Reviews

Paris in the 1800s: this is the story of the Salpetriere (once a place to corral the perceived detritus of society, but by this time a leading neurological research hospital), and the story of the women held inside, often against their will.

The book’s plot is centred around the relationship between Eugenie, disowned and committed by her high standing father for admitting to see/hear the dead, and the hospital matron Genevieve, who oversees the wellbeing of the women undergoing treatment. The story unfolds in the run up to the annual Lenten Ball, an event where high societies movers and shakers come to party at the hospital with the women, seeking tittlation and outlandish stories. Will one have a fit?! Will the nymphomaniac rub herself on them?! A horrifying, voyeuristic concept to present day sensibilities. Made no better by the knowledge many of these women were in fact not ill, just inconvenient in a society that only valued women who served a man’s purpose, silently.

It is however the larger ideas of oppression, othering, voyeurism, exploitation, abuse, powerlessness, solidarity, sisterhood, isolation, safety, and dehumanisation that shine through more than the plot - the plot is just a framework to hang this piece of societal dirty laundry on for us to examine.

My only criticism is the use of magical realism, it allows for a shorter read, but building the story without it would have created a lot more depth of character, and more avenues for thematic exploration. But as a short, quick historical fiction introduction to part of the history of a sexism still prevalent in medicine (and society), it is well done and accessible.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘯𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘥 - 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬.