The fascinating story of Wesley Elkins, imprisoned with a life sentence for killing his father and step-mother in 1890. We learn early on that the young Elkins was most likely motivated by dreams to escape an abusive relationship with both parents, and had the misfortune of living in a time when children were often tried as adults within consideration for their age or mental capacity. The story explains the efforts over the years to free Wesley from his sentence, either through pardon or parole, as well as the very strong feeling from many that Wesley should remain in prison until his last breath. A good deal of this sentiment was fostered by the belief that Wesley was driven by evil that was passed on to him in utero by his mother.

The book is a riveting read, very nicely written and exhaustively researched. Some slight distractions in the devotion of an entire chapter to the a short story from that era which was loosely based on Wesley's efforts to be freed from prison. What (in my estimation) should have been worthy of little more than a passing mention was a quite lengthy re-telling of the story. It almost felt as though someone suggested the book be padded somewhat in order to reach the 200-page mark. It simply felt out of place and unnecessary.

That's hardly a reason to quibble over the entirety of the book, however. As I'm certain others will have already suggested, this has the makings of a good movie.

Sincere appreciation to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for a free digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

John Elkins and his younger wife Hattie were brutally murdered one October night in 1889 in Iowa. Their eleven year old son confesses to shooting his father in the head and bludgeoning his step mother in the head with a mallet and is charged and arrested for the murders. Wesley Elkins is just a child, and the community wonders what would make a child go to such drastic measures as to murder his parents. Wesley’s parents regularly whipped him, he was beaten a lot over pretty much everything, his step mother didn’t want him unless he was taking care of his baby step sister, and he was often made to sleep in the barn instead of in the house. Wesley was also told to give up education and work on the farm which was unfortunate because Wesley was an exceptional student who really enjoyed learning and reading. Because his parents were abusive, he felt like he had no way out and so he killed them without really thinking. Wesley goes to prison, a child.

This is the story of how a small child became a murderer and his story of redemption and what became of him after he got released from prison. This book is very well written and extensively researched, it provided me with so much information. I think the story of Wesley Elkins was well told and one I won’t soon forget.

The Plea is a fairly quick read that covers the history of Wesley Elkins, a notorious juvenile murderer from the state of Iowa. I had not heard of this case before reading this book, but the authors write in a simple and clear style and quickly engage the reader in the pitiful story. The blurb may be slightly misleading—this is not really a case of someone falsely accused, nor would I describe it as ‘true crime’, as the crime is dispensed with in the first few chapters of the book and serves only as a foundation for what is to come. Rather, this book is an expose on Elkins’s struggle as a juvenile offender for whom the legal system offered no reprieve, nor understanding of his unfortunate past. Spanning several states and many decades, this book is an expansive work whose authors have definitely poured many hours into the research and transmission thereof.

Wesley Elkins is just 11 years old when he coldly plans to murder his father and stepmother, all while his infant half-sister is sleeping in the same bed (luckily, he lets the infant live). The attitude of many in Clayton County, Iowa was direct: this was a heinous and morally depraved act, and Wesley should be incarcerated and the key thrown out. However, Bryan and Wolf explain the circumstances and efforts behind Wesley and his supporters who successfully seek his pardon and parole as a young adult—not to spoil the book too much, but the reasons are as complex as the case itself.

Are people to be defined by the worst thing they have ever done? Are criminals capable of rehabilitation and true repentance? Even now, these are far from simple questions. Juvenile justice reform has come a long way from Wesley’s time—we have dedicated juvenile courts and laws to ensure that the legal system treats minors (and the adults responsible for them) appropriately. I was fascinated by the legal history—Bryan and Wolf even manage to make a legislative session sound exciting and suspenseful. I would certainly recommend this book to those interested in the social and legal history of young offenders in the early 20th century.

The book also goes into great detail about the prison Wesley was incarcerated at, as well as the characters of various wardens and inmates. There is an almost excessive amount of attention given to Susan Glaspell who write a short story, ‘The Plea’, modeled on Wesley Elkins and aiming to rouse the sympathies of the public towards child offenders; looking at Bryan’s academic interests, it seems that she has done quite a lot of work on Glaspell, so I can see why she tied her work into the narrative.

However, one of the biggest drawbacks of this book is due to the nature of its extensive reliance on archival and written records. Much of the basis of this book, as the authors explain early on, is based on writings from Wesley and other people involved in the case directly. As such, the authors frequently turn to make speculative claims about one or other aspects of Wesley’s life. This is one of the few things that may think this would have been better off as a short article rather than an entire book; there is just so much of Wesley’s life missing, and thus the authors must include too the narrative of the prison, the legislative processes at work in the background, etc. These were interesting, no doubt, and the context was very helpful for the case. However, it does highlight the difficulty in focusing your narrative on a man whose entire later years you have no record of. Perhaps some authorial reflection on Elkins would have helped to pad out the book—I couldn’t help but wonder why he made certain decisions and what he may have thought about his life. Surely the authors, having done so much research and having walked in his footsteps, have some thoughts on these matters.

I do very much appreciate this book for giving me a new perspective on juvenile criminal justice and prison reform; these are certainly important and relevant for the modern reader. While it was far from a perfect book, the authors’ style was engaging and this was a quick read. I learned a lot about Wesley Elkins, and I am happy to think that, even long after his death, his case may still impact the way we think of juvenile justice. I would hesitate to recommend this book if you’re merely interested in true crime, as it is barely about the crime itself and there is no mystery or otherwise suspenseful element to it; but if you are interested in accessible legal and social history, this may be up your alley.

Disclaimer: Thank you to Netgalley and the University of Iowa Press for providing an advanced reader copy of this book. This review reflects only my honest thoughts.

This book gives great detail about what life may have been like for Wesley Elkins, life was so bad that he killed his parents! I didn’t want to believe it at first, the tragedy unfolds to reveal the truth.
A young boy is a killer, the author’s research is thorough and gives the reader food for thought. There is much discussion about Wesley, the court of public opinion has a strong influence.
I enjoyed reading the specifics, background and, to me, great sadness around this young boy’s experiences.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and author for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book has something for everyone. Go read it. History! True crime! Wonderful storytelling! Well-researched! Fascinating telling of an 11yo’s life in and out of the US system of justice in the 1889 and beyond. The writing is exceptional - reads like fiction. Heartfelt thanks to University of Iowa Press for the advanced copy. Don’t miss this one.

This is such a tragic story! To think about this kid losing his parents brutally and then being charged with the heinous crime breaks my heart. He must have been terrified. This was a page turner! It’s a great true crime read! I’ve recommended to friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review
What a fascinating book! I'd never heard of this case before. Wesley Elkins committed a horrific crime as a child and was sent to prison at 11 years old. This was long before juvenile court and detention centers. I can't imagine how hard it must've been to survive, and remarkably thrive, after what he experienced.

I don't usually read books about true crime, but this one caught my eye - it's not every day that an 11 year-old boy murders someone. I was half-expecting to learn Wesley Elkins hadn't killed his father and stepmother at all, only to discover he did in fact eventually plea guilty and never retracted that plea later on.

The story of the crime itself is pretty straightforward: in the late 19th century, 11 year-old Wesley Elkins was (probably) mistreated at home. One night he shot his father and hit his stepmother with a club until she also died. Initially, enough people in the town believed he was innocent, only for someone to extract a confession from him not too long afterwards, resulting in mostly everyone turning violently against him, including his own lawyer. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in jail.

As he grew older, he discovered that he could have gotten a lighter sentence had his age been invoked during the trial and, with the help of outside friends, he began asking for a pardon, even if it proved elusive to obtain.

The strength of the volume lies in the description of the world Wesley lived in: what the justice system looked like; who the people involved in his trial were and what their interests might have been; the lack of differentiation between children and adults, except by the discretion of the judge; the power of a community to damn someone; the prison system and the philosophy behind it; the prison he was actually in, what it was like, and what principles it was founded on.

It's an exploration of society even more than it is a story about a particular person; yet even so, we get to find out as much as we can about Wesley Elkins. Where court papers, newspaper articles and official letters end, Patricia L. Bryan looked into other sources (censuses, company records etc.) to reconstruct his life after regaining his freedom and becoming an upstanding citizen and a great help to his family.

I like books about killers from long ago times and this one fit the bill. It’s about a young boy who is accused of killing his dad and step-mother at age 11 in a twisted, bloody murder scene. What follows is what makes the book interesting. All of what happens after the arrest of Wesley Elkins going forward is quite a story. The laws back then regarding children were much different than they are now. There was no juvenile court. The political scene was ready for some change in that area of law at that time. This young man’s life started moving forward again in April 1902, 120 years ago this month. A fascinating read about an unusual life back in that period. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Patricia Bryan and Thomas Wolf’s book The Plea, is a story of tragedy and redemption. The primary focus of the book is the life of Wesley Elkins. It follows the passage of his life as a young boy living in Iowa, his conviction of murder at age eleven to his eventual triumph over much adversity. In the course of the book the reader is exposed to many issues related to Wesley’s story, such as the pursuit of justice, the role of media influence, political control, nature versus nurture, criminal reform, social justice and the power of gossip to name a few.

Bryan and Wolf’s detailed research uncovers the sad story of a young boy whose experience of abuse and instability leads to an horrific crime, which results in his incarceration. The authors account of the subsequent discussions in newspapers and private letters debating Wesley’s guilt or innocence and his character, the details about local gossip, as well as explanations of the frustratingly long road of repeated appeals for a pardon were informative and fascinating. The many interesting, influential and altruistic characters that were part of Wesly’s life and story brought warmth and relief to an initially bleak story. The coverage of his later life was gratifying and provided an encouraging message about the power of hard work and the human spirit to overcome many obstacles.

I enjoyed The Plea very much. and and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Iowa Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was an intriguing book. Anyone interested in criminal law would be fascinated by this case. This is a good reason to believe that our process has gotten better since the days of Wesley.