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The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America
A riveting Revolutionary Era drama of the first published rape trial in American history and its long, shattering aftermath, revealing how much has changed over two centuries―and how much has not
On a moonless night in the summer of 1793 a crime was committed in the back room of a New York brothel―the kind of crime that even victims usually kept secret. Instead, seventeen-year-old seamstress Lanah Sawyer did what virtually no one in US history had done: she charged a gentleman with rape.
Her accusation sparked a raw courtroom drama and a relentless struggle for vindication that threatened both Lanah’s and her assailant’s lives. The trial exposed a predatory sexual underworld, sparked riots in the streets, and ignited a vigorous debate about class privilege and sexual double standards. The ongoing conflict attracted the nation’s top lawyers, including Alexander Hamilton, and shaped the development of American law. The crime and its consequences became a kind of parable about the power of seduction and the limits of justice. Eventually, Lanah Sawyer did succeed in holding her assailant accountable―but at a terrible cost to herself.
Based on rigorous historical detective work, this book takes us from a chance encounter in the street into the sanctuaries of the city’s elite, the shadows of its brothels, and the despair of its debtors’ prison. The Sewing Girl's Tale shows that if our laws and our culture were changed by a persistent young woman and the power of words two hundred years ago, they can be changed again.
New York Times Editors’ Choice
Winner of the Bancroft Prize
Winner of the Gotham Book Prize
Winner of the New York Society Library's New York City Book Award
Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year
Winner of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History
On a moonless night in the summer of 1793 a crime was committed in the back room of a New York brothel―the kind of crime that even victims usually kept secret. Instead, seventeen-year-old seamstress Lanah Sawyer did what virtually no one in US history had done: she charged a gentleman with rape.
Her accusation sparked a raw courtroom drama and a relentless struggle for vindication that threatened both Lanah’s and her assailant’s lives. The trial exposed a predatory sexual underworld, sparked riots in the streets, and ignited a vigorous debate about class privilege and sexual double standards. The ongoing conflict attracted the nation’s top lawyers, including Alexander Hamilton, and shaped the development of American law. The crime and its consequences became a kind of parable about the power of seduction and the limits of justice. Eventually, Lanah Sawyer did succeed in holding her assailant accountable―but at a terrible cost to herself.
Based on rigorous historical detective work, this book takes us from a chance encounter in the street into the sanctuaries of the city’s elite, the shadows of its brothels, and the despair of its debtors’ prison. The Sewing Girl's Tale shows that if our laws and our culture were changed by a persistent young woman and the power of words two hundred years ago, they can be changed again.
New York Times Editors’ Choice
Winner of the Bancroft Prize
Winner of the Gotham Book Prize
Winner of the New York Society Library's New York City Book Award
Journal of the American Revolution Book of the Year
Winner of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History
384 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 445 reviews
July 25, 2022
"The problem of street harassment was particularly acute for young women of Lanah's station, genteel enough to value a reputation as modest, respectable, and sexually innocent yet obliged by necessity to work to help support her family financially. A working-class girl could hardly afford the luxury of a chaperone...". Harry Bedlow, bystander, good samaritan, rescued her from the attentions of some catcalling men. "Harry Bedlow, a gentleman...escorted her to her father's house-told her his name was Lawyer Smith." "He seemed like 'an unexpectedly fine beau' but late at night, walking together up Broadway she realized who he really was, where he was trying to take her, and the trouble she was in."
In the Early Post-Revolutionary War Republic in 1793 New York City, Lanah Sawyer was dragged down a dark, narrow street and forcibly carried to Mother Carey's brothel, where she was raped. Her neighbor's implicit warning that her escort's name was not Lawyer Smith but Harry Bedlow "a very great rake...a seducer of young naive women" had fallen on deaf ears. "The lure of love could so easily push caution aside" for a young, inexperienced sewing girl. The aftermath. Larah, disoriented, her calico gown torn, undergarments stained, was reluctant to go home. Once the truth of her attack was revealed to her family, "...it was clear that Lanah Sawyer was not going to let her story end the way either Harry Bedlow or Mother Carey had expected."
How could Lanah get a fair trial? "Harry Bedlow had every reason to expect that he would be protected by the social armor of a gentleman in a hierarchal society." He would be protected by his social standing and political connections. His defense "dream team" would consist of six powerful lawyers. A jury of peers? Not a chance! The jury pool consisted of propertied men only. No lower working class males could sit on the jury. Women, considered to be chattel, had no rights.
Did Lanah's claim of rape meet the criteria for a conviction? In an attempt to address false accusations of rape, the gold standard for rape prosecution was based upon the work of 17th Century lawyer Sir Matthew Hale. "The question was not simply whether a woman had been forced to have sex against her will but also whether her reputation was good enough, whether she had resisted vigorously enough, whether she had cried out loudly enough, whether she had sustained conspicuous physical injuries and whether she had reported the crime soon enough." The trial took one day, the deliberations and verdict were handed down in fifteen minutes. Had justice been served?
"The Sewing Girl's Tale by John Wood Sweet is a meticulously researched history of the first documented rape trial in the United States. "Although written as narrative, The Sewing Girl's Tale is an extremely, fascinating work of history. Highly recommended, especially for legal history buffs!
Thank you Henry Holt & Company and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In the Early Post-Revolutionary War Republic in 1793 New York City, Lanah Sawyer was dragged down a dark, narrow street and forcibly carried to Mother Carey's brothel, where she was raped. Her neighbor's implicit warning that her escort's name was not Lawyer Smith but Harry Bedlow "a very great rake...a seducer of young naive women" had fallen on deaf ears. "The lure of love could so easily push caution aside" for a young, inexperienced sewing girl. The aftermath. Larah, disoriented, her calico gown torn, undergarments stained, was reluctant to go home. Once the truth of her attack was revealed to her family, "...it was clear that Lanah Sawyer was not going to let her story end the way either Harry Bedlow or Mother Carey had expected."
How could Lanah get a fair trial? "Harry Bedlow had every reason to expect that he would be protected by the social armor of a gentleman in a hierarchal society." He would be protected by his social standing and political connections. His defense "dream team" would consist of six powerful lawyers. A jury of peers? Not a chance! The jury pool consisted of propertied men only. No lower working class males could sit on the jury. Women, considered to be chattel, had no rights.
