Sentenced to Life at Seventeen: The Story of David Milgaard

Gr 7 Up—Milgaard is one of several high-profile cases of wrongful conviction in Canada. The series is factual and unbiased, showing how wrongful convictions have occurred and giving voice to the stories of the innocent. Milgaard was imprisoned for 23 years for a rape and murder he did not commit. The book opens with a short chapter about Larry Fisher, the person who did commit the crimes and who was charged with them after Milgaard served his time. The opening chapter sets the context for what actually happened; the book proceeds with portraits of the people involved and their activities leading up to and on the day of the murder. This information, along with a confluence of events in time and place, shows clearly what led to Milgaard's wrongful conviction. Using original sources, the narrative is straightforward and clear-a tough thing to do in such a short book with all of the complexity and characters. While in prison, Milgaard was sexually assaulted, attempted suicide numerous times, and also escaped for 77 days. While these occurrences aren't detailed, they provide a point of empathy as well as a feeling of action. The photos, while still grainy, are better than those in the other books in the series.—Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, San Leandro, CA