On a cold February 1892 day in Memphis, Tennessee, Alice Mitchell took her fathers straight razor and slashed the throat of her erstwhile paramour Freda Ward. This set off the sensational story that was reported all across the country, capturing the nations attention. Same-sex love was such a foreign idea that there could be no reason for it other than insanity and this is the course Alice’s attorney’s took as they prepared her case. To be sure, an insanity plea would save her life, as she wouldn’t stand trial or be held responsible for Freda’s death. But from my present day perpective it is just stunning to think that the insanity plea is about the fact that Alice loved Freda and wanted to marry her, not because she was so jealous and blind with rage and despair at being separated from her.
“I resolved to kill Freda because I loved her so much that I wanted her to die loving me, and when she did die I know she loved me better that any other human being on earth. I got my father’s razor and made up my mind to kill Freda, and now I know she is happy.”
Oh yeah, that’s not crazy, but wanting to marry Freda and care for her as a spouse would was. Gah!
This book is well researched, with lots of notes and references, but the writing was still lively and engaging. I never got the feeling that the careful research came before the humanity of the story. A handsome tome, with copies of their lette
rs to one another and great illustrations by Sally Klann. An absorbing read.
