Customer Reviews

Women and the Death Penalty in the United States, 1900-1998

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Eschewing sensationalism, O'Shea has provided a state-by-state review of women and the death penalty in the last century. While it may not be as easy to read as books such as WOMEN WHO KILL because it does not have an overarching narrative, it does provide the stories and information. I am assigining it in a law school course I teach WOMEN & CRIME. I'd recommend it for all those who are serious about this issue.

This hefty tome would make a wonderful addition to any student's library. I spotted it on Amazon, and could not afford the hefty price and checked it out at my university. It blew me away, and even though it is a reference book, read it from cover to cover in a weekend. I couldn't put it down, and lost plenty of sleep.

It is a reference book of every women put to death and/or on death row since 1900. It includes women whose sentences were commuted. It explains every case in analytical non-emotional language. It is very scholarly. It includes a section on lynching.
It is divided, alphabetically, by state and begins each section with an introduction on the history, methods, and customs of each states death penalty and mode of execution.
Each woman has a story, and the author has included as much of the story as space could permit. Some accounts are more sparse than others (esp from the turn of the century) but where she could, she has included news accounts, and even the women's own letters and confessions.
It's an awesome, awesome read. I would recommend it to anyone who is writing a paper, book, or just is interested in this facet of American society.