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beth_zovko's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to. Good summary of the case (the audio was only three hours) and researched descriptions of Frank, his family, court figures/politicians, and post-Reconstruction Southern culture. The only one who didn't get much mention--and this goes for a lot of true crime--was the 13 yo murder victim, Mary Phagen, who gets lost to the other details.
Still very engaging if not as in depth as a longer book would be. The reader's voice was something else: Stephen Colbert + Phil Hartman +Transatlantic accent. ✨
Definitely want to read more about this case, but many MANY of the online resources are clearly anti-Semitism and racist sites with neutral sounding names.
Still very engaging if not as in depth as a longer book would be. The reader's voice was something else: Stephen Colbert + Phil Hartman +Transatlantic accent. ✨
Definitely want to read more about this case, but many MANY of the online resources are clearly anti-Semitism and racist sites with neutral sounding names.
ocoury23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
4.0
*Review based on experiencing the book as an audiobook
I really enjoyed the quick pace of listening to this book. The research is well done and to the point, considering the audiobook is only about 3 hours long. This story is incredibly heartbreaking and eye opening, and even though I knew the basic premise of the story and how it ended, I still found myself wanting to keep reading to find out the details of what happened next.
I really enjoyed the quick pace of listening to this book. The research is well done and to the point, considering the audiobook is only about 3 hours long. This story is incredibly heartbreaking and eye opening, and even though I knew the basic premise of the story and how it ended, I still found myself wanting to keep reading to find out the details of what happened next.
mnboyer's review against another edition
5.0
April 26, 1913 -- Mary Phagan, a young 14-year-old girl, is on her way to a parade but stops at National Pencil Company ti pick up her $1.20 paycheck. The next morning she is found dead in the basement.
The investigation begins with the African American "night watchman" that found Mary, but Newt Lee is eventually found to be innocent. Times are hard in Georgia at the time and as it turns out antisemitism is high because suddenly everyone turns their attention to the director of National Pencil Company, Leo Frank. Called a 'Yankee Jew' by many, Frank will be accused of murdering Mary. Several 'witnesses' even get on the stand and start accusing him of having inappropriate relationships with the young girls (including a suggestion that he enjoyed oral sex because, as a Jew with a circumcised penis, it was the only sexual pleasure he could find). The case gets a lot of attention and eventually a jury decided that Frank was guilty and sentenced him to hang. This was later commuted to life imprisonment (giving Frank a chance to appeal). But, a group of 'townies' including Judge Morris get together on August 17, 1915 and abduct Frank and then lynch him.
As you can imagine -- I am enraged because the lynch mob never saw any penalties for murdering Frank. That's right, I said murdering, because now in 2019 it seems pretty clear that Frank did not kill Mary. It makes much more sense that Jim Conley, a janitor at the factory, actually killed Mary. Many years later (almost 70?) a young boy admits that he saw Conley with Mary but was afraid to tell the truth. Several other authors have also taken a peek at the case and tend to agree Leo M. Frank was innocent. He was murdered because he was Jewish.
For further reading see: [b:And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank|1697440|And the Dead Shall Rise The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank|Steve Oney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439337670l/1697440._SX50_.jpg|1694419].
This is a great "smaller" read on the Mary Phagan case. It is great for true crime fans. And if you ever want to see the ugliness of antisemitism the murder of Leo Frank is an example that resonates today.
The investigation begins with the African American "night watchman" that found Mary, but Newt Lee is eventually found to be innocent. Times are hard in Georgia at the time and as it turns out antisemitism is high because suddenly everyone turns their attention to the director of National Pencil Company, Leo Frank. Called a 'Yankee Jew' by many, Frank will be accused of murdering Mary. Several 'witnesses' even get on the stand and start accusing him of having inappropriate relationships with the young girls (including a suggestion that he enjoyed oral sex because, as a Jew with a circumcised penis, it was the only sexual pleasure he could find). The case gets a lot of attention and eventually a jury decided that Frank was guilty and sentenced him to hang. This was later commuted to life imprisonment (giving Frank a chance to appeal). But, a group of 'townies' including Judge Morris get together on August 17, 1915 and abduct Frank and then lynch him.