Did Lanah's claim of rape meet the criteria for a conviction? In an attempt to address false accusations of rape, the gold standard for rape prosecution was based upon the work of 17th Century lawyer Sir Matthew Hale. "The question was not simply whether a woman had been forced to have sex against her will but also whether her reputation was good enough, whether she had resisted vigorously enough, whether she had cried out loudly enough, whether she had sustained conspicuous physical injuries and whether she had reported the crime soon enough." The trial took one day, the deliberations and verdict were handed down in fifteen minutes. Had justice been served?
"The Sewing Girl's Tale by John Wood Sweet is a meticulously researched history of the first documented rape trial in the United States. "Although written as narrative, The Sewing Girl's Tale is an extremely, fascinating work of history. Highly recommended, especially for legal history buffs!
Thank you Henry Holt & Company and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2022
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.
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.
August 17, 2022
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: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines. 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.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
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: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines. 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.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
November 2, 2022
The sewing girl’s tale is a fascinating account of crime and the surrounding cultural and historical events of 1793 Manhattan from the perspective of a 17 year old girl who was abducted and raped by an entitled landed man. The legal pursuits and wranglings that ensued are vividly viewed by the reader and the situations of gender the various classes are fully explored in all of their inequality and questionable justice.
July 24, 2022
Disclaimer: I won a copy via a Librarything giveaway.
Why write about a centuries old rape case especially when everyone knows how the case is going to end?
Because the case, to be more exact, the view of the law and the arguments in the case are still used today. Take for instance, the recent decision about Roe v. Wade.
In 1793’s New York, a young woman and young, but older, man go for a walk, and it ended in the young woman’s rape. That young woman, Lanah Sawyer, and her family eventually brought charges and even sued in the civil court.
Sweet details the events leading up to the crime, the crime, trials, and aftermath. Sawyer’s case wasn’t just a case that the society forgot. The first verdict sparked mob violence, though it wasn’t directed at her rapist, a Harry Bedlow.
Sweet’s book is more than a look at what justice was in 1793; it is also offers a reason why or for how long we have viewed rape and even women though the lenses that Sawyer was viewed. In part Sweet, details how rape and seduction cases made their ways though the New York City courts, and how those cases were intwined with racism, sexism, and classism. It is also a look at the New York of the time, showing the interconnections between people, and perhaps how small New York was once. Bedlow, for instance, employed Alexander Hamilton.
IN writing about a rape case where the voice the victim is silence in part by the culture and time in which she lived as well as because she seems to have left no record, there is always a danger that the focus will shift from the woman. This danger is even greater here because Sawyer’s justice could only be gain by the actions of men. The decision to bring charges against Bedlow wasn’t just in the hands of the magistrates, but the decision to do so rested in the hands of her stepfather. The thing Sweet does, and consistently does throughout the book, is keep Lanah Sawyer front and center. The crime was directed against her. She is the one who was attacked. Sweet does not let the reader forget that. Sawyer and her possible reactions are kept front and center. Sweet offers a variety of reason or reactions, so while her voice isn’t as present as that of the men who had control over her story, she is not forgotten. Sweet also looks at the reactions of women, including the reaction of the wife of one of the defense attorneys.
As I mention, Alexander Hamilton was employed by Bedlow, and Sweet takes a little time to talk about the Reynolds scandal for there is another connection besides Hamilton. It does make me wish that Sweet would write a biography of Maria Reynolds.
Why write about a centuries old rape case especially when everyone knows how the case is going to end?
Because the case, to be more exact, the view of the law and the arguments in the case are still used today. Take for instance, the recent decision about Roe v. Wade.
In 1793’s New York, a young woman and young, but older, man go for a walk, and it ended in the young woman’s rape. That young woman, Lanah Sawyer, and her family eventually brought charges and even sued in the civil court.
Sweet details the events leading up to the crime, the crime, trials, and aftermath. Sawyer’s case wasn’t just a case that the society forgot. The first verdict sparked mob violence, though it wasn’t directed at her rapist, a Harry Bedlow.
Sweet’s book is more than a look at what justice was in 1793; it is also offers a reason why or for how long we have viewed rape and even women though the lenses that Sawyer was viewed. In part Sweet, details how rape and seduction cases made their ways though the New York City courts, and how those cases were intwined with racism, sexism, and classism. It is also a look at the New York of the time, showing the interconnections between people, and perhaps how small New York was once. Bedlow, for instance, employed Alexander Hamilton.
IN writing about a rape case where the voice the victim is silence in part by the culture and time in which she lived as well as because she seems to have left no record, there is always a danger that the focus will shift from the woman. This danger is even greater here because Sawyer’s justice could only be gain by the actions of men. The decision to bring charges against Bedlow wasn’t just in the hands of the magistrates, but the decision to do so rested in the hands of her stepfather. The thing Sweet does, and consistently does throughout the book, is keep Lanah Sawyer front and center. The crime was directed against her. She is the one who was attacked. Sweet does not let the reader forget that. Sawyer and her possible reactions are kept front and center. Sweet offers a variety of reason or reactions, so while her voice isn’t as present as that of the men who had control over her story, she is not forgotten. Sweet also looks at the reactions of women, including the reaction of the wife of one of the defense attorneys.
As I mention, Alexander Hamilton was employed by Bedlow, and Sweet takes a little time to talk about the Reynolds scandal for there is another connection besides Hamilton. It does make me wish that Sweet would write a biography of Maria Reynolds.
September 16, 2022
A riveting Revolutionary Era drama of the first published rape trial in American history and its long, shattering aftermath, revealing how much has changed over two centuries—and how much has not
The year is 1793, the place is New York City and Lanah Sawyer, a seventeen year old girl, is seduced and raped. She does an unheard of act: She presses charges against her offender. This was, most likely, the first publicized rape trial in the United States.
Have no worries if you are a reader who cannot read about abuse towards women. The reader gets only a glimpse of the act it self. The author focuses more on class privilege, misogyny and the legal battle that took place.
