Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

The Anarchist's Wife is based on one of the gross miscarriages of justice in 20th-century America when anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were falsely accused of the murder of two men in a shoe factory in 1920. Written by Margo Laurie, this is a story of the events surrounding the case told through the perspective of Nicola's wife, Rosa Sacco. Rosa met Nicola as a seventeen-year-old in 1911 at the Labor Lyceum in Milford, Massachusetts. Known as Fred around that time, Nicola and his friend Bart were heavily influenced by the anarchist leader Luigi Galleani and took his principles to heart. Despite fierce disapproval from her father, Rosa eventually marries Nicola and has two children with him. She pens a memoir hoping to make her young daughter understand the circumstances around her father's death.

A moving fictional take on one of the most infamous cases of the 20th century, The Anarchist's Wife is how Rosa Sacco overcame the struggles and challenges of losing her husband to a biased society full of discrimination and hatred. Despite being historical fiction, author Margo Laurie brings a sense of authenticity to the narrative, incorporating actual events and historical figures accurately enough to make the story all the more immersive. Nicola and Bart were victims of prejudice and ignorance. But Nicola's wife Rosa was no less a victim of those times, as she was left alone and forced to fend for herself. Highly recommended to readers who have an interest in historical fiction.