The Trial of Lizzie Borden

By: Cara Robertson

Narrated by: Amanda Carlin

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the New England Society Book Award 

“Narrator Amanda Carlin's sober tone captures the criminal trial that followed, detailing the nuances and behavior of both the lawyers and the accused. Carlin's narration retains listeners' attention and guides them faithfully through the trial details and theories of what really happened to the Borden family.” (AudioFile, 2019)  

The remarkable new account of an essential piece of American mythology - the trial of Lizzie Borden - based on 20 years of research and recently unearthed evidence.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden tells the true story of one of the most sensational murder trials in American history. When Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally hacked to death in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892, the arrest of the couple’s younger daughter Lizzie turned the case into international news and her trial into a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Reporters flocked to the scene. Well-known columnists took up conspicuous seats in the courtroom. The defendant was relentlessly scrutinized for signs of guilt or innocence. Everyone - rich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars and laypeople - had an opinion about Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didn’t she?

The popular fascination with the Borden murders and its central enigmatic character has endured for more than 100 years. Immortalized in rhyme, told and retold in every conceivable genre, the murders have secured a place in the American pantheon of mythic horror, but one typically wrenched from its historical moment. In contrast, Cara Robertson explores the stories Lizzie Borden’s culture wanted and expected to hear and how those stories influenced the debate inside and outside of the courtroom. Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden offers a window onto America in the Gilded Age, showcasing its most deeply held convictions and its most troubling social anxieties.

©2019 Cara Robertson (P)2019 Simon & Schuster

Worst Narration Ever

Seriously, this narrator has me wanting to scream. The narration is very droll. In addition, there are unfortunate pauses that leave ideas unconnected. The narration is very distracting from the story. I've learned my lesson on buying a new release.

Good story, terrible narration

I purchased this narration to accompany the kindle book, but very nearly returned the audio. It sounds like a weird mix of an actual person reading and a robotic voiceover, and I think that might be because the narrator started and stopped reading far too frequently, making the audio sound jarring and uneven. The story itself was great, and I was able to become engrossed in it to the point I barely noticed how bad the reading was. Honestly though, if I’d bothered to listen to a sample first I never would have bought the audible edition.

Interesting narrator

Good story but it sounds like it is read by the woman in my 1998 iMac computer. I spent the whole book trying to figure out how she inflected her words like that.

Unfortunate narration

I have to admit, I'm only a few hours into this book at the moment, but I lose track of the story because the narration is so peculiar. Sentences come to an apparent end, only to be picked back up after a strange pause. I get distracted by the cadence of the speaker sometimes rather than listening to the actual content. Which is unfortunate, because this story has captivated for decades. I will continue because the topic is of interest, but this is a really strange listen.

The narrators sounds like a see and say toy

I was thrilled to see a New Lizzie Borden story this morning quickly purchased it but the narrators voice is killing me!!

sounds like an Apple voice memo

great book, but I can't get past the voice of the reader - she sounds like a computer, totally mechanical, without affect or character whatsoever.

Stephen Hawking and Siri had a Love Child...

...and she narrated this book. Otherwise though, a really deep and thorough look into the event, setting, trial and aftermath.

Is the Narrator a Robot?

The narrator ruined this book for me. Cross between Laura Linney and a robot. She butchered this book. Couldn't get past the narration enough to enjoy the book.

Fingernails on a chalkboard

I cannot stand this narration. Ugh! Sounds like a computer voice-the worst. Cant even get into the second chapter. Won’t finish it. Never have returned a book til now.

For those that HAVE to HAVE this...

...no matter what! Lol. I waited what seemed like years for this - I ordered the Pre Release not knowing what the narration would be like, but being the subject matter, I didn’t care (or so I THOUGHT). The story of course is EXCELLENT, and immensely fascinating to us Bordon-o-philes. The narration however IS rough to get through. It’s not her vocal tone ....I honestly prefer an older woman telling this story, but it’s the very untimely pauses and gaps between random words that you will soon become intensely focused on. If you concentrate hard enough, you can train your mind to ignore that. Kinda. Sorta. I LOVE this book, so that’s what I will be doing every time I relisten to it. Sooooo, if you HAVE to HAVE it, that’s the trade off.