Echo of Evil by Manuel Komroff

'A Modern Novel' of a woman truly lost after being released from prison after twenty-two years. She was only twenty-two when she killed her abusive, philandering husband, Fred, after he brought a girl home to 'meet the wife' once too often.

The sensational trial is contained in many American crime anthologies—everyone knows the name Anna Rudd.

Roy and her sister Hester run a grocery outside Albany, concealed from the notoriety. They receive the telegram when Anna is suddenly released, and it is here she returns; she was ill in the prison hospital, why couldn't she just die?

The children Ellen and George are too young to understand, but older Laura is engaged to George Dray, whose parents already think Laura is beneath him. Afraid to face life, Anna is used to confinement and hardly leaves her room, but as she grows close to Laura, she feels the need to tell her story. She did kill Fred, openly and in anger, but has paid the price and been released. Laura holds no secrets from her fiancé, and although he supports her, he tells a friend, and overnight the whole town is alerted. The gossips relish the news with the spirit of a picnic. "How cruel are those who pretend to be innocent and untouched," for who does not have a secret in their past? Driven to save their family, hatred erupts, but despite promising to leave without even saying goodbye, Anna does not go, relentlessly pacing her room all night.

This tragic story was remakably captivating, akin to Shirley Jackson's The Lottery in mob-mentality - for there is no way out for those branded ourtcasts. Well written and entertaining, this was a surprise read I knew nothing about. A solid novel, but perhaps harder to find.

1948 / Hardcover / 242 pages