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A review by kimreadz
The Woman They Could Not Silence: The Timeless Story of an Outspoken Woman and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear by Kate Moore
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!