The Lives of Sacco & Vanzetti

August 1, 2011
Geary continues his campaign to use graphic novels to present complicated historical cases in a manner both clear and suspenseful with this look at the famous, controversial case. Geary lays out what is known and not known about the case, in which two Italian anarchist immigrants were put to death after being found guilty of robbery and murder. The carefully constructed narrative not only details the events of the crime, manhunt, and trial but also includes information about the lives of Sacco and Vanzetti and their families. The duo shared anarchist beliefsâcreating suspicion in an era upset by the Russian revolution and the rise of communism. An unsympathetic judge rejected evidence favorable to the pair, and their execution sparked protests worldwide. Geary's linear black and white illustrations, full of straight lines and right angles, are especially helpful in lending order to the confusing and often contradictory facts. His use of maps also helps explain the events, both of the killing and the worldwide response. Geary, a cartoonist with the soul of a historian, reaches no easy conclusions, but gives readers the tools to draw their own.

November 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-Geary works his magic once again, this time with a graphic novel about one of the most controversial court cases of the 20th century. In the town of South Braintree, MA, in 1920, several men committed a payroll robbery in broad daylight in front of witnesses. The criminals escaped, and the paymaster and the guard whom they shot during the robbery both died. Two Italian immigrants with anarchist sympathies but no criminal records, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were accused of the theft. Geary tells the story of the crime, gives background on the two men, and explores the court case that inspired headlines and protests around the world. By the time he walks readers through all of the problems with the witnesses, the evidence, and the judge's prejudices, they will fully understand why so many people believe to this day that Sacco and Vanzetti were unfairly convicted. Geary's black-and-white drawings show amazing attention to detail, whether he is depicting bullets, cars, buildings, or the faces of the condemned men. This would be an excellent choice for schools and libraries looking for literary graphic novels, for teachers who want to spark discussion of the case, and for any teens looking for an enthralling nonfiction read.-Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2011
In the latest in his series recounting historical murder cases, Geary chronicles the controversial 1920 trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. The broad outlines of the story are well-known. The two Italian-immigrant political radicals were executed after a trial that was colored by Red Scare prejudices. Geary meticulously supplies the full details of the brazen payroll robbery, in which two men were shot; the arrest of the avowed anarchists; the courtroom testimony and clashing personalities (the defendants' aggressive attorney alienated the jury and the already biased judge); the worldwide protests and support from public figures following the conviction; the unsuccessful appeals; and the pair's execution and its aftermath. The quiet effectiveness of Geary's consciously old-fashioned drawing style is reinforced by his thorough recreation of period details, and his reliance on lengthy, information-dense captions in lieu of word balloons accentuates the documentary-like tone. Although Geary strives for evenhandedness, it's hard not to conclude that the truly barbarous murders here aren't those of the robbery victims but the state's callous executions of Sacco and Vanzetti.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)