Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and Its Private Consequences - Hardcover

Pelonero, Catherine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1628737069 ISBN 13: 9781628737066

Publisher: Skyhorse, 2014

Synopsis

A New York Times bestseller!

Written in a flowing narrative style, Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and Its Private Consequences presents the story of the horrific and infamous murder of Kitty Genovese, a young woman stalked and stabbed on the street where she lived in Queens, New York in 1964. The case sparked national outrage when the New York Times revealed that dozens of witnesses had seen or heard the attacks on Kitty Genovese and her struggle to reach safety but had failed to come to her aid or even call police until after the killer had fled.

This book cuts through misinformation and conjecture to present a definitive portrait of the crime, the aftermath, and the people. Based on six years of research, Catherine Pelonero’s book presents the facts from the police reports, archival material, court documents, and first-hand interviews. Pelonero offers a personal look at Kitty Genovese, an ambitious young woman viciously struck down in the prime of her life; Winston Moseley, the killer who led a double life as a responsible family man by day and a deadly predator by night; the consequences for a community condemned; and others touched by the tragedy.

Beyond just a true crime story, the book embodies much larger themes: the phenomenon of bystander inaction, the evolution of a serial killer, and the fears and injustices spawned by the stark prejudices of an era, many of which linger to this day.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

From Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and Its Private ConsequencesIf she had walked out onto Jamaica Avenue a minute sooner or a minute later, he would never have seen her. They would have missed each other entirely.But he did see her.He saw a young woman getting into her car, alone.He had been searching for her for more than an hour. Not this woman specifically; he had never seen her before, and that also was key. The other keys were "woman" and "alone."The woman, when at last he found her, had been easy to spot since there was no one else around and very little traffic at this time of night, at least not here in Queens. Streets in Manhattan may still have been busy at 3:00 a.m. but he wouldn't know, since he never did this kind of thing in Manhattan; only in Queens. He felt more secure in Queens, especially around this area, since he lived nearby.And that was another key - sticking fairly close to home, because at some point after the thing was done, he had to get home and check his dogs and his kids, and get some sleep so he could be ready for work in the morning. He always showed up at the office on time, no matter how late he had been out the night before.Nothing in particular about this woman had caught his eye, other than the feminine shape and the skirt she wore, both of which assured him that the figure stepping out into the darkness was female, and she looked young. 

From the Inside Flap:

"The definitive account of a dark moment in US history, at once richly detailed, deeply humane, and profoundly compelling...Pelonero's book will leave you moved and enlightened."--Adam Alter, author of Drunk Tank Pink

About this edition

• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1628737069
• ISBN 13: 9781628737066
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 376