In 1793, Lanah Sawyer went out walking with a gentleman. She was excited, thinking that this might lead to a proposal. He had told her they would be accompanied by another couple but when they met, he told her the other couple would meet them later and instead he took her to a brothel where he gained entrance, locked her in a room and raped her.

Lanah was seventeen and living in a Colonial America that prized women's virtue above all. If they were raped, they were spoiled and their chances of marriage were considered unlikely. Fathers attempted to make the man marry their daughter, another horrid outcome. If unsuccessful, the family attempted to hide the crime so that their daughter would not be ruined.

But Lanah Sawyer went another route. Her stepfather was a boat captain and he and his friends were not fond of gentlemen who often tried to cheat them of wages and tips. He and Lanah went to a magistrate and filed rape charges against the man, the first rape trial to take place in New York or the country. Some of the most famous lawyers of the time got involved, including Alexander Hamilton. Although it took many months, Lanah eventually got retribution but her reputation was stained throughout the new country.

John Wood Sweet is an American author who is also a history professor at the University of North Carolina. His books have been on early American history and have gained literary prizes. This book is extensively researched and told in great detail. The reader will learn about the history of rape charges but also much about New York City and its citizens at the end of the seventeenth century. I listened to this book and the narrator did an excellent job. This book is recommended for nonfiction history readers.

2.75 stars, rounded up.

Not gonna lie, I struggled with this one. I found the concept very intriguing and I wanted to love it, but it read like a textbook and honestly took me way longer than I would like to admit to get through. I almost DNF'ed this many times, but I took breaks and stuck it through. The story itself was very interesting, it was just the way that it was told that was hard to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful book. The story is hard to ear but still true. I have scream in my car because of the trial. the pain she had to live was terrible. I couldn't stop listening. I needed to know the truth of what was going to happen.

Well, read and well written I'm sure. I was never lost in the story the characters were different and had their own energy. I'm a seamstress. The story was closer to home then I tought it would be. As someone how has experience that crime, I was 100% invested in it.

The rythm, the words and the story itself was terribly beautiful.

This was a fascinating nonfiction recounting of the tale of Lanah Sawyer, a young seamstress of 17, who finds herself in a compromising situation in 1793 Revolutionary times, and is raped in the the backroom of a New York brothel. Absolutely a sensitive topic, but this depicts the story of the first published rape trial in American History, as she bravely and publicly accuses her rapist, and becomes the catalyst for social change and the treatment of women. Extensively researched, the book does a great job of depicting social and political norms for the time, and even involves more well known historical figures, such as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Given the vast amount of detail and background information, I found the Audiobook version particularly appealing for this read. The narrator did a fabulous job, and this kept my interest throughout. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this advanced Audiobook version!

*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!

I found this book to be like reading a textbook. While I understand how far we've come I felt like I was just listening to court proceedings and reading newspaper accounts most of the time.

One evening, a teenage girl and a man who called himself a lawyer went for a walk on the Battery. But Lanah Sawyer refused to stay silent about what he had done to her – and charged Harry Bedlow with rape.

I have heard of Lanah Sawyer before, briefly, though I cannot recall whether it was in history class or in Gail Collins’s America’s Women. Either way, I knew only the broadest outlines of the story. There’s not a lot of material out there about her that I could find. So when I saw this ARC on NetGalley, I snatched it up.

The Sewing Girl’s Tale is meticulously researched and does an amazing job of bringing Lanah’s world of post-Revolutionary New York City to life. The story is a grim one, sometimes difficult to listen to, and I was taken aback by the many parallels of the rape trial to modern cases I’ve read about it. I thought the author did a good job of going in-depth about legal matters without overwhelming or boring the reader.

It would be easy to overlook Lanah’s agency in her story, considering the nature of the few sources available, but the author did a good job of bringing her to life and hinging the narrative around her, even though her step-father was the one who had to actually bring the case to court. To this end, the discussion of women’s roles and the way mobs directed their anger toward Mother Carey were very interesting. I became very invested in the story, rooting for Lanah and detesting Bedlow and Mother Carey.

However, I did think the book did get a little repetitive in parts, or discussed things in detail that weren’t so relevant to the story, like the history of Lanah’s aunt and the woman she was companion to.

I listened to this book as an audiobook, which was narrated by Gabra Zackman. I thought she did a good job, as she helped retain the factual but not dry tone of the book.

I couldn't put this book down! John Wood Sweet has written and extensively researched this novel based on the factual story of the rape of a young 17 year old girl in New York City during the late 1700's. The appalling fact that women were no more than things owned by men was angering to me, but the entire story enflamed even more anger in me. A rake, ( an unscrupulous man with no moral compass, only the compass in his pants), takes advantage, in a terrible way, of this young girl, Lanah Sawyer, and when taken to court, WINS!
It's all downhill for him after that, but the things that occur make up this book. The story takes place during the time of Alexander Hamilton, John Adams and our country's founding fathers. How they treated women was harrowing! Our country's court system favored men and is still corrupt. Anyway, The Sewing Girl's Tale is an incredible read about New York history, and I loved it! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company Publishing for the arc.

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.

There is a real tragedy in knowing that not enough has changed when it comes to cases of sexual assault. It's so much about the man in question and not about believing the victim.

Gabra Zackman is a great narrator, her tone is informative but not dry. I don't find myself wandering in my thoughts while I listen to her, and she does preform the voices of people when they have dialogue.

This book honestly took me for a ride, it was written narratively, giving you the information you need chronologically. I didn't side Google anything while I was listening and when a chapter ended with Lanah hanging herself, I had to stop in despair. Only to realize when I started it again that she had been found in time and had not completed suicide. The way the author wrote this history made Lanah into a real person, something that the media of her time failed to do. She wasn't even allowed the dignity of being considered the victim in her story, her stepfather was the plaintiff and wronged person.

