An Unspeakable Crime
The Prosecution and Persecution of Leo Frank
Binding: Paperback
Age 14+
Personal & Social Issues: Racism & Multiculturalism
The lynching of Leo Frank is a major landmark in 20th century law and in racial and ethnic tensions in the South. It has been the subject of various novels, movies, and most recently a Tony-award winning musical (Parade). Teenagers played a significant role in the whole miscarrage of justice. This is the first treatment of the subject for young adults .
In 1913, Leo Frank was convicted of murdering Mary Phagan, a 13-year-old employee of the Atlanta pencil factory that Frank managed. After Georgia's governor commuted his death sentence, a mob stormed the prison where Frank was being held and lynched him. Leo Frank thus became the only known Jew lynched in American history. The case still spurs debate and controversy -it even inspired a Broadway play. What are the facts of the Frank case?
Creators
Elaine Marie Alphin is the award winning author of over a dozen books for young people, including her most recent novel, The Perfect Shot, which earned a star from SLJ and was a Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist. She lives in Boseman, MT.