Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti & the End of the American Dream - by John Florio & Ouisie Shapiro (Hardcover)

About the Book

Relates the story of how in the early 1920s, as a Red Scare gripped America, two Italian immigrants, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were wrongly accused, tried, and executed for murder, making front-page headlines as they maintained their innocence to the very end.

Book Synopsis

From John Florio and Emmy Award-winning writer Ouisie Shapiro comes a monumental YA nonfiction book about the heartbreaking case of Sacco and Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants who were wrongfully executed for murder.

In the early 1920s, a Red Scare gripped America. Many of those targeted were Italians, Eastern Europeans, and other immigrants.

When an armed robbery resulting in the death of two people broke headlines in Massachusetts, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti--both Italian immigrants--were quick to be accused.

A heated trial ensued, but through it all, the two men maintained their innocence. The controversial case quickly rippled past borders as it became increasingly clear that Sacco and Vanzetti were fated for a death sentence. Protests sprang up around the world to fight for their lives.

Learn the tragic history we dare not repeat in Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti, and the End of the American Dream, an action-packed, fast-paced nonfiction book filled with issues that still resonate today.

Praise for Doomed

"A riveting true crime story--but who are the criminals? As relevant today as it was a century ago." - Steve Sheinkin, author of Bomb and Fallout

Review Quotes

*A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year*
*A Notable Social Studies Trade Book*
*A Bank Street Best Book of the Year*

"A riveting true crime story--but who are the criminals? As relevant today as it was a century ago." - Steve Sheinkin, author of Bomb and Fallout

★ "A masterpiece...highly recommended." - School Library Journal, starred review

"A narrative nonfiction account of a 1920s trial that gained international attention....Florio and Shapiro document the story well, including historic photographs and letters the defendants wrote." - Kirkus Reviews

"Effectively contextualizes [Sacco and Vanzetti's] story within the larger tale of shifting values in the early twentieth-century U.S...Quotes, photographs, and excerpts from written letters by Sacco and Vanzetti bring an intimate immediacy." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A well-researched nonfiction account...[that] fiercely interrogates how biased agendas can adversely affect justice systems." - Publishers Weekly

"The suspense of whether or not [Sacco and Vanzetti] will be executed...drives the resolution. Primary sources and excerpts from the men's letters reinforce their humanity." - Horn Book

"Florio and Shapiro solidly establish the characters and personal histories of Sacco and Vanzetti as well as the social and political attitudes of the U.S. at that time. Though over 100 years old, the case remains relevant to discussions of justice in America." - Booklist

"For those looking to expand your crime or justice sections, this is a worthy addition." - School Library Connection

About the Author

John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro are the authors of War in the Ring, One Nation Under Baseball, and One Punch from the Promised Land. They've written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Nation, and ESPN. Florio, also a novelist, is on the faculty of the Stonecoast MFA creative writing program at the University of Southern Maine. Shapiro is a six-time Emmy-award winning writer of television documentaries. They are married and live in Brooklyn, NY.