Dewey Edition23
Reviews"This book is a marvel. With unflinching precision andimmense compassion, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich peels apart both a murder caseand her own experience to reveal how we try to make sense of the past. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting andwill leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You "A fascinating hybrid of true crime and memoir, TheFact of a Body isintricately constructed, emotionally raw, and unflinching. AlexandriaMarzano-Lesnevich has written a gripping meditation on memory, justice, and thelimits of empathy." --Tom Perrotta " The Fact of a Body is unlikeany murder story I've ever read, a masterpiece of both reportage and memoir, abook that could only be written by an author with AlexandriaMarzano-Lesnevich's staggering gifts: a relentless reporter with a law degreefrom Harvard, a poet's understanding of the cadence of a line, and a novelist'sgift for empathy. Walter Benjamin famously said that all great works of arteither dissolve a genre or invent one. This book does both, and its greatnessis undeniable." --Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun " The Fact of a Body is aremarkable act of witness, an anatomy of silence and the violence it abets, abook of both public and private accountings. Rejecting the false comfort ofcertainty, it confronts the inadequacy of all our tools for fathoming not justunforgivable crimes, but the baffling, human grace that can forgive them. Thisis a profound and riveting book." -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You "The balancing act here performed between autobiographyand journalism, documentary and imagination, witnessing and reckoning, thetender and the terrible, is shrewd and graceful. In the hands of a lesser humanor writer, it could have all fallen apart; instead, AlexandriaMarzano-Lesnevich has given us an exquisite and exquisitely difficult work ofart that makes a fierce claim on our attention, conscience, and heart." -- Maggie Nelson, author of theNBCC award-winning Argonauts "Haunting...impeccably researched...Her writing isremarkably evocative and taut with suspense, with a level of nuance that setsthis effort apart from other true crime accounts." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "An accomplished literary debut...an absorbing narrative aboutsecrets, pain, revenge, and, ultimately, the slippery notion of truth...Apowerful evocation of the raw pain of emotional scars." -- Kirkus "Compulsive, eloquent and profoundly troubling. One ofthose rare books which embrace the genuine complexity of life." -- Mark Haddon, bestsellingauthor o f The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time "The writing is superb and gripping...a moving must-have." -- Library Journal, starredreview " Surprising, suspenseful, and moving ...A book that defiesboth itsgenres, turning into something wholly different and memorable." -- Booklist, starredreview " Haunting ... Marzano-Lesnevich digs into one case that begins tofeeloddly familiar, and eventually is forced to confront her understandingofjustice, forgiveness, and truth." --BuzzFeed "THE FACT OF A BODY is excellent.So gripping and fascinating." -- Sophie Hannah , New York Times bestsellingauthorof The Monogram Murders "Marzano-Lesnevich interweaves the story of a disturbing1992 murder case she stumbles upon as a law intern with her own past trauma inthis haunting, excellentmemoir ." -- EW.com "Suspenseful and spellbinding." -- Bustle, "This book is a marvel. With unflinching precision and immense compassion, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich peels apart both a murder case and her own experience to reveal how we try to make sense of the past. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You "A fascinating hybrid of true crime and memoir, TheFact of a Body is intricately constructed, emotionally raw, and unflinching. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has written a gripping meditation on memory, justice, and the limits of empathy." --Tom Perrotta " The Fact of a Body is unlike any murder story I've ever read, a masterpiece of both reportage and memoir, a book that could only be written by an author with Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich's staggering gifts: a relentless reporter with a law degree from Harvard, a poet's understanding of the cadence of a line, and a novelist's gift for empathy. Walter Benjamin famously said that all great works of art either dissolve a genre or invent one. This book does both, and its greatness is undeniable." --Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun " The Fact of a Body is a remarkable act of witness, an anatomy of silence and the violence it abets, a book of both public and private accountings. Rejecting the false comfort of certainty, it confronts the inadequacy of all our tools for fathoming not just unforgivable crimes, but the baffling, human grace that can forgive them. This is a profound and riveting book." -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You "Haunting...impeccably researched...Her writing is remarkably evocative and taut with suspense, with a level of nuance that sets this effort apart from other true crime accounts." