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This is the true crime account of Eugenia Falleni, a woman who in 1920 was charged with the murder of her wife.
Eugenia had lived in Australia for twenty-two years as a man and during that time officially married twice. She lived a full married life with her first wife, Annie, for four years before Annie realised that her husband was a woman. Even after Annie knew, they lived together for eight months before they went on a bush picnic, when Annie mysteriously died. Her body was not identified for almost three years, and during this time Eugenia married again, this time to Lizzie.
When Eugenia was finally arrested and charged with Annie's murder, the police attempted to tell Lizzie that her husband was a man. She laughed at them - she was so convinced that her husband was a man that she thought she was pregnant to him.
This is the story of one of the most extraordinary criminal trials in legal history anywhere in the world. The book traces Eugenia's history: from her early years in an Italian immigrant family in New Zealand, to her brutal treatment when she first tried living as a man.
The story then follows the twenty-two years that she lived in Sydney as Harry Crawford - exploring how Harry managed to convince two wives that he was a man. The trial of Eugenia Falleni for Annie's murder is extensively analysed in a clear and easily understood way by the author, Senior Crown Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi QC, one of Australia's foremost criminal law barristers with experience both as a prosecutor and a defender.
The book continues with Eugenia's fascinating life after her trial. The last eight years of her life are described, in which she was forced by an unforgiving society to live life as a woman.
This book is true crime, true grit and truly gripping. It includes: a tragic main character who believed she was a man trapped in the body of a woman
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by PowerReviews(based on 5 reviews)
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Comments about Eugenia:
It is a really interesting read about aspects of life that few of us come into contact. I was particularly interested in the legal examination of the case. You need to be open minded to read this book.
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Comments about Eugenia:
Best crime story I have read.
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Comments about Eugenia:
An unbelievable story.
The author has filled in the bits that we don't actually know in an intelligent and positive manner. He didn't just assume the worst like the newspapers of the time did (and still would).
The chapters were discreet episodes in Eugenia's life and were easy to read. There was also good information on how the law works and the categories of witnesses.
I was absolutely enthralled by the book.
I heard about it on Phillip Adams' "Late Night Live", and had to buy it the next day.
If you want to publicise a book widely, you need to get it onto shows like this or have a good book review in papers like the Age, Canberra Times or Sydney Morning Herald.
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Comments about Eugenia:
liked this book, but it gets a bit bogged down with the legal stuff in Eugenias' life. Apart from that it is worth the read.
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Comments about Eugenia:
I read an early copy of this book and found it fascinating. It's really well researched and has a quality a bit like TV shows like "Cold Case" in that it looks back at a historical legal tale with the benefit of modern insight.
Displaying reviews 1-5
ISBN: 9781922052292
ISBN-10: 1922052299
Audience:
General
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 260
Published: 1st September 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Dimensions (cm): 23.4 x 15.4
x 2.4
Weight (kg): 0.355
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