The Woman They Could Not Silence is narrative nonfiction that reads like a thriller and recounts the fight for women’s mental health rights in the 1860s.
Do you have narrative nonfiction on your bookshelf?
The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
Genre/Categories/Setting: Nonfiction, Narrative Nonfiction, Biographical, Mental Health, Women’s/Patient’s Rights, Insane Asylum (1860)
Welcome to #ThrowBackThursday where I highlight an older review or post a current review of a backlist title. Today, I’m sharing a captivating and thrilling narrative nonfiction selection, The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore.
I’m linking up with Davida @ The Lady’s Book Review Blog for #ThrowbackThursday.
My Summary:
In 1860, wives and daughters could be committed to insane asylums by their husbands or fathers without their consent or proper mental health evaluations. Women were property owned by the husband or father. Women could be committed for being too emotional, opinionated, independent, zealous, or intellectual….basically, any woman who can’t be kept “in line.” When Elizabeth Packard is committed to an insane asylum by her husband, she discovers that she is not the only sane woman there. Because she is labeled “crazy,” no one will listen to her appeals or intervene on her behalf and she has no voice to fight for herself because it makes her appear even crazier. Her friends who may know the truth won’t speak up for fear of the same punishment from their husbands. However, after losing her home and her children, Elizabeth has nothing more to lose and is determined to fight for her life and for the lives of innocent women.
How far we’ve come from the time when women were unfairly committed…
Continue here for my full review of The Woman They Could Not Silence…
(which also includes a list of additional narrative nonfiction titles you might enjoy)
QOTD:
Do you want to read more nonfiction but you prefer fiction? Try narrative nonfiction that reads like fiction! This one reads like a thriller!
Purchase information here.
Wonderful review Carol. The committal of wives and daughters into insane asylums continued well into the mid-1900s. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I’ll definitely be reading this. 💕📚
Incredibly sad and unbelievable 💔
Yes, we don’t know how lucky we are. 💕📚
Yesss I listened to the audiobook last year (?) and thought it was great and also frustrating. It’s always surprising (through I guess it shouldn’t be) to see how women were treated not too long ago. I’m at least glad she was able to strive to make some positive changes after she got out.
The story is shocking! Like a nightmare you can’t wake up from.
This sounds like such an interesting book. I do struggle with non fiction so maybe this is the route to go!!
Have a great week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2024/03/14/time-travel-thursday-90/
Narrative nonfiction is my fav because it reads like a story!
I’ve not come across it before, but it does sound good!
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Thanks for including my review!