You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
This was a very in-depth look at the mental health issues that our country faces both today and in our history. The terrible ways that "sick" were treated at these asylums, the steps that people took to try to make changes. I loved the stories of individual people sprinkled throughout. It gave the book a more personal touch. Knowing that the author's family had direct contact with this hospital made it all the more touching.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma
Antonia Hylton's Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum is a informative and very readable history of Maryland's Crownsville Hospital that was first opened just for Black patients before being integrated later in its existence before finally being shut down as deinstitutionalization of mental hospitals ran through the country. Hylton evokes the early years at Crownsville that began with Black men building the future aslyum they would be housed in. At its peak, Crownsville housed over 2,500 people for a variety of ailments (and non-ailments). It is a fascinating integration of racism, mental health policies, and stigmatization. Much of the documentation of the hospital has been lost, so the author reconstructs as best they can, highlighting particular patients and workers at the hospital and within the town. This book was so in my interest wheelhouse and would highly recommend to others.
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
informative
sad
fast-paced
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
This book provides a profound exploration of how society defines illness and criminality, shaping decisions about who deserves care and who is deemed beyond saving. The writing style may feel fragmented, mirroring the way memories often surface, but this approach enhances its impact. Madness is an important and essential read, particularly for those committed to improving the treatment and social outcomes of African Americans facing mental health challenges.
challenging
dark
informative
sad