The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
714The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
714Hardcover(Library Binding - Large Print)
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Overview
How is it that we do not already know about this remarkable, courageous woman of 19th century America, who advocated for the rights of women and those accused of insanity, and was a contemporary to such feminist lights as Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony? Kudos and gratitude to Kate Moore for this gift of an intelligent and sensitive history told with the riveting energy of a gripping novel.
1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil, Elizabeth Packard, housewife and mother of six, is facing her own battle. The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room. Her husband of twenty-one years is plotting against her because he feels increasingly threatened—by Elizabeth's intellect, independence, and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts. So he makes a plan to put his wife back in her place. One summer morning, he has her committed to an insane asylum.
The horrific conditions inside the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois, are overseen by Dr. Andrew McFarland, a man who will prove to be even more dangerous to Elizabeth than her traitorous husband. But most disturbing is that Elizabeth is not the only sane woman confined to the institution. There are many rational women on her ward who tell the same story: they've been committed not because they need medical treatment, but to keep them in line—conveniently labeled "crazy" so their voices are ignored.
No one is willing to fight for their freedom and, disenfranchised both by gender and the stigma of their supposed madness, they cannot possibly fight for themselves. But Elizabeth is about to discover that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose...
Bestselling author Kate Moore brings her sparkling narrative voice to The Woman They Could Not Silence, an unputdownable story of the forgotten woman who courageously fought for her own freedom—and in so doing freed millions more. Elizabeth's refusal to be silenced and her ceaseless quest for justice not only challenged the medical science of the day, and led to a giant leap forward in human rights, it also showcased the most salutary lesson: sometimes, the greatest heroes we have are those inside ourselves.
Praise for The Woman They Could Not Silence:
"Like Radium Girls, this volume is a page-turner."—Library Journal, STARRED review
"A veritable tour de force about how far women's rights have come and how far we still have to go...Put this book in the hands of every young feminist."—Booklist, STARRED review
"In Moore's expert hands, this beautifully-written tale unspools with drama and power, and puts Elizabeth Packard on the map at the most relevant moment imaginable. You will be riveted—and inspired. Bravo!"—Liza Mundy, New York Times bestselling author of Code Girls
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781432890223 |
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Publisher: | Gale Cengage Learning |
Publication date: | 09/29/2021 |
Edition description: | Large Print |
Pages: | 714 |
Sales rank: | 888,258 |
Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.30(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Author's Note 9
Prologue 13
Part 1 Brave New World 15
Part 2 Dark Before The Dawn 173
Part 3 My Pen Shall Rage 229
Part 4 Deal with The Devil? 323
Part 5 Turning Points 371
Part 6 She Will Rise 497
Epilogue 602
Postscript 621
Reading Group Guide 627
A Conversation with The Author 631
Selected Bibliography Picture 641
Acknowledgments 661
Abbreviations 665
Notes 667
Acknowledgments 787
About The Author 793