Description:
A true-crime whodunnit set in a Chesapeake Bay oystering village at the turn of the 20th century with a double-barrel focus on crime and its consequents-in the courts of public opinion and of law-and beyond.
Brief description: Carol. Booker is a graduate of the City University of New York and Georgetown University Law Center. As a journalist, Booker's beat ran from civil rights to the Nigerian civil war. She worked as a writer/editor/reporter for the Voice of America, and freelanced in Africa for Westinghouse (Group W) Broadcasting, covering the Nigerian Civil War and other stories in ten African nations. Her articles and/or photography have also been published in The Washington Post, and Ebony and Jet magazines. After graduation from GeorgetownUniversity law school, she became legal counsel to public and international broadcasting entities, the environmental giant Greenpeace, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She is a (retired) Member of the Bar of the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Review Quotes:
- "Like an old-time, spell-binding, dime store novel, The Waterman's Widow keeps the reader in suspense as it reveals the personal impact of an event that roiled the peaceful Solomons Island community. Well-researched and grounded in Calvert County's past, the tale is spun out in a tapestry chock-full of facts and colorful imagery from neighboring St. Mary's and Charles counties, and all the way to Baltimore. It's a delightful read!"
-John Johnson, Executive Director, Calvert County Historical Society.
- "The story unfolds like a modern-day crime podcast, recreating piece by piece the frenzy around The Waterman's Widow. The historical detail is breathtaking!"
-Eleanor Clift, The Daily Beast
- "In the manner of classic 'whodunits' and murder mysteries on TV, Carol Booker's "The Waterman's Widow" will have you glued to its final page. The tale of the 1900 shooting of Captain Littleton Condiff on Solomons Island is more than just a murder mystery. Against the backdrop of the imprisonment and trial of his wife, Bessie, Ms. Booker deftly weaves together the history of Solomons Island, the harsh life of a waterman, and the texture of daily life in turn-of-the century Maryland. I recommend reading The Waterman's Widow on a cold, rainy day with a couple of fingers of bourbon at your side. You will be amply rewarded!"
-Peter LaPorte, Executive Director, St. Mary's County Historical Society