Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World by Elinor Cleghorn

11 reviews

thebechdelbitch's review against another edition

dark informative medium-paced

5.0

Wow. This book was so much to take in, and I'm so impressed by how readable it also was. Such a broad scope of history and yet still retains a really personal touch throughout. It filled me with quiet rage, and incredulity at how recent some of our meagre progress has been - it put everything into easy-to-understand context and historical framing with so many examples and a strong narrative voice. 

The final chapters made me cry and also want to vomit. 

Approach with caution - triggers abound. 

An excellent, enraging read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abortion, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Blood, Cancer, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Death, and Forced institutionalization

lisettemarie's review against another edition

informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, and Slavery

justmehayleyb's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Medical content, Misogyny, Death, Racism, Cancer, Gaslighting, Infertility, and Sexual assault

chronically_theo's review against another edition

emotional informative sad

3.75

This book was incredibly hard to read. Reading about how people like you have been violated and dismissed never gets easier. It is interesting though if you are in the right headspace 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Xenophobia, Rape, Racism, Misogyny, Ableism, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Classism, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Death, Confinement, Child death, and Cancer

radfordmanor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Classism, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Abortion, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Sexual content, Drug use, and Miscarriage

beatriks's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

I listened to the german Audiobook version that is available on Spotify and I loved it. 
The history is of misogyny and discrimination and mistreatment goes beyond what I knew and is far more shocking than I thought. I'm planning to give the book as a present to some women around me. 

Highly recommended.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Misogyny, Medical content, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Violence

Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia

Minor: Religious bigotry, Slavery, Suicide, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

dragnfary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

4.5

I think every person  with a uterus should read/listen to this. It's very interesting how historically women have been viewed in the medical field and how that has prohibited medical knowledge.  I also belive that this book would help you know that you aren't alone when the docs don't listen to you, and the importance of advocating for yourself and your health.  

It was very interesting learning how we have gotten to where we are todaymedi

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Classism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Abortion, Medical content, and Slavery

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Violence, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Miscarriage, and Torture

burdasnest's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

 This book made me feel seen and connected to all of the women in our time and the past who suffered medically because of their sex. Cleghorn acknowledges intersectionality and inequity well, but keep in mind that this is focused on western medical history and knowledge and cisgender women. She also emphasizes the absolute importance of the myriad issues we have before us as unwell women. I feel called to advocate and act by this book, and think that it should be required in health curriculum in higher education from physiology to public health. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Abortion, Miscarriage, Blood, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Rape, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Slavery

tetedump's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Cancer, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

josephinecatherine's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

5++++ stars. 

I make no attempt to mirror any of the eloquence with which Elinor Cleghorn writes, but I hope I can at least succeed in my effort to convince every person to read this book. 

I have written about this issue, I have debated about this issue, I have listened to this issue, and most importantly - I have lived this issue and this life. 

Cleghorn set herself the task to discuss the history of unwell women in detail, applying knowledge from professional and personal experience. I understand the gravity of this self-assigned challenge of hers and appreciate that other people may find additional ways of strengthening the work, but I welcome anyone to discredit the success that is this book. 

My gratitude to Elinor is something I will bring with me throughout my whole life. This book takes away the burden of having the verbalise my experience, and the experiences so much like mine, to others and to myself. 

The detail, the compassion, the conviction, and the honesty which has been bled into this book is breathtaking. This is a beginning to a conversation, the continuation of a battle cry, and the solace to the loneliness that comes from being an unwell woman.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Ableism, Sexism, Medical trauma, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Miscarriage