About the book
On November 3, 1870, on a San Francisco ferry, Laura Fair shot a bullet into the heart of her married lover, A. P. Crittenden. Throughout her two murder trials, Fair’s lawyers, supported by expert testimony from physicians, claimed that the shooting was the result of temporary insanity caused by a severely painful menstrual cycle. The first jury disregarded such testimony, choosing instead to focus on Fair’s disreputable character. In the second trial, however, an effective defense built on contemporary medical beliefs and gendered stereotypes led to a verdict that shocked Americans across the country. In this rousing history, Carole Haber probes changing ideas about morality and immorality, masculinity and femininity, love and marriage, health and disease, and mental illness to show that all these concepts were reinvented in the Victorian West.
Haber’s book examines the era’s most controversial issues, including suffrage, the gendered courts, women’s physiology, and free love. This notorious story enriches our understanding of Victorian society, opening the door to a discussion about the ways in which reputation, especially female reputation, is shaped.
Editions of The Trials of Laura Fair
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469607580
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469626468
- EBook
- ISBN 9798893130119
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469612539
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469607597
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890840257
Read an Excerpt
On November 3, 1870, on a San Francisco ferry, Laura Fair shot a bullet into the heart of her married lover, A. P. Crittenden. Throughout her two murder trials, Fair’s lawyers, supported by expert testimony from physicians, claimed that the shooting was the result of temporary insanity caused by a severely painful menstrual cycle. The first jury disregarded such testimony, choosing instead to focus on Fair’s disreputable character. In the second trial, however, an effective defense built on contemporary medical beliefs and gendered stereotypes led to a verdict that shocked Americans across the country. In this rousing history, Carole Haber probes changing ideas about morality and immorality, masculinity and femininity, love and marriage, health and disease, and mental illness to show that all these concepts were reinvented in the Victorian West.
Haber’s book examines the era’s most controversial issues, including suffrage, the gendered courts, women’s physiology, and free love. This notorious story enriches our understanding of Victorian society, opening the door to a discussion about the ways in which reputation, especially female reputation, is shaped.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Trials of Laura Fair about?
On November 3, 1870, on a San Francisco ferry, Laura Fair shot a bullet into the heart of her married lover, A. P. Crittenden. Throughout her two murder trials, Fair’s lawyers, supported by expert testimony from physicians, claimed that the shooting was the result of temporary insanity caused by a severely painful menstrual cycle. The first jury disregarded such testimony, choosing instead to focus on Fair’s disreputable character. In the second trial, however, an effective defense built on contemporary medical beliefs and gendered stereotypes led to a verdict that shocked Americans across the country. In this rousing history, Carole Haber probes changing ideas about morality and immorality, masculinity and femininity, love and marriage, health and disease, and mental illness to show that all these concepts were reinvented in the Victorian West.
Haber’s book examines the era’s most controversial issues, including suffrage, the gendered courts, women’s physiology, and free love. This notorious story enriches our understanding of Victorian society, opening the door to a discussion about the ways in which reputation, especially female reputation, is shaped.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Trials of Laura Fair?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of The Trials of Laura Fair?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469607580
How long is The Trials of Laura Fair and how many pages does it have?
The Trials of Laura Fair has 328 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Trials of Laura Fair?
Carole Haber
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Trials of Laura Fair is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469607580) and paperback(ISBN 9781469626468) and ebook(ISBN 9798893130119) and ebook(ISBN 9781469612539) and ebook(ISBN 9781469607597) and pdf(ISBN 9798890840257)
Where can I buy The Trials of Laura Fair online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy The Trials of Laura Fair?