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "An accomplished literary debut...an absorbing narrative about secrets, pain, revenge, and, ultimately, the slippery notion of truth...A powerful evocation of the raw pain of emotional scars." -- Kirkus, "This book is a marvel. With unflinching precision and immense compassion, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich peels apart both a murder case and her own experience to reveal how we try to make sense of the past. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You "A fascinating hybrid of true crime and memoir, TheFact of a Body is intricately constructed, emotionally raw, and unflinching. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has written a gripping meditation on memory, justice, and the limits of empathy." --Tom Perrotta " The Fact of a Body is unlike any murder story I've ever read, a masterpiece of both reportage and memoir, a book that could only be written by an author with Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich's staggering gifts: a relentless reporter with a law degree from Harvard, a poet's understanding of the cadence of a line, and a novelist's gift for empathy. Walter Benjamin famously said that all great works of art either dissolve a genre or invent one. This book does both, and its greatness is undeniable." --Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun " The Fact of a Body is a remarkable act of witness, an anatomy of silence and the violence it abets, a book of both public and private accountings. Rejecting the false comfort of certainty, it confronts the inadequacy of all our tools for fathoming not just unforgivable crimes, but the baffling, human grace that can forgive them. This is a profound and riveting book." -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You "Haunting...impeccably researched...Her writing is remarkably evocative and taut with suspense, with a level of nuance that sets this effort apart from other true crime accounts." -- Publishers Weekly "An accomplished literary debut...an absorbing narrative about secrets, pain, revenge, and, ultimately, the slippery notion of truth...A powerful evocation of the raw pain of emotional scars." -- Kirkus, "This book is a marvel. With unflinching precision and immense compassion, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich peels apart both a murder case and her own experience to reveal how we try to make sense of the past. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You "A fascinating hybrid of true crime and memoir, TheFact of a Body is intricately constructed, emotionally raw, and unflinching. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has written a gripping meditation on memory, justice, and the limits of empathy." --Tom Perrotta " The Fact of a Body is unlike any murder story I've ever read, a masterpiece of both reportage and memoir, a book that could only be written by an author with Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich's staggering gifts: a relentless reporter with a law degree from Harvard, a poet's understanding of the cadence of a line, and a novelist's gift for empathy. Walter Benjamin famously said that all great works of art either dissolve a genre or invent one. This book does both, and its greatness is undeniable." --Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun " The Fact of a Body is a remarkable act of witness, an anatomy of silence and the violence it abets, a book of both public and private accountings. Rejecting the false comfort of certainty, it confronts the inadequacy of all our tools for fathoming not just unforgivable crimes, but the baffling, human grace that can forgive them. This is a profound and riveting book." -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You, "This book is a marvel. With unflinching precision and immense compassion, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich peels apart both a murder case and her own experience to reveal how we try to make sense of the past. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You "A fascinating hybrid of true crime and memoir, TheFact of a Body is intricately constructed, emotionally raw, and unflinching. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has written a gripping meditation on memory, justice, and the limits of empathy." --Tom Perrotta " The Fact of a Body is unlike any murder story I've ever read, a masterpiece of both reportage and memoir, a book that could only be written by an author with Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich's staggering gifts: a relentless reporter with a law degree from Harvard, a poet's understanding of the cadence of a line, and a novelist's gift for empathy. Walter Benjamin famously said that all great works of art either dissolve a genre or invent one. This book does both, and its greatness is undeniable." --Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun " The Fact of a Body is a remarkable act of witness, an anatomy of silence and the violence it abets, a book of both public and private accountings. Rejecting the false comfort of certainty, it confronts the inadequacy of all our tools for fathoming not just unforgivable crimes, but the baffling, human grace that can forgive them. This is a profound and riveting book." -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You "The balancing act here performed between autobiography and journalism, documentary and imagination, witnessing and reckoning, the tender and the terrible, is shrewd and graceful. In the hands of a lesser human or writer, it could have all fallen apart; instead, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has given us an exquisite and exquisitely difficult work of art that makes a fierce claim on our attention, conscience, and heart." -- Maggie Nelson, author of the NBCC award-winning Argonauts "Haunting...impeccably researched...Her writing is remarkably evocative and taut with suspense, with a level of nuance that sets this effort apart from other true crime accounts." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "An accomplished literary debut...an absorbing narrative about secrets, pain, revenge, and, ultimately, the slippery notion of truth...A powerful evocation of the raw pain of emotional scars." -- Kirkus, "This book is a marvel. With unflinching precision and immense compassion, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich peels apart both a murder case and her own experience to reveal how we try to make sense of the past. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You "A fascinating hybrid of true crime and memoir, TheFact of a Body is intricately constructed, emotionally raw, and unflinching. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has written a gripping meditation on memory, justice, and the limits of empathy." --Tom Perrotta " The Fact of a Body is unlike any murder story I've ever read, a masterpiece of both reportage and memoir, a book that could only be written by an author with Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich's staggering gifts: a relentless reporter with a law degree from Harvard, a poet's understanding of the cadence of a line, and a novelist's gift for empathy. Walter Benjamin famously said that all great works of art either dissolve a genre or invent one. This book does both, and its greatness is undeniable." --Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun " The Fact of a Body is a remarkable act of witness, an anatomy of silence and the violence it abets, a book of both public and private accountings. Rejecting the false comfort of certainty, it confronts the inadequacy of all our tools for fathoming not just unforgivable crimes, but the baffling, human grace that can forgive them. This is a profound and riveting book." -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You "The balancing act here performed between autobiography and journalism, documentary and imagination, witnessing and reckoning, the tender and the terrible, is shrewd and graceful. In the hands of a lesser human or writer, it could have all fallen apart; instead, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has given us an exquisite and exquisitely difficult work of art that makes a fierce claim on our attention, conscience, and heart." -- Maggie Nelson, author of the NBCC award-winning Argonauts "Haunting...impeccably researched...Her writing is remarkably evocative and taut with suspense, with a level of nuance that sets this effort apart from other true crime accounts." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "An accomplished literary debut...an absorbing narrative about secrets, pain, revenge, and, ultimately, the slippery notion of truth...A powerful evocation of the raw pain of emotional scars." -- Kirkus "Compulsive, eloquent and profoundly troubling. One of those rare books which embrace the genuine complexity of life." -- Mark Haddon, bestselling author o f The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time "The writing is superb and gripping...a moving must-have." -- Library Journal, starred review " Surprising, suspenseful, and moving ...A book that defies both itsgenres, turning into something wholly different and memorable." -- Booklist, starred review " Haunting ... Marzano-Lesnevich digs into one case that begins to feeloddly familiar, and eventually is forced to confront her understanding ofjustice, forgiveness, and truth." --BuzzFeed "THE FACT OF A BODY is excellent.So gripping and fascinating." -- Sophie Hannah , New York Times bestsellingauthor of The Monogram Murders, "This book is a marvel. With unflinching precision and immense compassion, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich peels apart both a murder case and her own experience to reveal how we try to make sense of the past. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." --Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You "A fascinating hybrid of true crime and memoir, TheFact of a Body is intricately constructed, emotionally raw, and unflinching. Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has written a gripping meditation on memory, justice, and the limits of empathy." --Tom Perrotta " The Fact of a Body is unlike any murder story I've ever read, a masterpiece of both reportage and memoir, a book that could only be written by an author with Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich's staggering gifts: a relentless reporter with a law degree from Harvard, a poet's understanding of the cadence of a line, and a novelist's gift for empathy. Walter Benjamin famously said that all great works of art either dissolve a genre or invent one. This book does both, and its greatness is undeniable." --Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun " The Fact of a Body is a remarkable act of witness, an anatomy of silence and the violence it abets, a book of both public and private accountings. Rejecting the false comfort of certainty, it confronts the inadequacy of all our tools for fathoming not just unforgivable crimes, but the baffling, human grace that can forgive them. This is a profound and riveting book." -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You "The balancing act here performed between autobiography and journalism, documentary and imagination, witnessing and reckoning, the tender and the terrible, is shrewd and graceful. In the hands of a lesser human or writer, it could have all fallen apart; instead, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich has given us an exquisite and exquisitely difficult work of art that makes a fierce claim on our attention, conscience, and heart." -- Maggie Nelson, author of the NBCC award-winning Argonauts "Haunting...impeccably researched...Her writing is remarkably evocative and taut with suspense, with a level of nuance that sets this effort apart from other true crime accounts." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "An accomplished literary debut...an absorbing narrative about secrets, pain, revenge, and, ultimately, the slippery notion of truth...A powerful evocation of the raw pain of emotional scars." -- Kirkus "A haunting, unforgettable memoir...stunning, complex." -- BookPage "Surprising, suspenseful, and moving...A book that defies both its genres, turning into something wholly different and memorable." -- Booklist, starred review "The writing is superb and gripping...a moving must-have." -- Library Journal, starred review "Haunting... Marzano-Lesnevich digs into one case that begins to feel oddly familiar, and eventually is forced to confront her understanding of justice, forgiveness, and truth." -- BuzzFeed "Compelling...meticulous and gripping." -- Curve, This book is a marvel. With unflinching precision and immense compassion, Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich peels apart both a murder case and her own experience to reveal how we try to make sense of the past. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth. - Celeste Ng, author of the New York TImes bestselling Everything I Never Told You " The Fact of a Body is unlike any murder story I've ever read, a masterpiece of both reportage and memoir, a book that could only be written by an author with Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich's staggering gifts: a relentless reporter with a law degree from Harvard, a poet's understanding of the cadence of a line, and a novelist's gift for empathy. Walter Benjamin famously said that all great works of art either dissolve a genre or invent one. This book does both, and its greatness is undeniable." - Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun " The Fact of a Body is a remarkable act of witness, an anatomy of silence and the violence it abets, a book of both public and private accountings. Rejecting the false comfort of certainty, it confronts the inadequacy of all our tools for fathoming not just unforgivable crimes, but the baffling, human grace that can forgive them. This is a profound and riveting book." - Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You
SynopsisComplex and challenging... push es] the boundaries of writing about trauma. -- The New York Times "A True Crime Masterpiece" - Vogue Entertainment Weekly Must List and Best Books of the Year So Far Real Simple's Best New Books Guardian Best Book of the Year Lambda Literary Award Winner Chautauqua Prize Winner The Fact of a Body is one of the best books I've read this year. It's just astounding. -- Paula Hawkins, author of Into the Water and The Girl on the Train This book is a marvel. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth. -- Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere Before Alex Marzano-Lesnevich begins a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, working to help defend men accused of murder, they think their position is clear. The child of two lawyers, they are staunchly anti-death penalty. But the moment convicted murderer Ricky Langley's face flashes on the screen as they review old tapes--the moment they hear him speak of his crimes -- they are overcome with the feeling of wanting him to die. Shocked by their reaction, they dig deeper and deeper into the case. Despite their vastly different circumstances, something in his story is unsettlingly, uncannily familiar. Crime, even the darkest and most unsayable acts, can happen to any one of us. As Alex pores over the facts of the murder, they find themself thrust into the complicated narrative of Ricky's childhood. And by examining the details of Ricky's case, they are forced to face their own story, to unearth long-buried family secrets, and reckon with a past that colors their view of Ricky's crime. But another surprise awaits: They weren't the only one who saw their life in Ricky's. An intellectual and emotional thriller that is also a different kind of