THE SEWING GIRL'S TALE A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America

Gabra Zackman narrates this meticulous account of the first rape trial in post-Revolutionary War (1793) New York City. Seventeen-year-old seamstress Lanah Sawyer is graced with manners, some education, and a dose of naïveté. Upon being raped, Lanah, with her stepfather's support, brings suit against Harry Bedlow, a notorious rake and cheat, and member of the moneyed class. Zackman steadily recounts the minute, sometimes repetitive, details of every thread of evidence and iota of information uncovered, replete with historical background, while researching this case. Zackman's flowing recitation pauses briefly before trial accounts, legal references, and historical documents. As the story is told in the third person, the minimal dialogue is clearly differentiated by Zackman's tonal shift into a low, terse vocal register. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2022]