excellent writing. while she shows the "facts". she also tries to show us what is going on in America and the world at the time. ( )

This biography of Ethel Rosenberg, the wife of Julius Rosenberg who followed her husband to the electric chair in an infamous espionage case, is a book which the power to haunt its readers. Ethel was a woman who was both ordinary and connected to people with dangerous knowledge. A housewife with two children, she was, in part, the ideal 1950s woman, but she was also a socialist and was deeply in love with her husband. She steadfastly stood by her husband, who likely was a Soviet spy, even when her own brother betrayed her and offered testimony which laid the groundwork for her own conviction. This makes for a sad, haunting tale, especially when the author details the story of Ethel and Julius's two sons after their execution. Overall, this a key work of nonfiction for understanding the Rosenbergs and their story. ( )

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to listen to this story in exchange for an honest review.

Ethel Rosenberg was executed by electrocution on June 19, 1953, at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. She was considered an American spy along with her husband, Julius.

Anne Sebba delves into Ethel's life from her upbringing with the mother she never emotionally connected with or felt loved by to the moment she met her husband and fell in love. From the moment they met, Ethel and Julius were inseparable. Ethel would support her husband in anything he chose to do, including being a part of the Communist party. When Julius is brought in for questioning Ethel is called in shortly behind. She continues to be supportive of Julius despite the fact that her life is at risk.

Sebba gets into the details of how Ethel's brother and sister-in-law turned her in and lied about her work for the Communist party. Through it all, Ethel continues to support her husband. Ethel and Julius are found guilty and sentenced to death. Ethel's maintained her innocence until the very end.

I found this book to be extremely interesting. I have long wanted to read about Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and found this to give a wonderful background story on Ethel's life and ultimate death. There were times the story felt a little drawn out but they were few and far between. Anne Sebba did a wonderful research job and told a very thorough story. ( )

This book focuses on the life and trial of Ethel Rosenberg, convicted and sentenced to death for espionage. The book draws on prison letters she exchanged with her husband, lawyer and psychotherapist while she was imprisoned. Overall, I thought this book was very slow and plodding. Ethel's story was told in a dry and dispassionate way. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars. ( )

I wanted to read this book when I heard of it because I've wanted to know more about the story of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, executed in 1953 for espionage for many years This book focuses on the life of Ethel and the trial which led to her conviction and death. I wasn't sure to expect, as I was a little bit disappointed by the other Anne Sebba book which I've read, The Parisiennes, and Sebba's previous writing CV involved Britain's more conservative broadsheet newspapers and magazines and books about wealthy and rather right wing socialites.

I was particularly interested in Sebba's portrait of Ethel Greenglass's early life, her family, schooling and life as a factory worker, trade union activist and talented singer/musician. However, after marrying Julius Rosenberg, she seems to have settled into a very traditional wife and mother role, reading child rearing and psychology books for guidance on the best way to bring up a challenging young son and deal with the issues they faced. I found this quite sad and frustrating, as I think the author perhaps did from a 20th century feminist perspective. Other 50s leftist American women perhaps pushed the boundaries of traditional roles more, but then, that may just be the women whose lives and experiences are better documented (by themselves or others) because they wrote or were reported on. Of course Ethel Rosenberg attracted lots of newspaper coverage but it was mostly extremely hostile.

Overall, this is a very interesting exploration of how Ethel Rosenberg came to be executed for espionage in favour of the Soviet Union, including research into her husband and family, the difficult issues of how the children might be raised by a family who didn't hate their parents. In this case at least they were adopted together by a supportive and loving couple - their adoptive father was the author of the poem Strange Fruit, best known as a Billie Holiday song about lynching which was itself banned for some years,

Sad, thought provoking and highly recommended, whether your views are broadly liberal in a US sense, liberal feminist (like the author), socialist feminist and even Communist influenced (mine) or something else. ( )