Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Woman They Could Not Silence: Elizabeth Packard's incredible fight for freedom, and the men who tried to make her disappear by Kate Moore

20 reviews

krysley's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Violence, Bullying, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Confinement, and Torture

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

mscalls's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

---

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 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Eating disorder and Suicide

bethbarron's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative tense medium-paced

4.0

Wow. Just wow.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Torture, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, and Confinement

mmbrown's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Toxic relationship and Sexual harassment

carolynhm's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Minor: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Torture, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Medical content

jos17's review against another edition

challenging inspiring slow-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, and Torture

lpdx's review against another edition

informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Blood, Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Torture

jamieleepilk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This book is the very true story of Elizabeth Packard, a woman who was sent to an asylum by her husband when she was growing in her independence and (god forbid) forming her own opinions on women's rights and religion.

This is one of those books that will 100% stay with me for a very long time. I finished it last night and was left dumbstruck at how phenomenal it was. Kate has written an epically researched book that grips you and is so compelling that you can't put it down regardless of the horrors you are reading about. The writing is so vivid, beautiful and heartbreaking at times it often reads as historical fiction and my god do you wish it was fiction all the stuff this incredible woman went through.
This book will make you rage, scream and want to through the book at the wall (sorry) in anger at what Elizabeth (and countless woman) went through merely for wanting more independence.
Even with the horrors that happen within these pages what shines through is Elizabeth's hope and strength no matter what was thrown her way, no matter how hopeless things looked she took it and formed her new plans. Whenever she was on a mission you can feel yourself willing through the years to do it, to succeed and cheering her all the way. A woman who went through so much hardships but can out the other side determined to make a difference so the married women of America wouldn't again have to suffer similar fates. Even with this happening 160years ago women today are still called "crazy" to cut them down to size and belittle them, mental health is still not taken seriously in many cases and women's illness' are brushed under the rug.
The quotes in the book taken from real life documents are incredible, showing Elizabeth's immense skill as writer, she was a force to be reckoned with.
As I say this book will stay with me for a long while after finishing it, the postscript was a gut punch and a striking example of why we still need to fight. I am in awe of Kate's work here, her sheer amount of research in incredible and her writing is so elegant. One of the best books I've read this year and I can't wait to recommend it to every single person I know. Breathtaking, I wish I could give more than 5 stars.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment