Scan barcode
A review by shereadytoread
Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
5.0
This was such an engrossing read. As someone with family a small drive from Crownville, MD, I've been aware of the existence of Crownville but not the history until now. Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down. I finished this in less than 24 hours. We tend to think of the past in such a distant way. Crownsville State Hospital closed during my lifetime (probably the lifetime of anyone reading this as well). Interviews with family members of former patients and with former employees, along with historical archives saved at the last minute have culminated in this amazing work.
It not only tells the history of the asylum but also discusses the history of mental health treatment, institutions and the continued failures of both asylums and community care. It discussed the criminalization of mental health policies and the increased carceral response to poor and mentally ill community members. Something that strikes me most was a portion in which someone interviewed discussed they were running out of time to tell this story as those who lived it were passing away. How much of our lives and history are loss because there is no one to carry the story? What stories are we carrying? I expect that this is a read I will revisit in the futures.
Disclaimer: I received a free finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It not only tells the history of the asylum but also discusses the history of mental health treatment, institutions and the continued failures of both asylums and community care. It discussed the criminalization of mental health policies and the increased carceral response to poor and mentally ill community members. Something that strikes me most was a portion in which someone interviewed discussed they were running out of time to tell this story as those who lived it were passing away. How much of our lives and history are loss because there is no one to carry the story? What stories are we carrying? I expect that this is a read I will revisit in the futures.
Disclaimer: I received a free finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault