The Pig Farmer's Daughter and Other Tales of Ame

"Sweepingandimportant....Providesafascinatingvisionofjusticeandhistory."--TheWashingtonPostBookWorldFromtheheadoftheU.S.CivilRightsCommissioncomesalandmarkstudyofthewaysinwhichprejudicehasshapedAmericanjusticefromtheCivilWareratothepresent.Withaneartunedtothesocialsubtextofeveryjudicialdecision，MaryFrancesBerryexaminesacentury'sworthofappellatecases，rangingfromanineteenth-centuryAlabamacaseinwhichawhitewomanwasdeniedherdivorcepetitionbecauseanaffairbetweenawhiteman(herhusband)andablackwoman(hislover)was"ofnoconsequence，"tosuchrecent，high-profilecasesastheWilliamKennedySmithandO.J.Simpsontrials.Byturnsshocking，moving，ironic，andtragic，eachtaleendsinthelayingdownoflaw.Andbecausethelawperpetuatesmythsofrace，gender，andclass，theyarestoriesthataffectthelivesofusall.