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lcs032345's review against another edition
5.0
This is a very well researched, lengthy story about the life of feminist pioneer Elizabeth Packard, who was committed to an insane asylum by her husband because she disagreed with him and was not afraid to speak her mind. This story details many aspects of her life in the insane asylum and how she used her time and energy to improve the lives of herself and others. I had never even heard of this woman before but she is a true pioneer and feminist history. Because of her, both women and people suspected of having mental illness gained substantial rights. This book is extremely long and it was hard to finish because of the length but not because of the subject matter. I highly recommend it.
kmeehlhause's review against another edition
3.0
I was hoping for more “bigger picture” research on the state of mental institutions and divorce proceedings in the 1860s. Nevertheless, this is a well-written and thought-provoking account of an extraordinary woman. I’m amazed at Elizabeth Packard’s resilience, especially in situations where it would have been all too easy to become defeated. Kate Moore’s writing style also keep me actively engaged in the story, even eliciting verbal exclamations (“Oh, snap!” “I knew it!”) while reading.
azket1965's review against another edition
3.0
Well, there’s a lot of great stuff in this book, but very wordy. I don’t know how this woman’s story is not more well-known. She should be more famous than she is. She’s one of those true warriors that most people don’t know a lot about. A true warrior for the rights of the marginalized. The book just could’ve been a whole lot shorter! A lot of quotations. Sometimes this drifted in and out of non-fiction/fiction. Honestly, I liked the writing in the epilogue a lot better than I did the previous chapters. Anyway, if you like great non-fiction biographies, I would recommend. Just be prepared for it to take a lot of time to get through.
klutz727's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t normally like non-fiction, but I was hooked from the beginning. Every time I thought this woman was going to get a break, something else happened, but she always persevered and in the end made changes for all women. Truly a wonderful and inspiring story.