The Illness Lesson reminded me a little bit of The Grace Year by Kim Liggett. So I thought I was going to love it. And in the beginning, I did. But, honestly, the writing just wasn’t speaking to me. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t particularly good. It felt a little bit basic, like it just needed a few more rounds of edits to be made into something great. I could see the potential, it just wasn’t great. And if you know anything about my reading habits, you probably already know that writing can make a huge difference in my reading. Unfortunately, in this case, there was just something about it that was a little bit distracting and prevented me from enjoying the story.

That said, I did like the story. Sort of. It felt like a blend between The Crucible and Wilder Girls. I thought it was interesting, but ultimately unoriginal. Too many things happened in this book that felt a bit rushed or didn’t have much of a purpose. I don’t think it does a particularly great job of making the point about how women’s health issues are so often ignored (at least, I think that was the point this book was trying to make).

Overall, I don’t think this was a terrible book, it just wasn’t for me. The writing wasn’t my favorite, and that’s something that can make or break a book for me.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC!

In The Illness Lessons, Clare Beams crafts a cast of characters who must struggle with the question of how women can "find productive ways of living in the world as it is." Set in the nineteenth century, the book's question and the many issues that beset the women in its pages are still very much with us.

The Illness Lessons takes place at a school that seeks to educate women in more than sewing and etiquette. The events of the novel coincide with an invasion of red birds that become representative with and entangled with the "bloodred promise" of what it means to be a woman.

The language of the work is lovely and manages to be reminiscent of Louisa May Alcott without feeling foreign or stuffy. The characters, however, can be difficult to like (Sophia, the voice of reason, is consistently unlikable even when she's right). Ultimately the work is an important one in examination of how women have fought for (and still fight for) the right to think, speak, and question -- but with its exploration of hysteria, the medical community's dismissive stance toward women's health, and the fate of women who act outside of given roles, it isn't a comfortable one. Recommended for readers who like to stop and think!

Not a bad debut novel for Beams—the pacing is great and the plot engaging. The character arcs are a tad predictable, and I don’t know how to explain this, but it felt like reading a novel by someone who was trying to write a novel, you know? “Formulaic” isn’t the word I’m searching for—but maybe “traditional” is more what I’m feeling? I don’t know! I’m not the writer here!

There are two areas that could do with some improvement, in my not-the-writer opinion. The first is a lack of world building. Context clues tell us it’s the late 1860s but it never feels like it’s set back then. Sometimes the characters ride in carriages and sometimes they walk! I wish this time period had been fleshed out, so that I could feel I was back in time.

My second gripe is that Caroline’s “rage” is more of an afterthought. Her anger could’ve been a driving force of the novel, but it’s almost always misplaced, comes too late, and sometimes it seemed more like Caroline was thinking about feeling anger instead of genuinely feeling the emotion. I actually had a lot of issues with Caroline as a character, but those venture into spoiler territory, so you’ll just have to read Illness and see for yourself.

This book was bizarre, and not in a way that I liked. I felt it skipped around too much, and it confused me as to who was who, and what was what. I did not find to capture my attention, and I'm bummed, because I really wanted to like it. It might be good for some, but not for me.

I really, really wanted to like this novel. It’s Victorian, it about a boarding school, it has early medicine — all the things I like. But somehow the writing never quite gels together. Those who like impressionistic, non-narrative fiction may enjoy it.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a good book with a unique storyline. Very much enjoyed where the author went with this one. Will recommend.

The Illness Lesson is an odd duck of a book, which I mean as an observation, not a criticism. In terms of genre, I would label it historical fiction, but it also feels strikingly contemporary in ways that don't undermine the historical setting. The Illness Lesson does many things at once, most of them quite well: it explores female identity in a world dominated by men and the limitations placed on even the lives of women deemed exceptional; it opens up the transcendentalist movement in ways that embrace both its aspirations and failings; it wrestles with the question of whether education should prepare individuals for their likely social roles or should be aspirational; it illustrates the consequences of male medical "knowledge" that does not clearly recognize and value the female lives over which it holds sway. And The Illness Lesson manages all this without feeling heavy handed.

On one level, the plot is fairly straightforward. An aging figure from the transcendentalist movement decides that he, his daughter Caroline, and a male acolyte will open a school for girls that will take women's intelligence as seriously as men's. The first class is small, but enthusiastic. The girls ask questions, explore, and develop their own lives of the mind. Then, the girls become ill with a range of symptoms: fainting, seizures, rashes, stuttering, and general debilitation. The school's founder, Caroline's father, invites in a former member of his transcendentalist circle to "treat" them.

