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librijess's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
extraaardvark's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
chronically_theo's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
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, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , 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: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Classism
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Medical content, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
rosalind's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Cancer, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Colonisation
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: Ableism, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
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, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cancer, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment