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cedrisc's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, but it also made me angry and sad.
I am so grateful I live in these times and not back in the 1800s. Sadly not all women are free to do what they want or be what they want to be, but we can only hope that equality is coming for all.
To think that men really did believe that women were dumb, and they were insane if they didn't love their husbands. It actually goes to show that men believed what they wanted to believe, to excuse their own behaviour. The fact that men could dump their wives in an asylum for no reason is horrific.
One of the saddest parts of this story for me is that with all the work that Elizabeth Packard did in developing bills and laws, she is pretty much forgotten in history like so many other women.
Elizabeth was brilliant and would have been a lawyer or politician in this day and age.
I am so grateful I live in these times and not back in the 1800s. Sadly not all women are free to do what they want or be what they want to be, but we can only hope that equality is coming for all.
To think that men really did believe that women were dumb, and they were insane if they didn't love their husbands. It actually goes to show that men believed what they wanted to believe, to excuse their own behaviour. The fact that men could dump their wives in an asylum for no reason is horrific.
One of the saddest parts of this story for me is that with all the work that Elizabeth Packard did in developing bills and laws, she is pretty much forgotten in history like so many other women.
Elizabeth was brilliant and would have been a lawyer or politician in this day and age.
smjcrownedbee's review against another edition
5.0
Main takeaway is that all the freedoms women and minorities have are just not that old. Men using the patriarchy to suppress women and minorities with the “approval” of Christianity is a blight on the message of the cross.
kimreadz's review against another edition
5.0
The book is narrative nonfiction and very readable! It is also very well researched. You will learn a lot from reading this book, not only about conditions in asylums in the late 1800s, but also about the status of women. Especially married women, who essentially had no rights—to property, to their own opinions... They could be institutionalized without their consent simply because their husband said "she's insane". No trial, no chance to speak for themselves...boom, they were gone!
This book tells the story of one woman, Elizabeth Packard. She was married to a minister for 20+ years, and the mother of 6 children. Her husband altered his views of his religion; Elizabeth did not. He didn't like this and threatened her with commitment to an insane asylum if she didn't change her views. She did not, and he followed through. Elizabeth was very obviously not insane, but the system was stacked against here. She spent several years in the asylum, secretly gathering evidence. This is the story of how she used that evidence to change the world. Be prepared to gasp, to shake your head in disbelief, to scream, and to throw the book across the room!
The Woman They Could Not Silence was a selection for my book club. It was a great pick and led to a great discussion. We'd talked for at least an hour before we even turned to the discussion questions. There is so much to discuss! If you are looking for a discussion-worth book for your book club, this is it!
This book tells the story of one woman, Elizabeth Packard. She was married to a minister for 20+ years, and the mother of 6 children. Her husband altered his views of his religion; Elizabeth did not. He didn't like this and threatened her with commitment to an insane asylum if she didn't change her views. She did not, and he followed through. Elizabeth was very obviously not insane, but the system was stacked against here. She spent several years in the asylum, secretly gathering evidence. This is the story of how she used that evidence to change the world. Be prepared to gasp, to shake your head in disbelief, to scream, and to throw the book across the room!
The Woman They Could Not Silence was a selection for my book club. It was a great pick and led to a great discussion. We'd talked for at least an hour before we even turned to the discussion questions. There is so much to discuss! If you are looking for a discussion-worth book for your book club, this is it!
ecraven212's review against another edition
5.0
WOW!! This might be my favorite read of 2022. DID YOU KNOW that in the late 1800s in the US, women could be indefinitely committed to an asylum by their husbands for reasons such as “novel reading”?!? OH and the state would pay for it. Indefinitely. Yes.
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This was an incredibly inspiring but heartbreaking story. Elizabeth fought so hard not only for herself but for her fellow women also facing the same challenges, she went against men who thought her mad, and she came out on the other side having made huge changes and a difference
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Excrement
meagan_young's review against another edition
5.0
Here’s another one to stir up your feminist rage. I don’t think I had ever heard about Elizabeth Packard before, but I am glad to have learned her story and thankful that she was there to fight for married women’s rights and justice for asylum patients
trashley_dawn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Very informative book on Elizabeth Packard, women's rights in the 19th century, and mental health reform. The epilogue was 🔥🔥
emmabeckman's review against another edition
3.0
Contrary to popular opinion (it seems), I liked this one less than Radium Girls. I think that while the topic is really interesting and I definitely knew nothing about Elizabeth Packard going in and learned a lot, I found the narrative a bit tedious and I enjoyed bouncing between the multiple women in Radium Girls. I also listened on audio and didn't get a lot of good opportunities to listen for a long period of time, so that probably affected my enjoyment.