Title: Seventy Times Seven

Author: Alex Mar

Genre: True Crime/Nonfiction

Publisher: Bedford Square Publishers

Publication Date: 9th November 2023

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

On a spring afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, a fifteen-year-old black girl kills a white elderly bible teacher in a violent home invasion. In a city with a history of racial tension the press swoops in.

When Paula is sentenced to death, no one decries the impending execution of a tenth grader. But the tide begins to shift when the victim’s grandson Bill forgives the girl, against the wishes of his family, and campaigns to spare her life. This tragedy in a midwestern steel town soon reverberates across the United States and around the world ― reaching as far away as the Vatican ― as newspapers cover the story on their front pages and millions sign petitions in support of Paula.

As Paula waits on death row, her fate sparks a debate that not only animates legal circles but raises vital questions about the value of human life. This story asks us to consider the nature of justice, and what radical acts of empathy we might be capable of.

Review:

I am an avid reader of true crime, but only if it done well. In that, I mean it needs to feel like the case has been handled with nuance and objectivity, whilst also ensuring the victim/s are treated with respect and compassion. Seventy Times seven strikes this balance very well. It is an insightful, thoroughly researched and deeply compelling work of nonfiction that looks at a shocking crime and its aftermath, but also considers the larger questions surrounding the true meaning of justice, punishment and forgiveness.

I had not heard of this case, despite its shocking nature, possibly because it was before my time and also in America, yet I was completely gripped by the author’s deftly compassionate narrative of the who, what, and why of it. The American justice system is a fascinating and often deadly machine which demands examination and debate. It is not a topic with any easy answers but Seventy Times Seven is a powerful and intelligent piece of investigative writing that I would highly recommend.

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Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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