"Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood

Alias Grace is based on the true life of Grace Marks, a young 19th century servant girl accused of scheming with a fellow servant, James McDermott, to murder her employer, Mr. Kinnear, and his mistress, who is also the head housekeeper. McDermott is hanged for his crime, but as only an accomplice, Grace is handed a lifetime sentence in the Penitentiary. After unnecessarily spending some time in a Lunatic Asylum, Grace is transferred to the Penitentiary where she is a model prisoner, and so, given privileges to leave the prison and work as a servant in the Governor's house. …