Enigma Woman

Kathleen A. Cairns is a lecturer in the Department of History at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is the author of Front-Page Women Journalists, 1920–1950 (Nebraska 2003).

"Nellie was pegged by the media as a femme fatale, a character out of a noir tale. The author has done considerable research in this well-written true crime chronicle, but what happened in Nellie's bedroom in 1934 still remains an enigma."—Publishers Weekly "A new book out this month finally tells us the entire tale of Nellie Madison for the first time, and it is so terrifically researched, so well put together, you might forget the story took place in 1934. . . . It's a physically lovely, beautifully produced book. . . . The Enigma Woman is top-shelf stuff for votaries of high quality historic crime stories. Professor Cairns will keep you mesmerized in contemplation of a most curious murder case, one in which our recalcitrant heroine could not speak until she was within the shadows of the gallows, one in which the victim may well have had it coming in spades and by golly got it."—Laura James, CLEWS, The Historic Crime Blog "By charting Madison's experiences from the 1910s to the 1940s, Cairns offers critical insight on the deeds and misdeeds of one remarkable woman, who in many regards was a victim herself. By framing events the way she does, Cairns gives Madison's story the context it needs and deserves."—Christina Eng, San Francisco Chronicle "Cairns tells her story with considerable sociological and psychological acuity. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this tale is how the cut-and-dried, seemingly heartless justice system of the 1930s ultimately produced a punishment that was just and enlightened and would generally satisfy today's more liberal attitudes toward spousal abuse and homicide."—The Atlantic Monthly "[The Enigma Woman] is a well-written account that will appeal to readers in history, women's studies, journalism, and law."—Barbara G. Friedman, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication "This is an outstanding biography of a woman who challenged societal norms. . . . In this splendidly crafted narrative of Nellie's life, Cairns explores the West as geography and a place of reinvention, the rise of mass popular culture and its impact upon the individual, Los Angeles as myth and reality, criminal prosecution as a force in social control, the media's ability to elevate or destroy individuals, and intimate abuse as a legal defense to murder. . . . This book is a major contribution to our knowledge of women in the American West."—Gordon Morris Bakken, Western Historical Quarterly

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsPrologue1. A Girl from Montana2. Midnight Alibi3. Outlaw Woman4. Enigma Woman5. The Ultimate Penalty6. The People v. Nellie Madison7. The Defense8. Lady Macbeth9. The Verdict10. A Condemned Woman11. An Abused Woman12. The Reprieve13. Life in Prison14. A Traditional WomanNotesBibliographic EssayIndex