I'm a big Revolutionary America history buff, and I've had the pleasure of seeing in person many of the places referenced. I appreciated all of the historical context applied throughout the story when needed instead of massive info dumps.

The riots that ensued after the first trial weren't about the victims either but white working men making it about themselves. Sounds familiar...

Thank you NetGalley and McMillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review!

1793 New York, the first publish court case of a rape.
The story is based on a true court case and is full of information of the class differences of the late Seventeen Hundreds. This includes all the double standards used for the upper class and the working class.
The treatment of woman. They were basically property of their fathers and later on their husbands.
John Wood Sweet did a lot of research and presented it an easy-to-read package making a small area of history come alive.
I think after finishing the book you still be thinking of Lanah and the unfair treatment she received.
Gabra Zackman the narrator did a great job reading the story which made it a real pleasure to listen to.

The Sewing Girl’s Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America
by John Wood Sweet
Thank you to NetGally for providing me an advanced audio copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Lanah Sawyer, a 17-year-old living in New York City during the year 1793, is from a working-class family. Living with her mother and step-father, she is expected to earn wages to help add to the family income, so worked as a seamstress. Because Lanah was part of the working class, she did not have a chaperone to accompany her when out and about. While out one day, Lanah was the subject of mens’ catcalls. It is then a bystander who went by the name of “Lawyer Smith” stepped in and offered her protection from the situation. Upon walking her home, Lawyer Smith asked to call on her to take a walk sometime down by the battery. After he leaves Lanah at her door, a well-meaning neighbor speaks to her, warning her the gentleman’s name is not Lawyer Smith, but rather Harry Bedlow who had the reputation of being a “rake.”
Due to Lanah’s inexperience, naivety, and wish to have a beau of higher class interested in her, she ignores her neighbor’s warning, and agrees to see “Lawyer Smith, “ aka Harry Bedlow, again. Unfortunately, Lanah realizes her neighbor’s truths too late as she is dragged to a brothel/bawdy house, assaulted, and raped on she and Harry’s next outing.
The author John Sweet delves into the aftermath of Lanah’s lapse of judgement and, with a plethora of research at his fingertips, describes the intricacies of the law during the post-Revolutionary Colonial period, exposing the inequalities of gender, race, and social status of Americans during that period. Lanah was not the first or only young woman to be raped by a “rake,” but she and her family would challenge the modern, new perceptions of women’s sexuality and rape by reporting the incident to authorities. This led to the first documented rape trial in the U.S., where Harry Bedlow was indicted and tried for the crime.
Mr. Sweet demonstrates his diligence in research as he provides rather thorough insight to late 18th century life, history of brothels and prostitution, thoughts of sexuality and importance of female virginity, and double standards between the two sexes. Many of the social issues highlighted in The Sewing Girl’s Tale are timely, as class privilege and gender bias can still be seen today in and out of America’s court system.
If you are seeking an in-depth understanding behind the sequence of events or social reaction of an 18th century crime against a 17-year-old woman, then I highly recommend The Sewing Girl’s Tale.

THE SEWING GIRL’S TALE: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America
John Wood Sweet
Gabri Zackman
American Legal History


This book chronicles the first recorded rape trial of American history. It is about a lowly sewing girl and a high bred gentleman and how this trial started the turn of women’s rights everywhere.

I really truly loved this book. It brings into light a lot of things that we don’t know about the high-bred men of 1793. Including how the esteemed Alexander Hamilton defended the rapist. Be warned though, there are some very explicit scenes of rape and the aftermath. This book was definitely a five star read for me. I might even have to reread it to catch more details.

Lanah has been raped. Due to many different situations, there is a trial. And what a trial it became. It changed many lives and had repercussions for years.

Now, I usually don’t read history. I will read memoirs or biographies. But, this story sounded intriguing. And boy does it fit the bill! It did get a little slow in places but I enjoyed learning about this time period. I do not think much has changed for women. I honestly think they face the same issues Lanah faced back in the revolutionary era. And this is sad. But read this and I believe you will agree.

I learned so much. And when I have a story which has me researching, I am hooked and this one had me wanting to know more. However, there is really nothing more to know. This book includes every available aspect, down to all the players….even the brothel owner. And then there is Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Such great history and I had no idea.

I actually went to NYC in March and visited many of the places in this book. So, I felt like I was right there. Add in this great narrator, Gabra Zackman, and you have a fabulous historical account of a basically unknown issue.

Need a well researched, true history story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This was a well-researched, impactful, and harrowing story of one woman's fight against her rapist. The story was heartbreaking, and I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This really well done, very detailed information without it feeling like you are reading a dry history book! It was so interesting to listen to. The narrator was perfect as well.

Wow! This is a story that help us women to rise up and fight for what is right. Even now things like these situations are still happening and the women feel powerless. What a great read! A must have in your library book.

This book was obviously well researched and there is a lot.of interest here. Listening to the book, however, took me nearly a month because it was more like reading a history textbook. I think I was expecting more from this.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought that this was a decent book but it almost felt academic to me. I had hoped that it would include more of a storyline, but instead, I was presented with an almost crime report.

What an interesting recount of one event in history. This book looks back at the event, taking into account actions, occurrences both before, during the time (1793), and after the event. Giving a full description of the event from many angles. It also discusses how things were changing at the time and how this one event led to future changes.
Though at times I felt the story was longer than necessary, it was absolutely worth listening to. If you enjoy reading history, and specifically digging into one topic, this book is for you. Not to mention it is well narrated.
Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to listen to this book. @gabracadabranyc excellent narration.