... [an] excellent and absorbing work of social and cultural history ... the book also provides an opportunity, set apart from the heated politics of abortion regulation, to reflect on the power we give today to legal authorities whose views about basic matters — like what it means for a man to sexually assault women — are so different from what we think, or want to think we think, now ... A second coda is emblematic of the delights to be found in this book, despite its grim subject.
... a probing work of historical nonfiction that exposes the gritty details surrounding the first published account of a rape trial in the United States. Set against the backdrop of a vibrant and burgeoning New York City fresh off the win of the Revolutionary war, Sweet’s narrative combines meticulous research with his extensive historical expertise to recreate a true-crime examination of the sexual duplicity inherent in early American society ... Sweet takes meticulous care not to usurp Lanah Sawyer from her own story. Instead, he produces a historical retelling that is decidedly pro-woman, highlighting a multitude of ways working-class females were held to an impossible standard of propriety. And by comparing 18th century mores with the ethos of today, he slams a gavel on the lack of progress society has made in 230 years regarding victim-shaming, abusing privilege and the female double standard ... delivers a fascinating dive into history while restoring Lanah’s place in her own narrative. Sweet even argues that Lanah’s disappearance into the mist of time could be how she reclaimed her autonomy. Once she was no longer available to be exploited, his hope is she found peace in her anonymity.
An engrossing, historical, true crime narrative ... Sweet provides an exhaustively researched and detailed reconstruction of a lesser known but extremely important case in American legal history. The book not only provides a masterful view of the criminal case, but it also places the narrative in the context of 18th century New York City, with a searing portrait of sexual politics and the limits of justice for women and those in low-income areas. The well-documented work includes a variety of primary sources including newspaper accounts, legal documents, and diaries. It also includes numerous illustrations, maps, an extensive bibliography, and an index ... An important and highly readable addition to the history of crime and sexual politics in America that will be of interest to historians, women-focused history researchers, sociologists, and fans of true crime.
... colorful detail ... a deft interweaving of social portraiture and deeply researched analysis ... As a background to this long-forgotten episode, Mr. Sweet, who teaches at the University of North Carolina, delivers a richly textured portrait of class relations, political turmoil, sexual mores and daily life in booming post-Revolution New York ... By excavating Sawyer’s long-ago personal trauma, The Sewing Girl’s Tale opens a window on the tumultuous world of the early republic. What we see is in some respects lurid and shocking, but it also delivers a vividly intimate portrait of American life as the nation was coming into being. Mr. Sweet has given us a masterpiece of splendidly readable social history.
As Wood carefully lays out and skillfully argues, Sawyer's power would rely on her ability to convince men to act on her behalf ... As Wood carefully lays out and skillfully argues, Sawyer's power would rely on her ability to convince men to act on her behalf ... The result is a masterful and sweeping account of life in 1790s America, where the tensions between classes, the role of the men who enslaved people in determining justice and the enforcement of patriarchal gender roles would each play a part in Sawyer and Bedlow's fates. The book also provides additional context for understanding the hurdles in present-day America where even now, 60% of rapes are never reported, and only 6% of rapists ever serve a day in jail.
The history of Manhattan, Revolutionary-era politics, class differences, and the social history of sex, marriage, and assault in the times bolster the tale, creating an incredibly immersive, highly readable exploration of an important moment in American history, perfect for readers of true crime, history, women’s history, and narrative nonfiction alike.
Sweet brings vividly to life the New York community in which Lanah Sawyer grew up ... In a world in which her 'loss of honour' could cost dearly, Sawyer’s feelings are only gleaned circumstantially, recorded by others. We see her by turns defiant and despondent, and despite much of her life slipping through archival cracks, Sweet makes us care about her, about her pursuit of justice, and how she made it through ... Sweet skids a little too far for my taste into speculations and marginal discussions (the landholdings of distant relatives and so on) before pulling back to the main story — Sawyer’s survival. This is the sort of book you want to snap shut at the end in relief, as you return from the murky injustices of history into the clear light of the present. No such luck.
This carefully researched book will appeal to historians, feminist scholars, and anyone with an interest in narratives that chronicle female erasure in a social system created by and for the benefit of (White) men ... A thoughtful and engaging history lesson.
Embellishing the thin historical record with lengthy discussions about Revolutionary era politics, contemporaneous romance novels, the development of Manhattan, Alexander Hamilton’s alleged affair with Maria Reynolds, and other matters, Sweet paints an evocative portrait of 18th-century New York. The result is a vivid addition to the history of sexual politics in America.