While the book is presented in third person, the perspective most clearly represented is Caroline's. She is a product of an earlier version of the education the girls are now receiving, she shares some of their symptoms, and, like them, she is underestimated by the men enacting their own vision of what female identity should be. Caroline's profound discomfort becomes the reader's as well, making this book an emotionally difficult read at times, but also making it deeply compelling.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

This book starts out good, but it gets very odd. It goes in so many different directions, it made me dizzy! Truth! This is one of those books that people will love completely or really dislike.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you,Netgalley.
All opinions are my own.

Beams’ The Illness Lesson is a book made for a gender studies class. Set in the late nineteenth century, what starts out as a sort of utopian ideal, a school for girls that teaches rich academics, soon turns into a nightmare. The book explore themes of hysteria and the female body. The setting of time and place still draws parallels to current discussions of women’s rights.

I quickly identified the Illness Lesson as a book that would deal with similar issues girls and women continue to face in modern times. I am definitely on board with that. In the beginning, I felt like the story was moving along quite well. But at some point, I noticed the prose and sentence construction began to become a bit more complicated. I found myself wondering if some less advanced readers would become confused and give up on the book.

My hope is that the Illness Lesson will encourage more writers to write stories covering similar important issues. As women (and men), we want to be sure that everyone hears and understands as much as possible concerning this serious and criminal subject matter. The number of stars I gave this book is in appreciation for a story brave enough to tackle an important women’s issue. The story made me angry. Maybe it might make you angry too. I suppose we need to get angry in order to stop the madness.

I had a lot to say about The Illness Lesson - To read my full book review go to my blog.

Three disappointing, great start but in the middle of the book I got lost, hitchhiked but a truck driver took me out of nowhere so I couldn’t gather my thoughts and finally when I reached the end, my smile disappeared, I put down on my dance shoes and began sulking because I didn’t get satisfied with my reading stars!

I was expecting a feminist approach of rebellious women movement who were ready to improve their minds by gathering around the school. Visionary Samuel wanted to open a new school to change young women’s lives, recruiting the girls for different kind of (super weird alert!!Daaattt!) education. His daughter Caroline helps him out but her slightest chance to have a romantic relationship with David (one of the teachers) is being destroyed as David’s conservative wife joins them. (Sorry Caroline, you were the only character I could relate but I lost you, too!) And then book takes a different direction to cure the girls with different sexist methods! (Oh yes, I imagined Michael Sheen’s William Masters character from Masters of Sex, but unfortunately you cannot find any well-rounded character to relate or a little like so you learn to give up!)

The writing seemed like lyrical but I found the girls’ story a little weird, awkward… And all those methods to cure their symptoms of their mental illnesses a little disturbed me.
I took several breaks to relax my mind. I thought maybe my mind was working slowly and I couldn’t easily understand or relate with any book characters. But as I returned back, slowness, oddness and foreseeable plot made me yawn so many times. Thankfully, my insomnia ended after reading a few pages. I got an amazing beauty sleep and next morning I danced with my dogs singing “Truth Hurts” made my neighbor suffered from ear bleeding!

Then I resumed my reading and my entire magical, motivational mood disappeared. I was unhappy again!

As a summary: Unlikable characters, weird, what did I just read, did I just read it kind of story and predictability of progress killed my mood. But I have to admit I liked the conclusion. If I gave three stars to this books, all the stars came from the ending. Maybe I should have read the only final parts of the book as I usually did at Agatha Christie’s books. (I’m kidding, of course I always read the final parts to learn who the murderer is at first but I always read the entire book. I could never be disrespectful to one of my favorite authors!) So I didn’t hate his book but the beginning gave me so much and I thought I finally found an amazing historical fiction but it was below my expectations.

Thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday books for sharing me this ARC COPY in exchange my honest review.

The Illness Lesson tries to be a lot of things – a book about women and the ways we have been suppressed by men; a story about school, and how women are often discouraged from thinking and questioning; a look at hysteria and one of the bizarre treatments men employed; an exploration of the connection between body and mind and how the fear of inheriting a disease can alter perceptions as well as personalities; a comment on education; an exploration of relationships between parents and children and ones between consenting adults; and, oddly, birds. Unfortunately, none of these things are explored very fully, the characters are left only half formed, the sometimes beautiful writing is lost in a book that tries to do too much, and the birds remain an odd construct which tries to be mystical and intriguing but ends up being mostly a distraction. There was potential here, and the prose style held me enough to finish the book, but I was left feeling disappointed at the lack of depth or intensity this story needed.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

Definitely an odd book that seemed to go in several different directions--It starts with a man and his daughter starting a school to educate women--not just in the art of being a wife but actually educating them like a "man." But then there is a big focus on the daughter of a man the father hates and how to reign her in. But then the focus changes to the mysterious illness that befalls the females. And then there's the whole female "hysteria" thing and the bizarre treatment. And onto an abrupt ending. The author is definitely trying to make a point about how females are treated as children and don't need to be told what they need by men.

