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A review by hugbandit7
Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock
4.0
What a combination - historical romance and true crime! The true crime is based on Nelly Bly's secret admission to an insane asylum in the late 1800s to reveal the truth behind the conditions and how women were treated. Let's just say I'm glad I didn't live during that time frame because men really thought women were fragile and not sane. Frightening is really the word.
When this book first starts, it is like most other romances. Edyth is a woman of means despite the fact that her Uncle controls the pursestrings. She is in love with her fencing instructor and has been for many years. He doesn't see her as more than a friend until a party when her cousin helps her dress for a ball and is a sight to behold. This is where the story gets interesting. Edyth and Bane admit their attraction for one another and Bane has decided to court her. Her Uncle has discovered a loophole in her parent's will and decides that Edyth needs to be diagnosed as insane. What happens from there is where the story really gets interesting. Edyth tries to escape the asylum with the help of a few friends. Bane is trying to find her because she has just vanished and he doesn't believe the stories he is being told by her Uncle.
I found the story to be engaging and fascinating and I liked the tie to an actual event in history. The author even discusses what she changed to make it fit the actual events. I"m now intrigued to read the book about Nelly Bly's time in the asylum and what she encountered. I can't believe women were treated this badly a century and more ago, but I know it did happen. It makes me appreciate what I have now in this time and how far women have come in this world.
We give this 4 paws up.
When this book first starts, it is like most other romances. Edyth is a woman of means despite the fact that her Uncle controls the pursestrings. She is in love with her fencing instructor and has been for many years. He doesn't see her as more than a friend until a party when her cousin helps her dress for a ball and is a sight to behold. This is where the story gets interesting. Edyth and Bane admit their attraction for one another and Bane has decided to court her. Her Uncle has discovered a loophole in her parent's will and decides that Edyth needs to be diagnosed as insane. What happens from there is where the story really gets interesting. Edyth tries to escape the asylum with the help of a few friends. Bane is trying to find her because she has just vanished and he doesn't believe the stories he is being told by her Uncle.
I found the story to be engaging and fascinating and I liked the tie to an actual event in history. The author even discusses what she changed to make it fit the actual events. I"m now intrigued to read the book about Nelly Bly's time in the asylum and what she encountered. I can't believe women were treated this badly a century and more ago, but I know it did happen. It makes me appreciate what I have now in this time and how far women have come in this world.
We give this 4 paws up.