Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear by Kate Moore

40 reviews

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

 
The Woman They Could Not Silence is a book that was almost guaranteed to raise my blood pressure given that it highlights the abuse of patriarchal power against women, and also the abuses suffered by mental health patients. It focuses on Elizabeth Packard who, in 1860, was admitted to an insane asylum by her husband and kept there for three years by the controlling, unethical Dr. McFarland, the asylum superintendent. Packard was not insane - she just dared to think independently, refused to bow to her husband’s commands and questioned the doctor’s practice. She was not the only perfectly sane woman held in such asylums, virtually powerless to gain their own release. The conditions and treatment within the institution were often barbaric with little care, kindness, or meaningful treatment for those with actual mental health issues. Instead they were often abused physically and emotionally. This book recounts the life of Elizabeth Packard, the events leading to her being committed, her experiences in the asylum, her efforts to gain her freedom, and then her tireless work to ensure better treatment and protection for mental health patients, to ensure that women could no longer be wrongfully confined, and for women’s rights generally.

The entitlement, audacity and amorality of some of the men in this book was just mind blowing. Like I said bad for my blood pressure. I did find the tone a little strident at times and I felt it a overly long and repetitive in places. However, this book does cover important topics that we should not forget. And lest we think the issue of men trying to control and belittle women by questioning their sanity the postscript includes many recent examples including then President Trump’s attacks on Nancy Pelosi which bore an uncanny resemblance to McFarland’s attacks of Packard. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

nerdglasses08's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, and Sexism

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Blood, Death, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

maidmarianlib's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring sad slow-paced

5.0

Powerful biography of an individual woman but also a lot of context for women's history.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Mental illness, Confinement, Torture, and Emotional abuse

charlotte_trimmer's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Ableism, Abandonment, Confinement, and Forced institutionalization

laveena's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

This was such an inspiring book about inner strength and following what is right rather than what is easy. although I was aware how easy it was to committ women to insane asylum it was still shocking that there was no checks and balances. Even with all the work that has been done for women, human rights - there is much work still to do! The author used actual excerpt from diaries, letters, medical records etc to tell the story. It could have been very boring but it was not. The author wove the actual details with the narrative to tell a story that was engaging, and emotional. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Emotional abuse

brigitte's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring relaxing fast-paced

5.0

Determined to stop casually using the words “crazy” and “insane” bc they were too long used as medium for subjugation of minorities.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

nonfictionfeminist's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

mscalls's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Bullying, Gore, Suicide, Torture, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

bethsbooketlist's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

🌟🌟🌟🌟 🌟 This was my first Kate Moore book and I was so impressed! I am getting into my memoirs more in 2022 but I generally struggle with non fiction writing and it's heaviness. But Moore made the writing so light for a heavy subject. Smooth and gripping - I couldn't put it down. This is before I even come to the subject matter - what an amazing woman Elizabeth Packard was! Kate Moore brings these incredible figures to centre stage like she did in Radium Girls (another I want to read) and enlightens us with their power. I was in awe and inspired by her determination, tenacity and resilience to everything thrown at her. The patriarchal society of the time crippled the strength of women - submission was all that mattered. And the lengths her husband and doctor went to in order to silence her was unreal. I am so glad I read her story, and really want to get my hands on The Radium Girls 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Torture, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Eating disorder and Suicide

reading_ladies_blog's review against another edition

informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Violence, and Domestic abuse