Our Daily Bread

Journalist Shana Alexander wrote a book that was very sympathetic with the case of a woman who was convicted of a serious crime. The writer was sensitive to the plight of the accused for several reasons. First, she felt that the woman was unfairly sentenced—two similar cases had resulted in leniency from the court. She also said that the accused had been smeared by the tabloids, which resulted in adverse public opinion. But the most compelling reason was that Shana saw herself in the woman. “She reminds me of me. We’re all capable of doing this,” said Alexander, commenting on the crime in question.