This is a heavy book. It tells the story of the first rape case in America and runs us through the story as we know it. We see how the case was handled, the impact it had on the victim and the treatment of women in general during that time. It also allows us to draw comparisons between now and then and does some of the comparing for us.

This is in depth, allowing us to see the entire story (as we know it) from start to finish. It brings in other cases as well to compare the situations and outcomes and allows us to see what the victim was facing during this time. It mentions many times that the jury in the case consisted of men, and the victim was left to explain what happened to her in detail in front of the courtroom full of men who were there to judge her truthfulness against a man of status.

I saw so many parallels between this story and current events. It saddens me to see how little progress has really been made on this topic.

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This is one of the best audio books I’ve listened to in a long time. I was very impressed by the extensive research that was done for this book. After looking up this author, I was less surprised by the quality of the research, as he is a history professor at UNC Chapel Hill as well as a notable award winning researcher. I learned soooo much from this book. His history classes are probably very interesting and the school and students are lucky to have him.
This book is the story of the rape trial of Lanah Sawyer and Harry Bedlow. But it’s so much more. It contrasts the differences in how people were treated based on social class. It also gives a vivid picture of how women were treated in those times. This case and those times took victim blaming to a whole new level. Lanah even feared going home after the rape. She had a very real concern that her step father would beat her when they found out what had happened. This book gives an eye opening look at the legal system and the mentality of society in the times. Definitely worth reading! I will be looking for other works by this well informed and interesting author! 5 stars!!!!

In “the sewing girls tail “narrated by Gabra Zackmen and written by John Wood Sweet we learn about the very first rape trial in America at a time when justice wasn’t just found in the quart room and win no sometimes “meant yes“ we hear about the rape trial between Lana Sawyer and a rake named James Bedlow i’m sure like trial since the beginning of time they made it as if although she was in good standing maybe possibly… Quite possibly she was without morals in her mind. This was such a good book, but I must say if you do not like history then you’re not going to like this book as it is mainly historical events and although some of these are true crime stories for the most part it is famous historical figures and who was related to or knew them and places in time and why they are important or famous. I loved it, but I love history and true crime and equal parts. I thought the narrator did an awesome job as always and although I have never read a book by Mr. sweet before I cannot wait to read another. also, if you’re like me in an arm chair lawyer then you will be screaming at your phone while you listen to this book especially during the closing arguments, but having said that if you’re also a feminist at heart your ire will be raised but justice will come just hold on and listen until the end it was an awesome book and I truly truly enjoyed it. I want to thank the author and publisher for allowing me to listen to the book for free I received it from netGally and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind to dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

The Sewing Girl's Tale is a story of the first true rape trial in the United States in 1793. It is very well researched by an accomplished historian. The research is impeccable and John Wood Sweet ties contemporary research into the tale to set the stage for the reader to understand what was normalized behavior and what was not. This was the book's strength. The weakness, to my mind, is that the book is very dry and reads like an academic treatise or history textbook. It is not suited to the general public, but to the early American history scholar. When listening to the book, there was so much detail about other contemporaries who were not part of the case that I had a hard time sorting who was who. I've read some wonderful historical nonfiction books (The Return of Martin Guerre by Natalie Zemon Davis and The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore) that were enthralling as well as well researched. Since I read the book from the perspective of the general reader, I would not recommend this book to library patrons. This book is not suited for public libraries, but I can see it in academic libraries and used as a textbook.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC audiobook.

This was a long read/ listen which could/ should be cut by an hour /. 75 pages. That being said it is based on the true first rape trial in NYC, taking place in the 1700's. The author painstakingly researched the history and did a remarkable job of telling her story. Lana's Sawyer was a 17-year-old sewing girl trying to make her way down a busy street when a Frenchman started to flirt with her. She was unescorted. A 26-year-old gentleman Harry Bedlow, was close by noticed this awkward moment and quickly offered protection by walking her home. He told her his name was Lawyer Smith (the first lie). She enjoyed his company and felt like she could trust Bedlow.
A riveting tragic and true account of a wonderfully brave woman who sought to get justice for a great wrong. The courts were most likely to favor men, especially wealthy ones, and Lanah did live to see justice served. A true historical gem.

Read from: Jun 24, 2022 - Jun 30, 2022

The narrator was very good and the story was interesting but it was not what I was expecting. The research was very thorough and packed with tons of details. I thought this book would be more literary nonfiction but it is written much more like a true crime story. It was good, just not the type of story I like.

Lanah Sawyer is seventeen years old during the year 1793. After meeting a gentleman who sweeps her off her feet, her life changes – but not for the better. She is sexually assaulted by the man, and, in a very rare move for the time, accuses him of his crime publicly. What follows is a whirlwind of law and exposure as the nation struggles to acknowledge and deal with the double standards and gender inequities of the time.

This work was well researched. The amount of effort the author put into identifying and utilizing historic documentation is evident throughout the book. There were so many historical details woven throughout this work, ranging from everyday life to the intricacies of eighteenth-century law. These portions of the work felt like reading a history textbook, as there were quotes from historical texts included in a way that felt very academic. There were also direct quotes of definitions from Webster’s Dictionary, adding to the academic and legal feeling of these portions of the text. This was a good way to explore this case and the details surrounding it and the people involved.

I personally disliked the fictionalized history portions of this work. The characters weren’t written in a realistic or relatable way, making the dramatized portions fall flat and feel lacking. Because this work was so focused on the history, the dramatized portions were full of telling rather than showing, leading to lackluster characters.

Overall, this work would have been more powerful as a fully nonfiction work. I don’t recommend this work if you’re looking for a novel or for something more along the lines of historical fiction. But I do recommend this work if you’re interested in historical details and events surrounding one of the first legal cases centering on rape in the United States and the repercussions one woman’s voice had on America’s legal system.

I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.