Dangerous to Know: Women, Crime, and Notoriety in the Early Republic. By Susan Branson

Abstract

In Dangerous to Know ,Susan Branson presents the fascinating story of Ann Carson and the author who documented her extraordinary tale, Mary Clark. Born of middle-class parents, Carson experienced the challenges associated with maintaining that identity in the tumultuous economy of the early republic. When her father fell ill and could no longer work, the family was subject to eviction. Carson struck out on her own, opening a china shop while clinging to her middling status. She married John Carson, a sea captain, drunk, and abusive spouse. One can only imagine Carson’s sigh of relief when John went missing for two years and was presumed dead. Carson, vulnerable as a single, working mother, decided to move on with her life and married Richard Smith. But John Carson wasn’t actually dead.