The first woman executed in the United States will be the topic of a book talk by author Andrew Noone. Spooner, her lover and accomplices were convicted in 1778 for plotting the murder of her husband, Joshua Spooner, in Brookfield. Noone emphasizes the role Worcester played in the Revolutionary War.

"Andrew Noone...brings to life a murder and scandal that shook New England and reverberated for decades to come. This meticulously researched, elegantly told tale transports you back to the time of the nation's founding, and the volatile mix of cultural, economic and political forces that clashed during that critical era. It's a story about live and money, power and privilege, crime and eventually the ultimate punishment. Bathsheba Spooner paints a picture of what life was really like back in the eighteenth century, during the transition from colonial life to independence, by focusing on the travails of a storied family, a wealthy couple, and a group of soldiers whose lives intersected. It ends in tragedy--or, more accurately, a series of tragedies--and it's lessons still feel relevant today." --Jonathan Cohn, Senior National Correspondent, HUFFINGTON POST

This program, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Charlton Library, is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Signed copies of Noone’s book will be available for purchase.