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esshgee's review against another edition
2.0
I was expecting so much more from this potentially interesting story. It was repetitive and riddled with quotes which needed more editing. I felt the epilogue in particular was padded out with information of people only tangentially involved with Louisa & her story
michellel123's review against another edition
3.0
The story of Louisa Collins, accused of murdering two husbands, found guilty on her fourth trial, then executed by hanging. Interesting narrative-style history, but Louisa was extremely unlikable and the book had a strong 'conclusion' to push, which I didn't really like. The facts would have been able to stand for themselves without quite so much preaching.
rhi_'s review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Murder, Death, Sexism, and Death of parent
clairrus's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the fact that this book not only looked at the circumstances surrounding Louisa's case, but the extraordinary lengths the Crown went to in order to convict and the political aftermath of the final trial. The epilogue felt slightly unncessary.
chyneyee's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
It's thoroughly researched and comprehensive. Besides retelling the entire story of Louisa's life, I loved reading the various perspectives from both genders about the case. It was interesting to read about how men thought in the olden days, but some men had different views than their peers. At that time when women had no voting rights, it's admirable that some courageous women rise up to stand for something they believe in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Alcoholism
brookesbookstagram's review against another edition
3.0
Quite harrowing to hear of Louisa Collins' experience, considering it took four trials to be able to determine her guilt with only circumstantial evidence.
A very interesting read to hear about how the judicial system operated in the late 1800's in Australia, and to hear about Louisa's life and legacy.
A very interesting read to hear about how the judicial system operated in the late 1800's in Australia, and to hear about Louisa's life and legacy.
kool_lampshades's review
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
This book was - as the author said (not verbatim) - a story not only of the last woman hanged in Australia, but of the sociological, judicial and political climate at the time.
I wanted to rate this a bit lower if I'm honest, because while it was interesting, I didn't leave the book feeling like I'd learned quite as much as I'd hoped I would about Australia's history (surrounding the topic at hand). I decided however that deducting stars on this basis was unfair, considering that the book wasn't advertised as such.
What the book did talk about, it talked about well, and even went on to do somewhat of a where-are-they-now segment, which I thought was great.
I wanted to rate this a bit lower if I'm honest, because while it was interesting, I didn't leave the book feeling like I'd learned quite as much as I'd hoped I would about Australia's history (surrounding the topic at hand). I decided however that deducting stars on this basis was unfair, considering that the book wasn't advertised as such.
What the book did talk about, it talked about well, and even went on to do somewhat of a where-are-they-now segment, which I thought was great.
lisa_setepenre's review against another edition
3.0
Last Woman Hanged is author and journalist Caroline Overington's careful exploration of Louisa Collins, accused of murdering two husbands and the last woman hanged in New South Wales (though not Australia). Overington covers Collins' early life, her trials and sentencing but also astutely links the struggle for Collins' life to the emergence of the suffragette movement in Australia.
This is not a book that proudly proclaims to finally, finally, reveal the "truth" of what really happened. Louisa Collins' guilt or innocence is never presumed and what caused her husbands' frankly mysterious deaths is never at the centre of this story. Overington herself never comes down on either side and offers up a theory. The closest she comes to is this:
I found Last Woman Hanged an easy – albeit harrowing – read and appreciated that Overington's approach to her subject, as well as the way Overington linked Collins' story into the move for women's rights in Australia and the abolition of the death penalty.
That said, I didn't always appreciate Overington's writing style. The narrative seemed a little too overwrought at places and I occasionally felt like I was being talked down to.
The case for the padding in this book is pretty strong. No, I don't need the Our Father quoted, nor another prayer – the Order for the Burial of Dead. Nor do I need an epilogue that goes on for nearly 50 pages, detailing what happened to anyone and everyone remotely connected to this story. I appreciated finding out what happened to Louisa Collins' children, but as it went on and on and the figures became more and more obscure, I began to skim-read and then skip great big chunks.
Last Woman Hanged is a decent book, one with a few things I didn't appreciate. However, I do think it is well worth the read, at least to better understand the plight of women in pre-Federated Australia and a great injustice done to a woman who may well have been innocent.
This is not a book that proudly proclaims to finally, finally, reveal the "truth" of what really happened. Louisa Collins' guilt or innocence is never presumed and what caused her husbands' frankly mysterious deaths is never at the centre of this story. Overington herself never comes down on either side and offers up a theory. The closest she comes to is this:
It is entirely possible that Louisa killed both Charles Andrews and Michael Collins. However in the humble opinion of the author – shared by many good citizens of the colony, and three juries before the final one – the case was not proved beyond a reasonable doubt , and even if it had been so proved the problem is not the verdict, but the sentence. [p. 299]Indeed, Overington's focus is not on "did she do it?" but on the legitimacy of the verdict and the sentence passed. That a miscarriage of justice occurred in Collins' case is clear – she should have never been convicted, much less executed on the basis of the evidence presented. But that is only one of the injustices to be found in this story.
I found Last Woman Hanged an easy – albeit harrowing – read and appreciated that Overington's approach to her subject, as well as the way Overington linked Collins' story into the move for women's rights in Australia and the abolition of the death penalty.
That said, I didn't always appreciate Overington's writing style. The narrative seemed a little too overwrought at places and I occasionally felt like I was being talked down to.
The case for the padding in this book is pretty strong. No, I don't need the Our Father quoted, nor another prayer – the Order for the Burial of Dead. Nor do I need an epilogue that goes on for nearly 50 pages, detailing what happened to anyone and everyone remotely connected to this story. I appreciated finding out what happened to Louisa Collins' children, but as it went on and on and the figures became more and more obscure, I began to skim-read and then skip great big chunks.
Last Woman Hanged is a decent book, one with a few things I didn't appreciate. However, I do think it is well worth the read, at least to better understand the plight of women in pre-Federated Australia and a great injustice done to a woman who may well have been innocent.