding fathers behaved with dignity and honesty.

I want to thank the author and publisher fur providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. The above comments are my own assessment. Thank you to NetGalley for listing this title.

Incidentally, Amazon refused to print this review as written. In an email explaining their decision, my review offended community practices. As a result, I needed to heavily edit this review and submit it a second time.