justmehayleyb's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Medical content, Misogyny, Death, Racism, Cancer, Gaslighting, Infertility, and Sexual assault
theythemreads's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Xenophobia, Rape, Racism, Misogyny, Ableism, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Classism, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Death, Confinement, Child death, and Cancer
radfordmanor's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Slavery, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Classism, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Abortion, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Sexual content, Drug use, and Miscarriage
beatriks's review against another edition
4.5
The history is of misogyny and discrimination and mistreatment goes beyond what I knew and is far more shocking than I thought. I'm planning to give the book as a present to some women around me.
Highly recommended.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Medical content, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Religious bigotry, Slavery, Suicide, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
dragnfary's review against another edition
4.5
It was very interesting learning how we have gotten to where we are todaymedi
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Classism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Abortion, Medical content, and Slavery
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Violence, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Miscarriage, and Torture
burdasnest's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Infertility, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Abortion, Miscarriage, Blood, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Rape, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Slavery
tetedump's review
5.0
Graphic: Abortion, Cancer, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
josephinecatherine's review against another edition
5.0
I make no attempt to mirror any of the eloquence with which Elinor Cleghorn writes, but I hope I can at least succeed in my effort to convince every person to read this book.
I have written about this issue, I have debated about this issue, I have listened to this issue, and most importantly - I have lived this issue and this life.
Cleghorn set herself the task to discuss the history of unwell women in detail, applying knowledge from professional and personal experience. I understand the gravity of this self-assigned challenge of hers and appreciate that other people may find additional ways of strengthening the work, but I welcome anyone to discredit the success that is this book.
My gratitude to Elinor is something I will bring with me throughout my whole life. This book takes away the burden of having the verbalise my experience, and the experiences so much like mine, to others and to myself.
The detail, the compassion, the conviction, and the honesty which has been bled into this book is breathtaking. This is a beginning to a conversation, the continuation of a battle cry, and the solace to the loneliness that comes from being an unwell woman.
Graphic: Medical content, Ableism, Sexism, Medical trauma, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
4.0
Cleghorn's dry humor was much appreciated throughout this journey to balance the horrific nature of the trends and stories she shares. I found the ancient history amusing, with the Greek concept of "the wandering womb" especially hilarious. But the lived realities of these experiences are far from funny. Seeing medical knowledge peeled back to reveal the insidious tentacles of patriarchy creeping through everything was somehow both liberating and disheartening. Women have survived some horrible shit, sometimes with no help from doctors, and others in spite of the very medical attention meant to cure their ills.
Of the many topics covered, here are just a few that will stay with me:
• hysteria, hormones, and the other excuses to dismiss women's pain altogether or root it in psychology
• abortion, forced sterilization, birth control, eugenics, and all the ways women's reproduction is more valued than her own well-being and decided by the medical apparatus
• the way medical knowledge has been accrued without female input or consent in so many cases -- I was especially horrified by accounts of research done on enslaved Black American women and the more recent trials of The Pill on Puerto Rican women without knowledge of the risks
• the lack of knowledge, empathy, and support for women with chronic pain conditions
This is far from a complete history, but I don't think that's feasible for one book, anyway. It's largely focused on the US and UK, but I was relieved that the author addresses race, class, and gender identity as intersectional factors in women's health. I will carry these thoughts into my own experiences as a patient, and I want to learn even more about this topic and advocacy.
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Abortion, Cancer, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Torture