Odd but definitely readable book. 3.5 stars.

A small group of girls at a newly formed school come down with symptoms of an unknown origin. Examines females interacting with one another and the history of hysteria. This is a slow paced novel which raises the ethics of medical molestation and its effect on young women. The characters are well drawn although not readily likable. The subject matter is uncomfortable. Then there are the birds...a solid read.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

The Illness Lesson is a quiet, unassuming lesson on women and how society shapes and perceives them. The prose was beautiful and vivid, evoking imagery and universal themes. It’s a quick read, drawing you into a specific world both entirely grounded in our reality but also seemingly so far away from the world we live in. Set in the 19th century, this book asks the question of what a progressive woman might look like in that time and what roadblocks she might encounter. While not at the center of this story, this question lurks on the edges. Challenging the beliefs and actions of even the more progressive male and female characters, the author carves a very particular path and message specific to our heroine, Caroline. Like some of the most evocative female-centric stories, the core of The Illness Lesson explores the connection between women, both socially and generationally. Can we inherit trauma? Can it spread sociologically? What is the connection between body and mind and can we trust either? The Illness Lesson endeavors to ask these questions, even if there is no clear answer. I highly recommend giving it a read. Thematically it reminded me of the film Midsommar, but there are also nods to classic gothic literature. If you want to be encompassed by a novel, this is a great choice.

The Illness Lesson is definitely an odd read, that I will say. I won’t uncover more on that, as I feel half of its oddness is what makes the book what it is. That said, the contents of the novel and its writing feels very victorian and lyrically-styled, which I enjoyed; however, that’s where my enjoyment stops. The characters and plot, on the other hand, felt slow and predictable.

Really, it isn’t so much the predictable/obvious plot that deterred me, so much as the characters which felt to me as though they had little-to-no personality. Perhaps that’s how I personally read the novel, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn't get any “feeling” from the characters. And being that I care instrumentally about the connection I form between myself and the characters within a novel, I greatly missed that bond.

I understand that others will probably form an attachment to these characters and wonder where I am coming from, and I hope you do! But for me, Caroline was the only one I felt any sliver of understanding, and even that was rather scant. Though, I did agree with her decision, in the end. I would have done the same as her.

With the shadows and ghosts of the Alcotts and Louisa May Alcott's Little Women in particular populating its pages, this novel captures a brief span in a young woman's life during which her father, having been part of a failed self-sufficient utopia, decides to open a school. Recruiting a handful of girls for an experimental education, Caroline, her father Samuel, and teacher David embark on an adventure that turns sour as David's pious wife arrives, spoiling Caroline's hopes for a romance with David; and as one of the students, the daughter of Caroline's long-deceased mother's lover--begins to dictate the social order of the pupils. Finally, having fallen in to a mass hysteria, the girls are treated by one of Samuel's former utopian colleagues, a doctor who decides that the students all just need to release their tension through "paroxysms"--or orgasms, manually stimulated by the doctor. In the end, Caroline decides that this is wrong, and leaves her father for city life.

The book is well-written and often beautiful and evocative, but the plot was too predictable for me, and the remove with which the author's manner prose separates the reader and characters is too distant, and the characters too thin, for me to have gotten very invested in the outcome.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. "The Illness Cure" is definitely different from most books that I read, although I love historical fiction (and real fiction too!) I thought the book was paced well and that the world and language were interesting. I wanted to know more about the school that was started for young women and I'd like to have gotten to know each girl a bit better. The main trio of characters, a well known man and his adult daughter, and a younger male friend of the father's want to make a school which challenges the women to think because they believe they can learn just as men do. They don't need to just learn housekeeping and embroidery. They act as if they mean well and on one level perhaps they do, however they are still leaving no room for the students (or the young adult woman, Caroline) to actually break the female repression in that time/society. The female students begin to come down with illnesses all showing a variety of symptoms and the local doctor is unable to diagnose them. I was truly shocked by what happens next in the book and won't give it away. I will say that a doctor who is called in on the case does declare them with "hysteria" which was widely used back in this time period to diagnose any symptoms in women that couldn't be attributed to any other condition. I did some research (as I usually do when reading historical (I almost just typed 'hysterical') fiction. What happens to these young ladies was very common in the time and I can't believe I hadn't heard of this before. This one part of the book is by far the most shocking and it wasn't easy to read. It was an engaging story which I read fairly quickly. I was drawn into the story by the setting and characters but I wish there had been a little more development of the students themselves which other than one 'ringleader' was missing.