Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of Edith Maxwell

by Sharon Hatfield

Book Overview

Yellow journalism, the inequities of the jury system, class and gender tensions in a developing region, and a woman's right to defend herself from family violence are all addressed in this examination of the arrest and subsequent trial of Edith Maxwell, charged with killing her father with a high heel shoe after he tried to beat her for staying out

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0252030036
• ISBN13: 9780252030031
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Flaming youth on trial

The Depression era saw its fair share of sensational murder trials in the United States: Winnie Ruth Judd (the 'Trunk Murderess'), child-killing cannibal Albert Fish, and Bruno Richard Hauptmann (accused of kidnapping and killing the Lindbergh baby), to name a few. They all received extensive press coverage, provoked controversy, and went on to become the subject of more than one best-selling book. Although her two trials in connection with the death of her controlling father were cause celebres for their durations, Edith Maxwell has never received a book-length examination of her case until now. And that's what makes Sharon Hatfield's "Never Seen the Moon" such a fascinating read and important social document. It's more than just the reporting of a young schoolteacher's now-forgotten battle for her life and then her freedom. Sharon Hatfield exposes 1930s America's prejudice toward Appalachian culture in general and 'hillbillies' in particular, political restrictions that forbade women from sitting on the Maxwell jury and allowing her to truly be judged by a collection of her peers, and the younger generation's fight to challenge violent paternal authority. "Never Seen the Moon" can be read and interpreted as an exciting piece of True Crime or a sobering social document. Highly recommended.

Page-Turner

I'm not much of a writer of reviews but do want to heartily recommend this book to all and especially anyone interested in the Appalachian area, history, media, or law. I did truly find it to be a page-turner. I'm a native of the area but this case was a little before my time and I had not heard a word about it. I was hooked from the first page. I do think most people would like this book for one reason or another. I was so surprised to see how Wise County was a bit before its time in some of the legal aspects of the trial.