{"product_id":"the-sewing-girls-tale","title":"The Sewing Girl's Tale","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Sewing Girl's Tale\u003c\/em\u003e by John Wood Sweet is a gripping Revolutionary Era drama that delves into the first published rape trial in American history and its lasting repercussions. This illuminating narrative explores the changes — and the continuities — spanning over two centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn a moonless night in the summer of 1793, a grievous crime unfolded in the back room of a New York brothel — the kind of crime typically shrouded in silence. Breaking this silence was seventeen-year-old seamstress Lanah Sawyer, who accused a gentleman of rape, an unprecedented step in US history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLanah's accusation ignited a fervent courtroom drama and a relentless quest for justice, endangering the lives of both herself and her assailant. The trial unveiled a predatory sexual underworld, incited street riots, and provoked a passionate debate about class privilege and sexual double standards. The unfolding conflict enlisted the nation’s foremost legal minds, including Alexander Hamilton, and played a pivotal role in shaping American law. The crime and its aftermath emerged as a parable about the allure of seduction and the boundaries of justice. While Lanah Sawyer ultimately succeeded in holding her assailant accountable, it came at a tremendous personal cost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCrafted through meticulous historical research, this book transports readers from a chance street encounter to the sanctuaries of city elites, the shadows of brothels, and the gloom of debtors’ prisons. \u003cem\u003eThe Sewing Girl's Tale\u003c\/em\u003e demonstrates that if one persistent young woman, through the power of words, could instigate legal and cultural transformation two hundred years ago, similar changes remain possible today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition includes photographs to enrich the narrative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew York Times Editors' Choice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the Bancroft Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the Francis Parkman Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the Gotham Book Prize\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the New York Society Library's New York City Book Award\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJournal of the American Revolution Book of the Year\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Legal History\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Macmillan Publishers New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45719524278508,"sku":"9781250871480","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781250871480.jpg?v=1726130043","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/products\/the-sewing-girls-tale","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}