18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics

Today’s post is on 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by Bruce Goldfarb. It is 331 pages long and is published by Sourcebooks. The cover is a picture of Lee and nutshell cases. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book.  The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of forensic science. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The fascinating story of the forgotten woman who pioneered forensic science. As America ramps up efforts toward victory in World War II, Frances Glessner Lee stands at the front of a wood-paneled classroom inside Harvard Medical School and addresses the young men attending her seminar on the developing field of forensic science. A grandmother without a college degree, Lee may appear better suited for a life of knitting than one of investigation of unexpected death. Her colleagues and students, however, know her to be an extremely intelligent and exacting researcher and teacher- the perfect candidate, despite her gender, to push the scientific investigation of unexpected death out of the dark confines of centuries-old techniques and into the light of the modern day. Lee’s decades-long obsession with advancing the discipline of forensic science was a battle from the very beginning. In a time when many prestigious medical schools were closed to female students and young women were discouraged from entering any kind of scientific profession, Lee used her powerful social skills, family wealthy, and uncompromising dedication to revolutionize a field that was usually political, often corrupt, and always deeply rooted in primal human fear of death.

Review- A wonderful and fascinating biography of a woman who should not be forgotten. Goldfarb not only tells Lee’s story but the story of how modern forensics was created in America. We start with Lee from her childhood all the way to her death and everything she did in between. She became interested in forensic science from a friend who was a medical examiner and they discussed the problems that he dealt with every day. From there Lee made it her life’s mission to help bring America into the modern age of forensic science. Very detailed with lots of notes for further research, this was an interesting study not only of Lee but of how the corner system worked and why we needed to go to a medical examiner instead. If you are interested in the history of forensic science in America then you need to read this book.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book as a gift from a friend.