New ebooks From Canadian Indies

9780774890618_cover Enlarge Cover
0 of 5
0 ratings
rated!
rated!
list price: $24.95
edition:Paperback
also available: eBook
category: True Crime
published: Feb 2023
ISBN:9780774890618
publisher: UBC Press
imprint: On Point Press

Clara at the Door with a Revolver

The Scandalous Black Suspect, the Exemplary White Son, and the Murder That Shocked Toronto

by Carolyn Whitzman

tagged: women's studies, black studies (global), historical, ontario (on)
Description

In the autumnal darkness of October 6, 1894, an unseen figure rang the doorbell at the Parkdale home of a well-to-do Toronto family and then shot Frank Westwood in his doorway, murdering him in cold blood.

 

Six weeks later, Clara Ford, a Black tailor and single mother, was arrested. Known for her impeccable work ethic and her resolute personality – and for her predilection for wearing men’s attire – she confessed to the murder. But as the details of her arrest and her complex connection to the Westwood family emerged, Clara recanted, testifying that she was coerced by police into a false confession. Carolyn Whitzman tells the compelling story of a courageous Black woman living in nineteenth-century Toronto and paints a portrait of a city and a society that have not changed enough in 125 years.

About the Author

Carolyn Whitzman

Contributor Notes

Carolyn Whitzman is a writer and researcher who lives in Ottawa. She is the author of Suburb, Slum, Urban Village: Transformations in Parkdale, Toronto 1875–2000. She was living in Parkdale when she stumbled upon Clara Ford’s story and has remained fascinated with it for more than two decades.

Awards
  • Short-listed, Brass Knuckles Award for Non-fiction Crime Books, Crime Writers of Canada
  • Short-listed, Toronto Book Award
Editorial Reviews

The city’s seven newspapers in the 1890s were in competition for readership and often exaggerated or even fabricated facts to sell papers – but Whitzman tells the story in shades of grey.

— Quill & Quire

Whitzman does a deep dive to put this three-act tragedy in historical context…the story has been told many times, but not in quite the same way.

— Post Media

Whitzman’s book...brings to light a unique case in the annals of Canadian criminal history involving one Clara Ford.

— Globe and Mail

A fascinating exploration of a part of Toronto’s history that deserves a new telling.

— The Toronto Star

Whitzman … brings to life a spectacular 1894 Toronto true crime case.

— Zoomer Magazine
X
Contacting facebook
Please wait...