As you can imagine -- I am enraged because the lynch mob never saw any penalties for murdering Frank. That's right, I said murdering, because now in 2019 it seems pretty clear that Frank did not kill Mary. It makes much more sense that Jim Conley, a janitor at the factory, actually killed Mary. Many years later (almost 70?) a young boy admits that he saw Conley with Mary but was afraid to tell the truth. Several other authors have also taken a peek at the case and tend to agree Leo M. Frank was innocent. He was murdered because he was Jewish.
For further reading see: [b:And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank|1697440|And the Dead Shall Rise The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank|Steve Oney|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439337670l/1697440._SX50_.jpg|1694419].
This is a great "smaller" read on the Mary Phagan case. It is great for true crime fans. And if you ever want to see the ugliness of antisemitism the murder of Leo Frank is an example that resonates today.
mdpbernal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5
erin_lee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Book is written for YA audience. It is very sad case where a young girl was brutally attacked and murdered and a Jewish man didn’t receive a fair trial. Prosecution was biased and just wanted a quick conviction. If DNA testing was available back then, it would’ve helped a lot too. The book has photos and graphics. It is well-researched and has reference list of people involved, timeline, sources and recommended books for further reading in the back.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Antisemitism
abigailbat's review against another edition
3.0
In 1913, thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan went by the pencil factory where she worked to pick up her paycheck. She didn't make it out alive. Police searched for clues as to who had beaten and raped her, at first suspecting the African-American watchman. Eventually they arrested and prosecuted Leo Frank, the factory's Jewish superintendent. Leo Frank was lynched... for a crime he may not have committed.
Painstaking research obviously went into this book and it's a fascinating and important story. I think, though, that it almost goes into too much detail for its audience. I found my attention wandering and I have to admit that I skimmed much of it.
Read more on my blog: http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-unspeakable-crime.html
Painstaking research obviously went into this book and it's a fascinating and important story. I think, though, that it almost goes into too much detail for its audience. I found my attention wandering and I have to admit that I skimmed much of it.
Read more on my blog: http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-unspeakable-crime.html
kokoro's review against another edition
4.0
Vaya cantidad de errores y mentiras ocurrieron en el juicio del señor Frank.
Todo parece indicar era inocente pero aun a día de hoy hay muchos que se aferran a la idea él fue el asesino, pero como bien dice el autor la verdad nunca lo sabremos.
Hay cosas que me sorprenden, creí quien había linchado al señor Frank era una muchedumbre enfurecida sedienta de sangre para vengar la muerte de la niña, pero en realidad era un grupo de personas “bien” compuesta por políticos, jueces, policía y algunos civiles, una vez terminada su “justicia” llego la turba gritando vítores, cómo no se tomaron fotos y parte de la ropa del señor Frank y se vendían cual suvenir veraniego de hoy en día. Y la otra sorpresa fue que “gracias” a la muerte de la niña surgió un grupo de “justicieros” llamados los caballeros de Mary que evolucionaron rápido a lo que ahora denominamos KKK.
Adía de hoy este tipo de linchamiento sigue existiendo, pero o son infrecuentes o no se publicitan porque sucede en algún pueblo/ciudad/estado/país nada importante, pero ahora existe otro tipo de linchamiento, el que sucede en redes sociales que puede arruinar la vida de quien está en el ojo del huracán hasta tal punto que puede ocurrir un suicidio. A veces los medios de comunicación se unen a la “fiesta”, lamentablemente lo he visto en casos de supuesta violación donde al hombre o grupo de hombres se les dice de todo, pero días, semanas o meses después la mujer confiesa todo fue mentira solo escucho grillos. La gente sigue teniendo sed de venganza y sentirse justiciera, solo que ahora la tecnología ayuda para linchar a las personas, tal vez algunas lo merezcan, pero cuando en realidad esa persona era inocente ...
Al final, transcribo las últimas palabras del libro, todo es cuestión de conciencia.
“It surely can not be long before I am free and vindicated, and right and innocence come into their own.”
Leo Frank, parte de su respuesta a un telegrama de un niño que creía en su inocencia. Tres semanas después de escribir esto fue linchado.
Todo parece indicar era inocente pero aun a día de hoy hay muchos que se aferran a la idea él fue el asesino, pero como bien dice el autor la verdad nunca lo sabremos.
Hay cosas que me sorprenden, creí quien había linchado al señor Frank era una muchedumbre enfurecida sedienta de sangre para vengar la muerte de la niña, pero en realidad era un grupo de personas “bien” compuesta por políticos, jueces, policía y algunos civiles, una vez terminada su “justicia” llego la turba gritando vítores, cómo no se tomaron fotos y parte de la ropa del señor Frank y se vendían cual suvenir veraniego de hoy en día. Y la otra sorpresa fue que “gracias” a la muerte de la niña surgió un grupo de “justicieros” llamados los caballeros de Mary que evolucionaron rápido a lo que ahora denominamos KKK.
Adía de hoy este tipo de linchamiento sigue existiendo, pero o son infrecuentes o no se publicitan porque sucede en algún pueblo/ciudad/estado/país nada importante, pero ahora existe otro tipo de linchamiento, el que sucede en redes sociales que puede arruinar la vida de quien está en el ojo del huracán hasta tal punto que puede ocurrir un suicidio. A veces los medios de comunicación se unen a la “fiesta”, lamentablemente lo he visto en casos de supuesta violación donde al hombre o grupo de hombres se les dice de todo, pero días, semanas o meses después la mujer confiesa todo fue mentira solo escucho grillos. La gente sigue teniendo sed de venganza y sentirse justiciera, solo que ahora la tecnología ayuda para linchar a las personas, tal vez algunas lo merezcan, pero cuando en realidad esa persona era inocente ...
Al final, transcribo las últimas palabras del libro, todo es cuestión de conciencia.
“It surely can not be long before I am free and vindicated, and right and innocence come into their own.”
Leo Frank, parte de su respuesta a un telegrama de un niño que creía en su inocencia. Tres semanas después de escribir esto fue linchado.
brandinh's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
This is a compelling and well-researched account of a tragic case of injustice in early 20th century Atlanta. Leo Frank was wrongly convicted and unjustly murdered for the death of 13-year-old Mary Phagan. What makes tales like this one even more heartbreaking is that Mary and her family never received justice either (though not all of them would agree). Her true killer walked free as Leo paid for her death with his life. Highly recommended for teens (or adults) who are interested in criminal justice, true crime, American history, and social issues. Trigger warning - images of Frank’s body after his lynching are included.
This is a compelling and well-researched account of a tragic case of injustice in early 20th century Atlanta. Leo Frank was wrongly convicted and unjustly murdered for the death of 13-year-old Mary Phagan. What makes tales like this one even more heartbreaking is that Mary and her family never received justice either (though not all of them would agree). Her true killer walked free as Leo paid for her death with his life. Highly recommended for teens (or adults) who are interested in criminal justice, true crime, American history, and social issues. Trigger warning - images of Frank’s body after his lynching are included.
bethzovko47's review against another edition
3.0
Listened to. Good summary of the case (the audio was only three hours) and researched descriptions of Frank, his family, court figures/politicians, and post-Reconstruction Southern culture. The only one who didn't get much mention--and this goes for a lot of true crime--was the 13 yo murder victim, Mary Phagen, who gets lost to the other details.
Still very engaging if not as in depth as a longer book would be. The reader's voice was something else: Stephen Colbert + Phil Hartman +Transatlantic accent. ✨
Definitely want to read more about this case, but many MANY of the online resources are clearly anti-Semitism and racist sites with neutral sounding names.
Still very engaging if not as in depth as a longer book would be. The reader's voice was something else: Stephen Colbert + Phil Hartman +Transatlantic accent. ✨
Definitely want to read more about this case, but many MANY of the online resources are clearly anti-Semitism and racist sites with neutral sounding names.
djblock99's review
4.0
In 1913, 13-year-old Mary Phagan went to the pencil factory where she worked to pick up her paycheck. That was the last time anyone saw her alive. Police arrested Leo Frank, the factory superintendent, who was both a Northerner and a Jew.
I was grabbed immediately by the story, and pulled through very quickly. Photographs of the people involved and images from the trial and aftermath appear throughout. Reproductions of newspaper headlines about the case are also integrated into the text. The story unfolds in chronological order without giving away the ultimate outcome of the case ahead of time, which I think makes it more compelling than if Alphin had divulged Frank's fate early on.
I was grabbed immediately by the story, and pulled through very quickly. Photographs of the people involved and images from the trial and aftermath appear throughout. Reproductions of newspaper headlines about the case are also integrated into the text. The story unfolds in chronological order without giving away the ultimate outcome of the case ahead of time, which I think makes it more compelling than if Alphin had divulged Frank's fate early on.
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