Seventy Times Seven: A True Story of Murder and Mercy
£0.99
A masterful, revelatory work of literary non-fiction about a teenage girl’s shocking crime — and its extraordinary aftermath.
‘An absorbing work of social history and a story about the mystery and miracle of forgiveness…it deserves to be read with attention.’ Hilary Mantel,Booker Prize–winning author of the Wolf Hall trilogy
On a spring afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, a fifteen-year-old black girl kills a white elderly bible teacher in a violent home invasion. In a city with a history of racial tension the press swoops in.
When Paula is sentenced to death, no one decries the impending execution of a tenth grader. But the tide begins to shift when the victim’s grandson Bill forgives the girl, against the wishes of his family, and campaigns to spare her life. This tragedy in a midwestern steel town soon reverberates across the United States and around the world — reaching as far away as the Vatican — as newspapers cover the story on their front pages and millions sign petitions in support of Paula.
As Paula waits on death row, her fate sparks a debate that not only animates legal circles but raises vital questions about the value of human life. This story asks us to consider the nature of justice, and what radical acts of empathy we might be capable of.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Bedford Square Publishers (9 Nov. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 2981 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 377 pages |
by Joanne Schofield
It’s Spring 1985 & Ruth Pelke, a welcoming & wise 78 year old grandmother lives in the white house on Adams Street, Gary, Indiana. She’s been there, along with her husband Oscar, since the 1940s. Despite Oscar dying just over 18 months ago, this is still her home. God plays a huge part in Ruth’s life. She became part of the Baptist community after marrying Oscar & her life revolves around the church. She’s taught Sunday school classes, she’s participated in prayer meetings & choir practice. She’s quilted for missionaries & knitted for new babies. She’s always there with a smile & advice. So when four girls come knocking at her door on a warm afternoon it’s no big deal. What is a big deal is the way Ruth Pelke is then horrifically murdered in a brutal home invasion by these teenagers. A life extinguished in an afternoon, for what?
But this story doesn’t end there. The girls are caught & charged. One of them, Paula Cooper, is sentenced to death. An eye for an eye, right? Everyone seems to be in agreement. Until Ruth Pelke’s grandson Bill decided he is able to find it in his heart to forgive Paula – & starts a campaign to save her life.
This is an incredibly detailed & well researched account of one evil act & its aftermath. It paints a picture of the entire cast within this story; from the presiding judge who sentenced Paula to death to the Italian priests who became involved. It’s a story spanning decades & as a result it’s intensely thought provoking. It poses a huge question regarding capital punishment & its abolishment, particularly in young people. It also highlights how the actions of these girls back in 1985 created consequences for many, many decades later.
I confess to knowing nothing about this case so I found it a fascinating read, despite it being a little heavy on the religion front at certain points. I found the whole story deeply tragic. Lives lost, lives ruined with heartache & sadness in abundance. But there’s also determination & strength evident here; people passionate about their beliefs & about forgiveness.
A true story of murder & mercy. ????
by @book_a_holic_17
My favourite genre has always been a great psychological thriller – but recently I’ve become fascinated by true crime stories.
It’s definitely the psychological side of these that appeals to me.
This book tells the story of Paula Cooper, who murdered an elderly woman in her own home.
Sentenced to death, this story really hit the headlines for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, Paula was only 15 at the time.
Secondly came the debate about Paula being black and her victim, a white bible teacher.
But most shockingly, the victim’s own grandson, put aside all the arguments and petitioned for Paula to be removed from death row.
And so the debate about the value of human life and the selfless act of forgiveness.
This book was definitely well researched and I liked that this gave a wholely rounded view of the case from all sides.
There was no bias towards any act or outcome and this created the perfect environment for us to form our own judgements and to really consider how we would react in a similar situation.
The writing style was a little different to other true crime books I’ve read, and it took a few chapters to get used to, but I think overall it included a good mix of information and compassion.
A fascinating read which will leave you with a lot to think over, even after finishing the book
by prdg
My Thoughts: I am an absolute sucker for True Crime, wether that be a tv programme, a book or even sometimes a podcast, so this one was right up my street!
I don’t know how, but I’d never heard of this case before, going into it knowing absolutely nothing meant I was hooked from the start, some of the things that happened were so shocking that it should have been fiction.
We’re following the story of Ruth Pelke, a sweet innocent elderly, white (yes that bit is important) bible teacher who is murdered in her own home by a group of teenage girls.
There were 4 of them, but only one gets the death sentence Paula Cooper, she’s 15 & black.. she didn’t work alone so why didn’t the other girls get such a heavy sentence?
This book goes a lot further than the actual crime, it’s a look into the death sentence as a whole but mainly focussing on the giving the death sentence to minors, it’s a look into how far a story can reach and how quickly a teenage girl can gain support from people she doesn’t even know.
It’s a story of how forgiveness can be found in the most unlikeliest of places and also shows how your childhood and your upbringing really does impact on the person you turn out to be in the future.
I flew through this and thoroughly enjoyed it, definitely one that I would consider adding to your TBR if you’re a fan of true crime!