Clara at the door with a revolver : the scandalous Black suspect, the exemplary white son, and the murder that shocked Toronto
Book |
University of British Columbia Press,
Vancouver, BC :
2023
- 3 of 4 Copies Available at Libraries in Niagara Cooperative
- 0 of 1 Copy Available at Fort Erie Library System (Show)
- 0 current holds with 4 total copies.
| Branch | Call Number | Location | Holdable? | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centennial | TRUE WHITZ 2023 | New Books | Copy hold / Volume hold | Checked out |
| Niagara-on-the-Lake | 5230 FORD-W | Adult True Crime | Copy hold / Volume hold | Available |
| Seaway | 364.1523092 Whi | Adult Non-fiction | Copy hold / Volume hold | Available |
| Wainfleet | 364.1523092 Ford -W | Adult - Non-Fiction | Copy hold / Volume hold | Available |
About
In the autumnal darkness of October 6, 1894, an unseen figure slipped through the streets of Parkdale, rang the doorbell at the home of a well-to-do Toronto family, and shot Frank Westwood in his doorway, murdering him in cold blood. Six weeks later, the spotlight shone on the enigmatic Clara Ford, a Black tailor and single mother known for her impeccable work ethic and resolute personality - and for wearing men's attire. A former neighbour of the Westwoods, Clara was arrested and confessed to the murder. But as the details of her arrest and her complex connection to the Westwood family emerged, she recanted, testifying that she was coerced by police into a false confession. Clara was the first woman - and only the second person - to testify on her own behalf in a Canadian trial. Set in three acts, this story illuminates not only the riveting case itself but also the societal attitudes, gender and race hypocrisy, and the politics of media power in the growing city of Toronto. Carolyn Whitzman tells the compelling story of a courageous Black woman living in nineteenth-century Toronto and paints a portrait of a city and a society that have not changed enough in 125 years.
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Details
- ISBN: 9780774890618
- Physical Description: 336 pages : illustrations ; 23 cmprint
- Publisher: Vancouver, BC : University of British Columbia Press, 2023
- Bibliography, etc. Note: Includes bibliographical references and index.