No matter what you think about communism, this is a heartbreaking book. Historian Anne Sebba, in her masterful account of the Rosenberg case, uses documents and interviews to portray a woman whose goal was to be a good person, a good wife, and a good mother. Ethel Rosenberg’s execution for treason in 1953 lingers in the public conscience because a sense of injustice still hangs over an America that is supposed to believe in justice.

Ethel grew up in an impoverished New York City neighborhood under a harsh mother who scorned her daughter despite her intellect and musical talents. During the Great Depression she, like many of her generation, became involved in pro-Russian activities, unaware of the Stalin regime’s bloody purges. But her marriage to Julius Rosenberg in 1936 led Ethel to place her husband and two sons above her political fervor. They were an ordinary American couple until disaster struck.

During World War II Ethel’s brother David entangled himself with a Soviet agent while he was stationed in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the atomic bomb was developed. When the world learned in 1949 that the Russians had a nuclear device, the FBI zeroed in on David, who then implicated Julius and Ethel to save his own skin. Incredibly, Ethel’s mother all but disowned her, leaving the couple almost defenseless.

Anti-Communist hysteria in the 1950s made it easy for the government to make a criminal case against anyone with pro-Soviet sympathies. Julius unquestionably acted on behalf of Soviet interests during the war, when Russia was an American ally. But neither he nor Ethel ever joined the Communist Party, and there was never any proof that Ethel was guilty of espionage. Nevertheless, the Rosenbergs’ Jewish heritage helped to seal their doom, leaving their two young boys at the mercy of the child welfare system.

Anne Sebba’s book shows evidence of painstaking research into the lives of all involved in the Rosenberg case. Some were brave, others cowardly, still others cruel or incompetent. As for the Rosenbergs, they remained devoted to each other. Ethel’s letters from prison depict a woman who cared more about her children’s welfare than about herself.

The bibliography is impressive and includes pictures of the couple, their family, and those who tried to help them. My only reason for deducting one star from my rating is an obscene quotation from Roy Cohn, one of the most foul-mouthed and despicable characters in American history. Otherwise, I recommend this book enthusiastically.

Chevron Ross's novels include Weapons of Remorse, The Seven-Day Resurrection, and The Samaritan's Patient. Click here for more information.