Although there was a lot of legalese that went over my head, most of the story was engaging and written for the non-legal-minded reader . The author gives credence to the facts: nearly 200 years have passed since this crime, and somethings have not changed.
A well researched historical event that more people should be reading.
The year is 1793, the place is New York City and Lanah Sawyer, a seventeen year old girl, is seduced and raped. She does an unheard of act: She presses charges against her offender. This was, most likely, the first publicized rape trial in the United States.
Have no worries if you are a reader who cannot read about abuse towards women. The reader gets only a glimpse of the act it self. The author focuses more on class privilege, misogyny and the legal battle that took place.
Although there was a lot of legalese that went over my head, most of the story was engaging and written for the non-legal-minded reader . The author gives credence to the facts: nearly 200 years have passed since this crime, and somethings have not changed.
A well researched historical event that more people should be reading.
September 5, 2022
In 1793 post-Revolutionary New York, 17-year-old seamstress, Lanah Sawyer, charged Henry Bedlow with rape. Lanah reported that while she was out walking with Bedlow, who had identified himself to her as “Lawyer Smith,” she was forced by him into a brothel where he assaulted her. The resulting trial and its aftermath changed the lives of both Sawyer and Bedlow irrevocably and sparked a series of events with far reaching repercussions.
John Wood Sweet does an excellent job of not only chronicling the trial but of building for readers a clear and detailed picture of the existing cultural and social milieu. Legal frameworks for understanding what constituted rape were just being tested and misogynistic popular culture often focused on the victim’s behaviors rather than the accused: Did she protest strongly enough? Was she a person of good morals?, etc. Patriarchal norms, the objectifying of women, and the immutable hierarchy attached to money and status all drove the unfolding events. Following Bedlow’s acquittal, rioters took to the streets in protest, turning much of their destructive wrath on the neighborhood brothels.
But the end of the trial wasn’t the end of the story by far. Sawyer’s stepfather continued to pursue justice and compensation, keeping the case in the forefront for many years. It garnered the attention of the likes of John Adams, who publicly commented upon it, and Alexander Hamilton, whom Bedlow engaged as his attorney and who, himself, was embroiled in a sex scandal.
Sweet’s research is impressive and he’s pieced together this fascinating episode in history with a lot of skill. It’s disquieting in the fact that shadows of realities that existed for women in the past are still present today.
John Wood Sweet does an excellent job of not only chronicling the trial but of building for readers a clear and detailed picture of the existing cultural and social milieu. Legal frameworks for understanding what constituted rape were just being tested and misogynistic popular culture often focused on the victim’s behaviors rather than the accused: Did she protest strongly enough? Was she a person of good morals?, etc. Patriarchal norms, the objectifying of women, and the immutable hierarchy attached to money and status all drove the unfolding events. Following Bedlow’s acquittal, rioters took to the streets in protest, turning much of their destructive wrath on the neighborhood brothels.
But the end of the trial wasn’t the end of the story by far. Sawyer’s stepfather continued to pursue justice and compensation, keeping the case in the forefront for many years. It garnered the attention of the likes of John Adams, who publicly commented upon it, and Alexander Hamilton, whom Bedlow engaged as his attorney and who, himself, was embroiled in a sex scandal.
Sweet’s research is impressive and he’s pieced together this fascinating episode in history with a lot of skill. It’s disquieting in the fact that shadows of realities that existed for women in the past are still present today.
April 30, 2022
There's no mystery about the event that precipitates this tale. Right up front you face the grim reality of Harry Bedlow's sexual assault on Lanah Sawyer. But there are surprises to come as the aftermath unfolds in New York City of the early Republic.
It's no shock to any woman today that bad behavior by a well-off son of a noted family will expect to escape unscathed from his actions. The early part of the story was sometimes difficult to read because the parallels to cases even 200 years later, and many women's own experiences. But then the case takes a fascinating turn: the support for Lanah from the community, and the persistence of her step-father, deliver actual consequences to the perpetrator. In fact, the community response rhymed with recent US history for me as well, as protests demonstrated that a woman's fate mattered to her neighbors in ways I didn't expect to hear about in this period, and was new information to me.
I ache to know more about what went on in Lanah's internal dialog as this all played out. But we just don't have that kind of information from 18th century women. The author's choice to not speculate was the correct one for a historical and fact-based text. But I yearned for it nonetheless. And I'll be thinking about Lanah for a long time.
As a historical re-enactor of this time frame, I found the historical context to be just what I'd hoped. The legal framework was useful but not overwhelming. The descriptions of the middle class life are helpful. Even the impact of Yellow Fever on the city residents was reminiscent of things we can easily imagine today.
In all, this book was a revealing look at a time that seems distant, but in fact echoes with today in many important ways. It was definitely worth the time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishers for the DRC.
It's no shock to any woman today that bad behavior by a well-off son of a noted family will expect to escape unscathed from his actions. The early part of the story was sometimes difficult to read because the parallels to cases even 200 years later, and many women's own experiences. But then the case takes a fascinating turn: the support for Lanah from the community, and the persistence of her step-father, deliver actual consequences to the perpetrator. In fact, the community response rhymed with recent US history for me as well, as protests demonstrated that a woman's fate mattered to her neighbors in ways I didn't expect to hear about in this period, and was new information to me.
I ache to know more about what went on in Lanah's internal dialog as this all played out. But we just don't have that kind of information from 18th century women. The author's choice to not speculate was the correct one for a historical and fact-based text. But I yearned for it nonetheless. And I'll be thinking about Lanah for a long time.
As a historical re-enactor of this time frame, I found the historical context to be just what I'd hoped. The legal framework was useful but not overwhelming. The descriptions of the middle class life are helpful. Even the impact of Yellow Fever on the city residents was reminiscent of things we can easily imagine today.
In all, this book was a revealing look at a time that seems distant, but in fact echoes with today in many important ways. It was definitely worth the time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishers for the DRC.
July 1, 2022
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.
Lanah 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, 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.
@netgalley
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.
Lanah 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, 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.
