A JURY OF HER PEERS

Sara Morsey narrates this classic story, originally a one-act play, by Glaspell (1876-1948), America's first modern female playwright of note. After John Wright is murdered and his wife arrested, two couples--Sheriff Peters and his wife and Mr. and Mrs. Hale--along with an attorney named Henderson, visit the Wright home. Morsey's warmth conveys the women's concern for Mrs. Wright as they gather clothing for her, finding a shattered birdcage in doing so. The men's condescending remarks to their wives and about the accused speak for the historical time--as does the women's addressing each other as "Mrs." Listeners will hear the men fail to solve the crime while the women succeed through their astute, empathetic observations. This short story, based on an actual crime, is compelling all the way through its heartbreaking conclusion. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2017]