murder mystery, THE FACT OF A BODY is a book not only about how the story of one crime was constructed -- but about how we grapple with our own personal histories. Along the way it tackles questions about the nature of forgiveness, and if a single narrative can ever really contain something as definitive as the truth. This groundbreaking, heart-stopping work, ten years in the making, shows how the law is more personal than we would like to believe -- and the truth more complicated, and powerful, than we could ever imagine., "Complex and challenging... push[es] the boundaries of writing about trauma." -- The New York Times "A True Crime Masterpiece" - Vogue Entertainment Weekly "Must" List and Best Books of the Year So Far Real Simple's Best New Books Guardian Best Book of the Year Lambda Literary Award Winner Chautauqua Prize Winner " The Fact of a Body is one of the best books I've read this year. It's just astounding." -- Paula Hawkins, author of Into the Water and The Girl on the Train "This book is a marvel. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." -- Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere Before Alex Marzano-Lesnevich begins a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, working to help defend men accused of murder, they think their position is clear. The child of two lawyers, they are staunchly anti-death penalty. But the moment convicted murderer Ricky Langley's face flashes on the screen as they review old tapes--the moment they hear him speak of his crimes -- they are overcome with the feeling of wanting him to die. Shocked by their reaction, they dig deeper and deeper intothe case. Despite their vastly different circumstances, something in his story is unsettlingly, uncannily familiar. Crime, even the darkest and most unsayable acts, can happen to any one of us. As Alex pores over the facts of the murder, they find themself thrust into the complicated narrative of Ricky's childhood. And by examining the details of Ricky's case, they are forced to face their own story, to unearth long-buried family secrets, and reckon with a past that colors their view of Ricky's crime. But another surprise awaits: They weren't the only one who saw their life in Ricky's. An intellectual and emotional thriller that is also a different kind of murder mystery, THE FACT OF A BODY is a book not only about how the story of one crime was constructed -- but about how we grapple with our own personal histories. Along the way it tackles questions about the nature of forgiveness, and if a single narrative can ever really contain something as definitive as the truth. This groundbreaking, heart-stopping work, ten years in the making, shows how the law is more personal than we would like to believe -- and the truth more complicated, and powerful, than we could ever imagine., "Complex and challenging... push es] the boundaries of writing about trauma." -- The New York Times "A True Crime Masterpiece" - Vogue Entertainment Weekly "Must" List and Best Books of the Year So Far Real Simple's Best New Books Guardian Best Book of the Year Lambda Literary Award Winner Chautauqua Prize Winner " The Fact of a Body is one of the best books I've read this year. It's just astounding." -- Paula Hawkins, author of Into the Water and The Girl on the Train "This book is a marvel. The Fact of a Body is equal parts gripping and haunting and will leave you questioning whether any one story can hold the full truth." -- Celeste Ng, author of the New York Times bestselling Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere Before Alex Marzano-Lesnevich begins a summer job at a law firm in Louisiana, working to help defend men accused of murder, they think their position is clear. The child of two lawyers, they are staunchly anti-death penalty. But the moment convicted murderer Ricky Langley's face flashes on the screen as they review old tapes--the moment they hear him speak of his crimes -- they are overcome with the feeling of wanting him to die. Shocked by their reaction, they dig deeper and deeper into the case. Despite their vastly different circumstances, something in his story is unsettlingly, uncannily familiar. Crime, even the darkest and most unsayable acts, can happen to any one of us. As Alex pores over the facts of the murder, they find themself thrust into the complicated narrative of Ricky's childhood. And by examining the details of Ricky's case, they are forced to face their own story, to unearth long-buried family secrets, and reckon with a past that colors their view of Ricky's crime. But another surprise awaits: They weren't the only one who saw their life in Ricky's. An intellectual and emotional thriller that is also a different kind of murder mystery, THE FACT OF A BODY is a book not only about how the story of one crime was constructed -- but about how we grapple with our own personal histories. Along the way it tackles questions about the nature of forgiveness, and if a single narrative can ever really contain something as definitive as the truth. This groundbreaking, heart-stopping work, ten years in the making, shows how the law is more personal than we would like to believe -- and the truth more complicated, and powerful, than we could ever imagine.
LC Classification NumberHV6533.L8M37 2017