@netgalley
April 26, 2023
A fascinating and tragic tale about the 1793 trial against Henry Bedlow for the rape of Lanah Sawyer, the first publicized rape trial in America. It was interesting to see how much as changed...and infuriatingly little has changed in the 200+ years since when it comes to handling these cases.
I think I'd forgotten the description of this book by the time I got around to seeing it, so I was surprised see such figures as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr show up in this story....and definitely not in the best light.
This book felt a smidge too long, with lots of asides about other cases and people....but it was all useful background information.
I think I'd forgotten the description of this book by the time I got around to seeing it, so I was surprised see such figures as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr show up in this story....and definitely not in the best light.
This book felt a smidge too long, with lots of asides about other cases and people....but it was all useful background information.
November 28, 2022
A very interesting story of one of the early rape cases in this country, and the ramifications for everyone involved.
October 3, 2022
This account of the trial of a rape charge arising from the sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl by an older, well-off “rake” in 1793 is well researched and interesting mainly because so little has changed since then. As we have witnessed recently in the Supreme Court decision rescinding the constitutional right to abortion, men still strive mightily to control the sexuality of women, and the rules always seem to be stacked in their favor.
I found the book to be written in an odd style, as straightforward narrative was interspersed with archaic notions such as how women were “ruined” by sexual experience, even when it was voluntary. Then we later learn that many women went on to live respectable lives, even after spending years working as prostitutes.
The story worked well enough when the author stuck to the facts of the crime at issue, but the narrative was often interrupted for lengthy tangents, particularly when a new character was introduced. The introduction of brothel owner Mother Carey into the story led us into a discussion of the history of New York brothels that included much more information than anyone would ever want to know. Similarly, the appearance of Lanah Sawyer’s stepfather launched a lengthy and unnecessary review of Revolutionary Era politics. There is a fair amount of repetition. The factors considered when one evaluates the testimony of one claiming to have been raped are repeated several times. I got the impression that a lot of filler was added to expand the story being told to book length.
There were also contradictions and some surprising omissions. At some points, the author laments that the control by men of the legal proceedings arising from the rape made Lanah all but forgotten. A few pages later, the author would express concern about all of the unwanted attention on Lanah that resulted from those same proceedings. Which is it? And we get great detail about the cross examination of prosecution witnesses at the criminal trial but not a mention of any cross examination by the prosecution of defense witnesses, most of whom were committing perjury. Did the prosecution just let the lies go? We never find out.
The book raises a lot of important issues that remain relevant today, but I thought that it could have been done better.
I found the book to be written in an odd style, as straightforward narrative was interspersed with archaic notions such as how women were “ruined” by sexual experience, even when it was voluntary. Then we later learn that many women went on to live respectable lives, even after spending years working as prostitutes.
The story worked well enough when the author stuck to the facts of the crime at issue, but the narrative was often interrupted for lengthy tangents, particularly when a new character was introduced. The introduction of brothel owner Mother Carey into the story led us into a discussion of the history of New York brothels that included much more information than anyone would ever want to know. Similarly, the appearance of Lanah Sawyer’s stepfather launched a lengthy and unnecessary review of Revolutionary Era politics. There is a fair amount of repetition. The factors considered when one evaluates the testimony of one claiming to have been raped are repeated several times. I got the impression that a lot of filler was added to expand the story being told to book length.
There were also contradictions and some surprising omissions. At some points, the author laments that the control by men of the legal proceedings arising from the rape made Lanah all but forgotten. A few pages later, the author would express concern about all of the unwanted attention on Lanah that resulted from those same proceedings. Which is it? And we get great detail about the cross examination of prosecution witnesses at the criminal trial but not a mention of any cross examination by the prosecution of defense witnesses, most of whom were committing perjury. Did the prosecution just let the lies go? We never find out.
The book raises a lot of important issues that remain relevant today, but I thought that it could have been done better.
March 27, 2022
This book was a difficult read. I'm generally interested in rediscovered histories of women's lives and it's clear a lot of meticulous research went into this book. I don't know what I was expecting going into it, but the whole book centers around the rape of a teenage girl at the end of the 18th century and the fallout for everyone involved. It's a grim tale and one I found myself considering over and over again, there but for an accident of birth and chronology, might go I.
Recommended if you're doing research on anything related--women's histories of the time, a novel with similar characters, etc. Should probably contain a content warning for survivors of sexual assault.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Recommended if you're doing research on anything related--women's histories of the time, a novel with similar characters, etc. Should probably contain a content warning for survivors of sexual assault.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2022
4.5 Ever since its publication, “The Sewing Girl’s Tale” has enjoyed favorable reviews. It deserves them.
On the 25th of August, 1793, seventeen year old seamstress Lanah Sawyer was walking on a street in New York City. Suddenly she was accosted by a group of Frenchman making lewd and suggestive comments. She couldn’t understand what they were saying but their intentions were clear enough. Harassment of women was not uncommon in the city, particularly for a young working woman like Lanah. Fortunately, an elegantly dressed young gentleman came to her aid. He stared down the Frenchmen and solicitously asked Lanah if he could escort her safely home. Shaken, and not a little pleased with the attention she was getting from a young man of his obvious station, she assented. At the door to Lanah’s house, the young man — following the formal conventions of the time, where first names were not readily shared with strangers — introduced himself as “lawyer Smith.” With that, he smiled and left.
A few nights later — on September 5 —“lawyer Smith” once again visited Lanah. He bought her ice cream and made flattering conversation. And then, as the night darkened and the church bells tolled the hours, he forced her into a building and raped her.
The morning after the rape — after being held prisoner in a lightless room and made to lie on a thin bed beside her attacker in the dark — Lanah found her way out of the building, and fearfully tried to figure out what she should do. How would her parents react — particularly her stepfather, a man with a notoriously bad temper? Would they disown her? Was she now a “ruined woman” destined to be scorned by society? Who could she tell, what could she do?
In the days that followed, she would learn that the building she had been attacked in was a brothel and “lawyer Smith’s” real name was Harry Bedlow: profligate scion of a well-connected New York family and widely known around the city as a rake and a cad (words that perhaps sound merely dismissive to our ears but were quite damning in earlier centuries).
“The Sewing Girl’s Tale” is a powerful story that reads like it occupies a place somewhere between the genres of true crime and historical fiction. It is, in fact, neither of these. Rather, the attack on Ms Sawyer and its aftermath act as the framework for a serious and compulsively readable examination of law, class, race, and gender in post-Revolutionary New York.
New York City was a very different place then. Smaller in size, still rural in parts, population of only 33,00 or so. There was no police force. A working class woman like Lanah who wished to pursue a rape charge would have to go directly to one of the aldermen or the mayor. As Sweet shows, this seemingly straightforward step was not simple: “The first hurdle was getting a magistrate to take the complaint seriously,” he writes. “When her nine-year-old daughter was raped on Christmas Day in 1765, one New York mother had to take her complaint to four different aldermen before she could find one who would pursue the matter.”
“The Sewing Girl’s Tale” explores the economic and sexual power dynamics of the time. Class was enormously important. Wealthy, powerful people (which is to say White men, of course) enjoyed virtual immunity. If they were accused of a crime like rape, not only could they make the whole thing disappear, they could also punish the victim, the victim’s family, and even any officials who sided with the victim.
The avenues available to a girl of Lanah’s station were limited. As Sweet puts it: “The question now facing the jury wasn’t so much whether they believed Lanah Sawyer’s account of what Bedlow had done but whether they cared.”
Pursuing the rape charge threw a woman into an impossible situation: ”To make a plausible claim of sexual assault, according to male legal authorities, she had to talk in a knowing way about sexual matters they themselves considered too obscene to address clearly in print. But at the same time, according to these same writers, in order for her claim to be credible, she had to project an air of sexual innocence.”
Trials were an ordeal, run according to rules and conventions that today sound indefensible. What's more, it was not unheard of for a jury to find a man guilty of rape and then have the judge decline to issue a sentence.
An option technically available was to allege “seduction” rather than rape. As Sweet tells us, though, this avenue is also problematic: The victim herself had no legal standing to make that claim. Only the male head of the household could do so: “In the seduction suit, the consent in question was not Lanah’s but rather her stepfather’s…. [I]n a seduction suit it was presumed that the woman in question had no legal capacity to either give or deny sexual consent.” In other words, if the male head of the household chose for any reason to let the matter drop, the injured woman had no recourse at all.
“The Sewing Girl’s Tale” walks us through the legal maneuvers and counter-maneuvers of both Lanah and her attacker (who -- interestingly -- hired Alexander Hamilton to represent him). Along the way we are shown the impotence of women (this was the time when Mary Wollstonecraft published her “Vindication of the Rights of Women” and was met by ridicule) and Blacks. We read too of squalid brothels, and riots set off by medical students digging up the bodies of dead Blacks for use in their anatomy courses. Of people, inspired by the French Revolution, marching New York streets shouting “Vive la France” and “Down with Big Washington”!
And, of course, we read of the despicable Mr. Bedlow. He had letters forged — allegedly written by Lanah — claiming that she had invited his attentions and it was her stepfather who insisted on taking him to court. (The success of the ruse was lessened by the fact that the signature on the letter read 'Helanah' Sawyer instead of 'Lanah.') He would, a few years later, later assert that Lanah left her husband to become a prostiture, and he wrote a letter to the editor of a New York newspaper saying that “an acquaintance” had heard unnamed other ‘people’ describing the charges against him as “one of the most abominable plots to rob a man or life, character & money that ever disgraced any age.” (This kind of unattributed claim -- "acquaintance" and "people" -- and hyperbolic language seemed familiar to me for some reason, but I can’t quite place it.)
On the 25th of August, 1793, seventeen year old seamstress Lanah Sawyer was walking on a street in New York City. Suddenly she was accosted by a group of Frenchman making lewd and suggestive comments. She couldn’t understand what they were saying but their intentions were clear enough. Harassment of women was not uncommon in the city, particularly for a young working woman like Lanah. Fortunately, an elegantly dressed young gentleman came to her aid. He stared down the Frenchmen and solicitously asked Lanah if he could escort her safely home. Shaken, and not a little pleased with the attention she was getting from a young man of his obvious station, she assented. At the door to Lanah’s house, the young man — following the formal conventions of the time, where first names were not readily shared with strangers — introduced himself as “lawyer Smith.” With that, he smiled and left.
A few nights later — on September 5 —“lawyer Smith” once again visited Lanah. He bought her ice cream and made flattering conversation. And then, as the night darkened and the church bells tolled the hours, he forced her into a building and raped her.
The morning after the rape — after being held prisoner in a lightless room and made to lie on a thin bed beside her attacker in the dark — Lanah found her way out of the building, and fearfully tried to figure out what she should do. How would her parents react — particularly her stepfather, a man with a notoriously bad temper? Would they disown her? Was she now a “ruined woman” destined to be scorned by society? Who could she tell, what could she do?
In the days that followed, she would learn that the building she had been attacked in was a brothel and “lawyer Smith’s” real name was Harry Bedlow: profligate scion of a well-connected New York family and widely known around the city as a rake and a cad (words that perhaps sound merely dismissive to our ears but were quite damning in earlier centuries).
“The Sewing Girl’s Tale” is a powerful story that reads like it occupies a place somewhere between the genres of true crime and historical fiction. It is, in fact, neither of these. Rather, the attack on Ms Sawyer and its aftermath act as the framework for a serious and compulsively readable examination of law, class, race, and gender in post-Revolutionary New York.
New York City was a very different place then. Smaller in size, still rural in parts, population of only 33,00 or so. There was no police force. A working class woman like Lanah who wished to pursue a rape charge would have to go directly to one of the aldermen or the mayor. As Sweet shows, this seemingly straightforward step was not simple: “The first hurdle was getting a magistrate to take the complaint seriously,” he writes. “When her nine-year-old daughter was raped on Christmas Day in 1765, one New York mother had to take her complaint to four different aldermen before she could find one who would pursue the matter.”
“The Sewing Girl’s Tale” explores the economic and sexual power dynamics of the time. Class was enormously important. Wealthy, powerful people (which is to say White men, of course) enjoyed virtual immunity. If they were accused of a crime like rape, not only could they make the whole thing disappear, they could also punish the victim, the victim’s family, and even any officials who sided with the victim.
The avenues available to a girl of Lanah’s station were limited. As Sweet puts it: “The question now facing the jury wasn’t so much whether they believed Lanah Sawyer’s account of what Bedlow had done but whether they cared.”
Pursuing the rape charge threw a woman into an impossible situation: ”To make a plausible claim of sexual assault, according to male legal authorities, she had to talk in a knowing way about sexual matters they themselves considered too obscene to address clearly in print. But at the same time, according to these same writers, in order for her claim to be credible, she had to project an air of sexual innocence.”
Trials were an ordeal, run according to rules and conventions that today sound indefensible. What's more, it was not unheard of for a jury to find a man guilty of rape and then have the judge decline to issue a sentence.
An option technically available was to allege “seduction” rather than rape. As Sweet tells us, though, this avenue is also problematic: The victim herself had no legal standing to make that claim. Only the male head of the household could do so: “In the seduction suit, the consent in question was not Lanah’s but rather her stepfather’s…. [I]n a seduction suit it was presumed that the woman in question had no legal capacity to either give or deny sexual consent.” In other words, if the male head of the household chose for any reason to let the matter drop, the injured woman had no recourse at all.
“The Sewing Girl’s Tale” walks us through the legal maneuvers and counter-maneuvers of both Lanah and her attacker (who -- interestingly -- hired Alexander Hamilton to represent him). Along the way we are shown the impotence of women (this was the time when Mary Wollstonecraft published her “Vindication of the Rights of Women” and was met by ridicule) and Blacks. We read too of squalid brothels, and riots set off by medical students digging up the bodies of dead Blacks for use in their anatomy courses. Of people, inspired by the French Revolution, marching New York streets shouting “Vive la France” and “Down with Big Washington”!
And, of course, we read of the despicable Mr. Bedlow. He had letters forged — allegedly written by Lanah — claiming that she had invited his attentions and it was her stepfather who insisted on taking him to court. (The success of the ruse was lessened by the fact that the signature on the letter read 'Helanah' Sawyer instead of 'Lanah.') He would, a few years later, later assert that Lanah left her husband to become a prostiture, and he wrote a letter to the editor of a New York newspaper saying that “an acquaintance” had heard unnamed other ‘people’ describing the charges against him as “one of the most abominable plots to rob a man or life, character & money that ever disgraced any age.” (This kind of unattributed claim -- "acquaintance" and "people" -- and hyperbolic language seemed familiar to me for some reason, but I can’t quite place it.)
October 12, 2022
THE SEWING GIRL'S TALE
John Wood Sweet
I found this rather difficult to read and connect with, so after struggling chapter after chapter, I softly put it down and moved away without looking back.
DNF 2 stars for where I was
Happy Reading!
John Wood Sweet
I found this rather difficult to read and connect with, so after struggling chapter after chapter, I softly put it down and moved away without looking back.
DNF 2 stars for where I was
Happy Reading!
April 19, 2022
“The Sewing Girl's Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America,” by John Wood Sweet (ISBN: 9781250761965), publication date: 19 Jul 2022, earns a strong five stars.
John Sweet presents his beautifully-written and exhaustively researched narrative about a 1793 rape of 17-year-old Lanah Sawyer by a rake, a member of the insulated privileged class, and that most personal crime’s public and affecting aftermath that lasts even to today. Evocative and disturbing in ways almost indescribable, the crime and its effects are as brutally fresh and relevant today as they were when the rape occurred in New York City in 1793.
This is history, but not merely history. It is also a continuing tragedy, and a human story. We are there, uncomfortably present, through the preceding events, the crime, and the courtroom dramas, and during the complex actions following involving the press, the government, protests, and mob actions. Many are involved—even historical figures such as Alexander Hamilton who come away quite deservedly and forever tarnished.
We cannot help but admire the painful but amazing courage of Lanah Sawyer and her stepfather John Callanan. Together, they tenaciously fight for justice, despite women having essentially no real rights and most of the general population having little more. Tragically, they never quite achieve full justice. As tragic, we lose Lanah to history, so can only hope her life improved for her. In sum, this is a worthy read about a tragic situation and a compelling topic that leaves the reader changed.
Thanks to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.
John Sweet presents his beautifully-written and exhaustively researched narrative about a 1793 rape of 17-year-old Lanah Sawyer by a rake, a member of the insulated privileged class, and that most personal crime’s public and affecting aftermath that lasts even to today. Evocative and disturbing in ways almost indescribable, the crime and its effects are as brutally fresh and relevant today as they were when the rape occurred in New York City in 1793.
This is history, but not merely history. It is also a continuing tragedy, and a human story. We are there, uncomfortably present, through the preceding events, the crime, and the courtroom dramas, and during the complex actions following involving the press, the government, protests, and mob actions. Many are involved—even historical figures such as Alexander Hamilton who come away quite deservedly and forever tarnished.
We cannot help but admire the painful but amazing courage of Lanah Sawyer and her stepfather John Callanan. Together, they tenaciously fight for justice, despite women having essentially no real rights and most of the general population having little more. Tragically, they never quite achieve full justice. As tragic, we lose Lanah to history, so can only hope her life improved for her. In sum, this is a worthy read about a tragic situation and a compelling topic that leaves the reader changed.
Thanks to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company, for granting this reviewer the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.
July 18, 2022
This was a historical read that was based on a true account of the first rape ever reported by a woman and persecuted in the 1700’s. I, myself was very drawn to this book due to having gone through similar trauma and to imagine that a woman named Lanah Sawyer, spoke up in those days and times, is simply unbelievable. Because it’s still a very real scandal to do in today’s day and age.
To know the young 17 year old lady, was sought out under the guise of being offered the protection of a safe walk home, led to her assault by a Harry Bedlow, a man from a prominent family, he assumed he would get away with it. Like many of the similar crimes of this era where it is believed money can buy silence; it’s scary with so much time gone by, how some similar things still have not changed.
This book includes pictures and drawings depicting the time of Lanah Sawyer’s life, the trial, the victim shaming and backlash and finally the verdict that was the first of its kind. Reading about Alexander Hamilton and his attempts to help the defendant was a shock to me and offered a different view on a man that I read so much about.
This is an important read, especially in this day and age that we are living in, when we must stand up for ourselves and put voices to our beliefs to protect our own bodies. Because you never know if they will switch up the laws one day and give women no say whatsoever.
To know the young 17 year old lady, was sought out under the guise of being offered the protection of a safe walk home, led to her assault by a Harry Bedlow, a man from a prominent family, he assumed he would get away with it. Like many of the similar crimes of this era where it is believed money can buy silence; it’s scary with so much time gone by, how some similar things still have not changed.
This book includes pictures and drawings depicting the time of Lanah Sawyer’s life, the trial, the victim shaming and backlash and finally the verdict that was the first of its kind. Reading about Alexander Hamilton and his attempts to help the defendant was a shock to me and offered a different view on a man that I read so much about.
This is an important read, especially in this day and age that we are living in, when we must stand up for ourselves and put voices to our beliefs to protect our own bodies. Because you never know if they will switch up the laws one day and give women no say whatsoever.
May 16, 2025
The author did a tremendous job researching this case. He was able to elucidate the complex lives of women in the 18th century in regard to their sexuality, their social status and the precarious nature of the lives they had to navigate in order to survive as girls, as teenagers, as unmarried and married women. This is a very readable and fascinating look at women as objects and as property in the 18th century. And to realize that we are still grappling with these persistent and enduring belief systems is sobering indeed. Though the author sticks to reporting the 1700s, as a female reader, it quickly becomes plain that many of the stories he relates seem indistinguishable from the lives of women in 21st century.
November 25, 2022
You know I’m sickened by the constant reminders of topics that if men had to live with them how differently society would be such as: reporting rape like this book; birth control; monthly evidence that yes, women CAN in fact work, clean, cook, and take care of the children while they bleed or have the flu. Just amazes me that this book is proof that these beliefs have been around longer than Jesus.
September 4, 2022
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.
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.
October 6, 2022
This was an awful read, really just terrible. The author had some serious ADHD issues that the editor failed to correct. He jumped from "telling a story" about what may have transpired between Lanah and Harry, to discussing the layout of NYC in 1784 compared to what it looks like now, to the scandalous life of Alexander Hamilton. And then asking question after question, literal paragraphs of unanswered questions, about how a woman in 1784 may have felt after being sexually violated, how her family may have felt, what her options going forward were, etc. Here's a thought, if you couldn't do the research or find the answers to these questions, perhaps you shouldn't have (attempted) written a book about the subject. What made John Wood Sweet think he should write a book about the sexual abuse of women? Was he really attempting to write a history book and failed? Could he possibly have been more outside his realm of understanding? These are the questions that he probably should have thought about before publishing.
February 24, 2022
Loved it. A superb blend of non-fiction and fictionalized history. The Sewing Girl's Tale is the story of Lanah Sawyer and her pursuit of justice under improbably circumstances. A heart breaking story of courage and dogged determination. A real page turner. Highly recommend.
October 24, 2025
3.5?
many thoughts about this. first of all it was well-researched and well-rounded. it is a full and detailed account of the rape case, but also paints a good picture of the social and legal historical context, including some pretty interesting details about everyone involved. i thought the choice to include backgrounds and histories of many secondary witnesses added a lot to my understanding of the time period. despite the amount of detail, i still found it very readable (or listenable, since i was listening to the audiobook), which i also appreciated. i am very satisfied with the arguments made and the lack of blind spots in the narrative.
the one thing i was perplexed and frustrated by was the occasional dramatization. i am familiar with historical nonfiction centering a specific case or person and i understand books of this type tend to narrate these cases like they're stories, building tension and suspense. however i think in this case it can easily come off as disrespectful, given the very sensitive subject matter of rape. while i thought the moment of the rape itself was handled well and very respectfully, at a couple points across the book i thought the author did a bit too much to create suspense in the narrative. it was mostly at the very start, at one point towards the end, and the one time where he ended a chapter on a very dramatic note, like a cliff hanger. sir, this is a real woman's story and i should not suddenly feel like i am reading a thriller. i am pretty sure this is why they chose a woman as the audiobook narrator. given this occasional quirk, it would have felt off for it to be read by a man.
apart from those moments, the arguments were sound and the research solid and comprehensive. while the matter is sensitive, there is no explicit violence past the very facts of the rape, briefly described one or twice and exactly as reported by lanah sawyer herself in court. i appreciated that choice. most of the time, the tone was respectful, factual and compelling, so i still feel comfortable giving this a pretty positive rating and recommending it to anyone who is interested in the history of rape cases.
many thoughts about this. first of all it was well-researched and well-rounded. it is a full and detailed account of the rape case, but also paints a good picture of the social and legal historical context, including some pretty interesting details about everyone involved. i thought the choice to include backgrounds and histories of many secondary witnesses added a lot to my understanding of the time period. despite the amount of detail, i still found it very readable (or listenable, since i was listening to the audiobook), which i also appreciated. i am very satisfied with the arguments made and the lack of blind spots in the narrative.
the one thing i was perplexed and frustrated by was the occasional dramatization. i am familiar with historical nonfiction centering a specific case or person and i understand books of this type tend to narrate these cases like they're stories, building tension and suspense. however i think in this case it can easily come off as disrespectful, given the very sensitive subject matter of rape. while i thought the moment of the rape itself was handled well and very respectfully, at a couple points across the book i thought the author did a bit too much to create suspense in the narrative. it was mostly at the very start, at one point towards the end, and the one time where he ended a chapter on a very dramatic note, like a cliff hanger. sir, this is a real woman's story and i should not suddenly feel like i am reading a thriller. i am pretty sure this is why they chose a woman as the audiobook narrator. given this occasional quirk, it would have felt off for it to be read by a man.
apart from those moments, the arguments were sound and the research solid and comprehensive. while the matter is sensitive, there is no explicit violence past the very facts of the rape, briefly described one or twice and exactly as reported by lanah sawyer herself in court. i appreciated that choice. most of the time, the tone was respectful, factual and compelling, so i still feel comfortable giving this a pretty positive rating and recommending it to anyone who is interested in the history of rape cases.
July 11, 2022
The more things change the more they stay the same. The Sewing Girl's Tale is frighteningly modern in many respects. Lanah Sawyer was a seventeen year old in colonial America who was sexually assaulted by Harry Bedlow, a man from a prominent family who clearly expected no repercussions to come of his crime. Why would he when shame and victim blaming keeps many assault victims quiet even today? What he got instead was Lanah and her step father coming forward and accusing him of rape. Lanah's step father doggedly persisted in bringing Bedlow to some sort of justice and the community itself, who had warned Lanah initially of Bedlow's reputation and therefore clearly had concerns about men of such a predatory nature, supported her.
The horrific crime resonates today and John Sweet lays out a highly readable presentation of historical material. Much research has been done for this book and also took into account the social and economic divide in play in the case. The author has clearly done much primary source work and makes the story fresh and alive to the reader. The case itself is an intense study of how things have and haven't changed when it comes to sexual assault crimes and offers a fascinating look at a bold young woman and her step father, determined to make a criminal responsible for his actions.
Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Publishing for the ARC copy.
The horrific crime resonates today and John Sweet lays out a highly readable presentation of historical material. Much research has been done for this book and also took into account the social and economic divide in play in the case. The author has clearly done much primary source work and makes the story fresh and alive to the reader. The case itself is an intense study of how things have and haven't changed when it comes to sexual assault crimes and offers a fascinating look at a bold young woman and her step father, determined to make a criminal responsible for his actions.
Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Publishing for the ARC copy.
October 5, 2023
I have a feeling this was a very well researched, historically accurate book. I guess I am more used to historical fiction, though, than the courtroom drama, true crime feel of this one because I didn’t find it as compelling as I thought I would. It was too disjointed and spread out to get me invested even though we were following the very real Lanah Sawyer as she was tricked into believing Harry Bedloe was “Lawyer Smith” and was consequently raped by him and then became the first woman to accuse a man of rape. This explored the crime and its consequences in great detail and even involved Alexander Hamilton.
Sadly more than 200 years later I’m not sure how much the justice system has improved in regards to this immensely tricky crime. We definitely still exist in a world created by and for the benefit of white men where sexual double standards can still be found and class privilege still exists.
Sadly more than 200 years later I’m not sure how much the justice system has improved in regards to this immensely tricky crime. We definitely still exist in a world created by and for the benefit of white men where sexual double standards can still be found and class privilege still exists.
November 13, 2024
This is pretty dry, but I think what would've made it more interesting would be some analysis of what was happening and why it was important and how it related to laws, practice, and culture up to today. I got this perspective from listening to the author's interview on the Just the Right Book podcast with Roxanne Coady after I finished the book.
April 25, 2024
A fascinating book which revealed much about the laws, attitudes and lack of agency for women after the American Revolution. As non-fiction I was intrigued by many details and found the pace of the book steady & captivating. The actual persons described had vivid backgrounds which added rationale to their actions and motives.
October 12, 2022
Full disclosure: I am writing this review before I've finished reading the book. I'm almost to the Epilogue, so I've read most of it. The book is in demand, so the library wants it back, and this is my best opportunity to share my thoughts while I can still look at the book.
In 1793 New York, Harry Bedlow was tried for the alleged rape of 17-year-old Lanah Sawyer, with ample evidence to justify the case being brought to court. That the charges were even brought is impressive, because Sawyer was from a working-class family whereas Bedlow was from a prosperous family. Men from his caste didn't usually have to worry about facing consequences if the other party was from a lower caste. Both Bedlow and Sawyer were white, by the way. Had Bedlow been black, he probably would have been dead before the case even reached the courts.
The case is interesting because Sawyer and her stepfather took on the class-conscious system of their day. They provided hope for others girls/women in circumstances similar to Sawyer's. In my view, it might have been more interesting as a long magazine piece than as a full-length book. Although John Wood Sweet clearly researched this case extensively, lots of information just isn't available -- meaning some of the writing had to be speculative. To me, some of it also felt padded. The stepfather's back story is an example of the impressive research, but in my view it was unnecessarily detailed and stalled the narrative.
Alexander Hamilton plays a role toward the end of the book. It was after he was Treasury secretary but before he starred in a rap musical. I'm one of the few people who hasn't seen the musical, but I imagine it has no songs about this chapter in his life.
In 1793 New York, Harry Bedlow was tried for the alleged rape of 17-year-old Lanah Sawyer, with ample evidence to justify the case being brought to court. That the charges were even brought is impressive, because Sawyer was from a working-class family whereas Bedlow was from a prosperous family. Men from his caste didn't usually have to worry about facing consequences if the other party was from a lower caste. Both Bedlow and Sawyer were white, by the way. Had Bedlow been black, he probably would have been dead before the case even reached the courts.
The case is interesting because Sawyer and her stepfather took on the class-conscious system of their day. They provided hope for others girls/women in circumstances similar to Sawyer's. In my view, it might have been more interesting as a long magazine piece than as a full-length book. Although John Wood Sweet clearly researched this case extensively, lots of information just isn't available -- meaning some of the writing had to be speculative. To me, some of it also felt padded. The stepfather's back story is an example of the impressive research, but in my view it was unnecessarily detailed and stalled the narrative.
Alexander Hamilton plays a role toward the end of the book. It was after he was Treasury secretary but before he starred in a rap musical. I'm one of the few people who hasn't seen the musical, but I imagine it has no songs about this chapter in his life.
December 14, 2023
I listened to this on Audible. It is not only the story of one young lady who was raped and who sued her victimizer in the time of Alexander Hamilton. The author gives us a panoramic view of the times, the status of women, and historic events. I could not stop listening to it!
August 8, 2022
Totally engrossing yet so depressing. The story of a rape trial from the late 1700's, maddening and frustrating because so little seems to have changed. It is an excellent absorbing read, yet hard to believe that such a story can still seem relevant today.
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