If you are a history buff as I am, I highly recommend The Murder of Helen Jewett: the life and death of a prostitute in nineteenth-century New York. During this time period murder in New York was not as prevalent as you might think, and brothels were a societal norm. Using historical records, news articles, and letters written by the victim to her patrons, author Patricia Cline Cohen provides a thoughtful and in-depth look into the life of one young lady from her childhood in Maine to her brutal death in a New York City brothel. Cohen discusses Helen's migration from Maine to New York, and touches on commerce, the development of communities, and the mingling of the classes in New England. Upon Helen's death, the reader is witness to every circumstance - from the inquest, to the investigation and trial, and the rumor and sensationalism created by the burgeoning field of investigative journalism. Cohen also includes the scandal involved with the murdered prostitute’s clientele and the fact that during her formative years she was in the care of one of Maine's leading families, who afforded her a formal education.
--Larry G.
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