The Sinners All Bow

In The Sinners All Bow, acclaimed journalist and true-crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson reexamines the scandalous murder investigation of Sarah Maria Cornell, whose 1832 death in a New England farmyard inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and the first American true-crime book. As Dawson delves into Cornell's connection with Methodist minister Reverend Ephraim Avery, she employs modern forensic techniques to uncover the truth behind a case that poignantly reflects on the struggles faced by women then and now. Through her exploration, Dawson aims to complete the legacy of Catharine Read Arnold Williams, who sought justice for Cornell nearly two centuries prior.