Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear

An inspirational feminist biography.

I liked how the biography read as a novel. The writing was very gripping and took me on an emotional journey with Elizabeth. You really begin to understand the historical context and consider the different social perspectives. One of my favourite things about this book was how Kate Moore used historical sources for speech and seamlessly integrated her research.

I think this book was a great commentary on the fundamental views on women based on the neurological differences between males and females and how this affects power. As a young women, it gave insight into the changes that have happened and the similarities that remain. It also provides insight into the importance of patients’ rights and how we as a society view people struggling with mental health, as well as the importance of evidence-based medicine.

Kate Moore highlights how ‘a person’s powerlessness may lead to struggles with their mental health’. I find it fascinating how Elizabeth uses her faith to empower her, whilst others use it to suppress her. Her relationship with her faith was something that she used to push her past adversity.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend.

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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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