Description: "Seven pamphlets related to the sensational seventeenth-century bigamy trial of Mary Carleton, who may have saved herself from hanging by her eloquent self-defense"--
Brief description: Mary Carleton (1642-1673) was a woman accused of marrying under a false identity while masquerading as a German princess, and the author of several pamphlets defending herself.
Review Quotes: "Matchinske's edition of texts about the case of Mary Carleton will prove a treasure trove to students and scholars with an interest in gender, the law, and social class. The works assembled in this collection offer a valuable window into questions of personal identity and performance, but they also teach us to observe closely and ask probing questions about evidence and the construction of persuasive narratives in an early modern court of law and in popular print culture. The primary materials are carefully edited, and the engaging introduction provides pertinent context for both students and scholars, allowing readers to become familiar with or revisit this fascinating instance of seventeenth-century female self-fashioning."--Martine Van Elk, California State University, Long Beach