Susan Branson

This was originally a major thesis or a Publish or Perish piece. That does not diminish its relevance. While it is a biographical piece of two specific women in the Philadelphia, PA area in the early to mid 19th century, it is also a condemnation of the societal attitudes toward women at that time, and the injustices perpetrated upon them by the legal system.
Much of the (well documented) information is taken from "The history of the celebrated Mrs. Ann Carson, widow of the late unfortunate Lieutenant Richard Smyth : with a circumstantial account of her conspiracy against the late governor of Pennsylvania, Simon Snyder, and of her sufferings in the several prisons in that state : interspersed with anecdotes of characters now living" (1822), a text listed in WorldCat, which was co-written by the other woman of interest, Mrs Mary Clarke, ghostwriter of said book, as well as a publisher and journalist in her own right.
Each woman was victimized by society and the legal system, one turning to real criminal activities, the other trying to live more or less within the law. The publisher's blurb gives some useful clues, but this really needs to be read to truly appreciate what serious and appalling discrimination was perpetrated upon females in this time period.
This turned out to be a really compelling read for nearly anyone, whether a history buff, law enforcement, or legal studies, and the references do check out.
I'm prejudiced toward the audio rendering, partly because of physical issues, and mostly because Sally Martin is such an excellent narrator of academic works.

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.… (més)