The Day She Cradled Me
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A fascinating novel based on the life of the infamous baby farmer Minnie Dean, the only woman in NZ history ever to be hanged.
Accused of infanticide and awaiting trial and then sentence, Minnie confides in the Reverend Lindsay. Alternating between these two contrasting personalities, the novel tells Minnie's version of events. From her oppressive upbringing in Victorian Scotland to adulthood in Southland, Minnie battles her own nature, the hardships of colonial life and social hypocrisy. Once Minnie is tried, she has to face her impending execution, while the Reverend Lindsay, who has become her unlikely ally, fights to prevent her paying the ultimate price for society's sins.
Featured in the 12 March 2012 New Zealand newsletter.
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