The Bone Lady: Life As a Forensic Anthropologist [Hardcover]

Mary H. Manhein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999 | ISBN-10: 0807124044 | ISBN-13: 978-0807124048 | Edition: 1

The first non-fictional account by a female expert in the field of forensic anthropology, this book is a collection of short stories about forensic and bioarchaeology cases in Louisiana. Raised in a family of storytellers, the author weaves the history of her family into the accounts of her cases which include those that are both solved and unsolved. This account also illustrates how determination on one woman's part made it possible for her to rise to the top in an often male dominated field.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A subtly creepy collection of stories culled from the experiences of a leading forensic anthropologist. Manhein describes her role as an expert witness as the laying out of her analysis to the jury without a lot of unexplained scientific jargonthe exact technique she employs in this account. While one of her goals seems to be teaching the public about the field of forensic anthropology, she never loses sight of her main intention, the spinning of a good story. The result is a rare, effective blend of entertainment and education. As we follow Manhein into the Louisiana bayou, where she digs up the levee to claim a five-year-old corpse, into industrial fires where victims bodies lie unrecovered, into cemeteries both old, newly discovered, and improvised, under houses, and into the forest to examine the bones of potentially mistreated horses, we learn about identifying bodies through dental X-rays, bone composition, and facial reconstruction. It is the same combination of the desire to solve puzzles and a fascination with death that led Manhein into her field and which also compels the reader to move quickly from one story to the next. Whether she is describing a human skull being pulled up in a fishing net or her nervousness at testifying in court, she maintains a grounded eye for detail and a compassionately detached style which renders the subject matter interesting rather than gruesome. While many of Manhein's cases have attracted media attention, most notably the exhumation of the killer of Huey Long, the book primarily focuses on the much less glamorous side of the fieldthe identification of drowning victims sometimes years after their deaths, or the discovery that those bones in the yard belonged to the previous owners pet dog. Despite the morbid nature of her work, she loves what she does and communicates that enthusiasm in her absorbing harrative. (illustrations) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

"A fascinating and revealing look at forensic work from the parishes, levees, and bayous of Louisiana and nearby areas. master storyteller Mary Manhein shows how the science of forensic anthropology with a human touch can help solve forensic mysteries." --Dr. Douglas H. Ubelaker, author of Bones: A Forensic Detective's Casebook "The Bone Lady is a fascinating human interest book. Each case has its own unusual twist. Manhein has told her story in a most interesting way--just as she speaks and just as she teaches." --Betty Pat Gatliff, forensic sculptor "The Bone Lady is a delightful romp in the world of forensic anthropology recounted by a wonderful storyteller: skeletons of the murdered, exhumations, facial reconstruction--and growing up in the hills of Arkansas."--Dr. Michael M. Baden, forensic pathologist

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 137 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State Univ Pr; 1 edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807124044
• ISBN-13: 978-0807124048
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #961,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encouraging perspective of forensic anthropology, October 13, 2000

By 

Ruth Dion (Wheaton, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bone Lady: Life as a Forensic Anthropologist (Paperback)

Forensic anthropology has been an interest of mine ever since I read Dr. Maple's book, "Dead Men do Tell Tales." I was hooked, but not under the impression that I could do much with a degree lower then a doctorate in the subject. Mary Manhein is an equally engaging author,yet is encouraging throughout the book. She tells of her own life and how she returned to school after her children got older. She doesn't have a doctorate, but she still teaches college courses and is an active forensic anthropologist. Her story is equally balanced with details of her personal life and her career. The book gives an excelent perspective on what a forensic anthropologists experience in the context of reality.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Title "The Bone Lady..." tells it all, May 28, 2002

By 

Russell A. Rohde MD "Owl" (West Covina, California USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bone Lady: Life as a Forensic Anthropologist (Paperback)

"The Bone Lady - (Life as a Forensic Anthropologist)" by Mary H. Manhein, ISBN 01402.9192X (pbk), Penguin Books 2000, is a 137 page curiously enticing story-telling recount of Manhein's personal encounter and infatuation with college anthropology which led her to become a working forensic bioanthropologist and Director of Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Laboratory (FACES), forensics instructor (LSU), and deputy coroner.

A gifted story teller, she provides an articulate recital of her childhood, then marriage, and finally 'matriculating' at age 33; and she then delves into a dozen or so intriguing cases where she is asked to help provide identification of remains, often just bones and thus she acquires rank as 'The Bone Lady,' and later fellowhip distinction (FAAFS). The medley of cases provide some modicum about similariy of mammalian bones, grave sites, viewing windows in cast-iron coffins, insights into aging of bone, and differentiation of male vs. female remains.

The book yields the "feeling" of field forensics by touching on the politics, stenches, miseries, hazards, grief, closure, and those too few triumphs unearthed by 'The Bone Lady." It is well written and easy to read and priced just right.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I read from cover to cover, October 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bone Lady: Life As a Forensic Anthropologist (Hardcover)

Ms. Manhein's story telling and humor kept me glued to the pages of her book. It's not an easy task to describe the complicated world of Forensics in a way for others to understand. Yet, Ms. Manhein accomplishes this in an informative, yet simple manner. Her humorous stories mixed in with her own personal life, not only made me feel as if I knew a little more about Forensic Anthropology, but I knew her famly and the state of Louisiana as well. She is an excellent writer and congratulate her on a job well done.