Kansas Charley: The Boy Murderer

Since my son is taking a course at Cornell Summer College from Professor Brumberg, I thought I would read one of her books to get an idea of how she thinks and writes (a gross generalization that often works for me). I expected a scholarly but dry account of 15-year-old murderer, Charley Miller. I did not expect a dramatic and compelling historical novel that rivals today's best books. "Kansas Charlie," is extremely well researched and written in a simple, direct and contemporary style. Although she attempts to be fair and objective, it's obvious that Professor Brumberg wrote this novel to advance her own unarguably poignant point-of-view regarding juvenile justice and how little progress has been made since the Victorian Age. But, who can blame her when political maneuvering rather than an interest in solving an important social issue often blunts real progress? I'm certain my 16-year-old son is in extremely good hands.

Well Researched book for a murder case by a juvenile back in the 1890's that can be easilly related to cases that happen today. This story of Kansas Charley is well written and a sad situation where a child that could not find a place in society had slipped through the cracks of the government that should of protected him.

Kansas Charlie's life is a great reality check for someone who's read too many Horatio Alger books. I read this book very quickly. Dr. Brumberg tells the story well - the prose is lean and engaging, the historical details are perfect. (I can imagine a movie or documentary of this book). The book stayed with me long after I read it. What's remarkable is how little has changed in the last 110 years. Troubled, impulsive boys with access to guns still kill. Prosecutors' and politicians' desire for the death penalty for juvenile murderers is still politically motivated.

Kansas Charley is a fascinating book which ably combines American social and cultural history, developmental psychology, and legal studies. The book traces the story of an orphaned yboy who descends into impoverished and desperate circumstances. He ends up killing two other youths and is ultimately put to death. Kansas Charley recounts this history, but does more. The book paints a fascinating picture of 19th century social life and places Charley in context. It also does an excellent job of connecting modern day attitudes towards juvenile crime and punishment with their historical roots. This book is very timely given current debates over the fate of Lee Boyd Malvo and other children who kill. I'm a professor of U.S. cultural history and think this is a wonderful addition to the scholarship on the history of childhood and the history of American social life.

The simple title, "Kansas Charlie", belies what's between the cover of this scholarly, but extremely emotional saga. It is a sad tale that has vast implications for what we see a century later. Dr. Brumberg doggedly followed the trail of Charles Miller, accurately depicting the many stages of his personal tragedy. As a pediatrician and an advocate for children, there were times during my reading when I wanted to jump into the story and offer my help to this unfortunate youth. The author descriptively takes us back to a setting where the reader could easily say, "That was then...". Her arguement is persuasive enough where we could say, "Things haven't changed so much..."The dockets in our juvenile courts are still full. Despite this being a truly heinous crime, the conflict between political force and progressive social movements determined Charlie's fate. True to her profession as a historian, Dr. Brumberg succeeds very well in time transport for her readers, permitting them to gauge whether or not we've come very far in how we regard children. This is very readable history and very few readers will walk away from it without a strong opinion about juvenile justice.