At 9:00 on the morning of March 6; 1963; in the quiet St. Paul neighborhood of Highland Park; Mrs. Fritz Pearson glanced out her window and saw something almost unimaginable: slumped on the front steps of the home across the street was a woman; partially clothed in a blue bathrobe and bloodied beyond recognition. The woman; Mrs. Pearson would come to learn; was her beloved neighbor Carol Thompson; wife and mother of four.Earlier that morning; T. Eugene Thompson; known to friends as "Cotton;" dropped his son off at school and headed to the office; where he worked as a criminal attorney. At 8:25 am; he phoned home; later telling police that he did so to confirm evening plans with Carol. Mr. Thompson lied.Through police records; court transcripts; family papers; and extensive interviews; William Swanson has re-created Middle America's "crime of the century;" the deadly plot by a husband that made headlines around the world. But Dial M: The Murder of Carol Thompson also tracks the lives of the Thompsons' children. Their journey from disbelief to acceptance culminates in a private family trial where they decide whether their father truly was responsible for the violent act that crushed their childhood and forever altered their views of the world."Engrossing; emotionally compelling. . . . An unlikely tale of resilience and redemption; told in a sensitive; straightforward fashion."—Entertainment Weekly (graded "A")"I have never read a book that dealt so expertly and dramatically with the private lives of those who survive incomprehensible tragedy. I highly recommend it."—Ann Rule; author of Green River; Running Red
#1443514 in Books Baruch M Bokser 2002-01-01 2002-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.98 x .45 x 9.02l; .70 #File Name: 0873340876212 pagesISBN13: 9780873340878Condition: NewNotes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Bokser does a good job of making his caseBy seerBokser does a good job of making his case; though he clearly relies to some extent on reading between the lines. In my estimation; he does so in a legitimate way and makes a credible case for his conclusions. For my purposes; the book demonstrates clearly that the Seder is NOT a ritual that was in effect at the time the Last Supper occurred. There is a growing movement afoot that insists that the Passover kept in the gospels was a Seder meal. This error comes from the belief that the Seder and Passover are inseparable; even identical phenomena. While I have long known that to be an anachronism; Bokser's presentation of the evidence is a treasure trove of material showing that the additional elements of the Seder apart from "three elements" mentioned in Exo. 12 and addressed by Gamaliel (lamb; unleavened bread; and bitter herbs) are responses to the destruction of the temple in 70CE. If you want to understand the "genesis" of the Seder including the reason for its current post-temple format; this book is probably to most succinct and compact explanation you can find.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Not easy to read; but rewardingBy David SmithThis book is a scholarly work giving the author's well developed hypothesis on the origin of the Seder and how the Seder developed as an important substitute for the temple sacrifice. The book is relatively short and it is well referenced. It is not easy reading; but I found it rewarding reading and provided me a greater appreciation of the Passover rituals. For me the major unanswered question concerns the pre Temple destruction Passover celebration for those who could not go to the Temple. How was Passover celebrated in Rome for example or even earlier during the Babylonian exile? Perhaps; elements of those diaspora ceremonies had a greater impact on the post 70 C.E. ceremony than acknowledged by the author.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Insights From Origins of the Seder/tBy Jerome A. HoffmanThe paperback edition packs facts; analysis and insight into its relatively short 141 pages of text and footnotes. The hypothesis and argument are clearly spelled and and then supported by detailed references to various Talmud and Mishnah sections which are reproduced as necessary. Although the hardback was published in 1984 and the paperback reprinted in 2002; it is current and consistent with more recent works. I read the book in the weeks leading up to 2009 Passover holidays and found much in Dr.Bokser's work to work into the actual Seder and ignite the interest of those present. In essence; Dr. Bokser makes a very persuasive case that the Passover Seder; as molded in the HaGaddah; was one of the key pillars for the survival of Judaism after the catastrophic destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. Certainly; he establishes that the basics of the Seder as we know it today with its emphasis on freedom; community and symbolic ritual owes its genesis to the Tanna and the Amora of the centuries following the destruction.
