Martha: On Trial, in Jail, and on a Comeback
Get ready for the slew of books on Martha Stewart now that her prison term is completed--some obnoxiously pro-Martha, others tenuous (since, after all, she is one of the world's wealthiest women), and some straightforward, without bias. Veteran biographer Slater has little accessibility to America's favorite homemaker and her staff; he relies on massive interviews centering on the actual trial, its prequel, and its sequel. Oddly enough, although he's no defender of Stewart, he's no detractor either, having stated up front that he intends to avoid Chris Byron's (author ofMartha Inc., 2002) severely unflattering portrayal. Instead, facts and questions reign. He focuses on intense portraits of such trial figures as Peter Bacanovic and Doug Faneuil. He zeros in on perceived mistakes in the eyes of the public, such as Martha not testifying, the infamous $6,000 Birken handbag, and the "secret" public relations campaign that was never fully realized. Finally, he paints her comeback, the plans to repersonalize her image, the total media saturation on her release from house arrest, the newApprentice, and the remaking of theMartha StewartTV show. Somewhat contrived and aimed at the best-seller list, this nonetheless rings with much more conviction about the real Martha. Endnotes.Barbara JacobsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved