Cover Image: Madwoman

Madwoman

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This book was an amazing fictional telling of Nellie Bly and her heroism into sheading light into how women were treated in asylums in the 1800s.

The writing was beautiful and the story will stick with you long after you finish it.

Nellie Bly is a woman to look up to and be inspired by and this novel reiterates that.

Was this review helpful?

Madwoman is a very insightful and in-depth look into the life of Nellie Bly.

The book starts with her childhood. Showing how her father's death and her mother's subsequent remarriage to an abusive husband affected her outlook on life. Making her determined to never have to depend on a man.

It moves on to her start as a journalist in Pittsburgh, and then her move to New York. This book shows how her desperation and perseverance in a male dominated field led her to become a patient at the Infamous Blackwell Asylum. In writing of her experience, Nellie paved the way for women in journalism and brought to light the horrible treatment of the women at the asylum.

This is a well written and comprehensive account of her life. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about Nellie Bly.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I'm glad there is renewed interest in Nellie Bly, one of my childhood heroes! Treger made Bly's story come to life and it was a very quick and compelling read!

Was this review helpful?

Well written story about one of my favorite women from history. This was well written and very interesting. I enjoyed the story and the writing.

Was this review helpful?

This is a fascinating story based on the life of the world's first woman investigative journalist Nellie Bly. The story starts off with a young Nelly as a child who everyone at the time called "Pink". Her father a prominent judge encourages Nellie's curiosity and love of learning. Her mother touches on her more whimsical side, telling her stories of magical creatures and old legends. Everything changes when her father dies and her mother remarries which becomes a disaster. Wanting to become a lawyer like her father is no longer an option and that dream dies along with her father. Nelly then focuses on a career in journalism at a time when women were supposed to marry not work. She begins by writing about all the wrongs women are subjected to in the workplace, eventually Nellie lands in New York hoping people will be more open to the idea of a woman reporter in the big city. Nellie contrives a scheme that is truly dangerous but if accomplished will give her an entrance into the masculine world of investigative reporting. She is going to fake being insane to get admitted to Blackwell's Island a infamous asylum where she hopes to expose the horrors the patients must suffer.
This is a masterful look into the life of a ground-breaking career of a woman who without her we may not be where we are today as women. Very well researched and written brilliantly I recommend this book to all readers of historical fiction who like strong female characters.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Was this review helpful?

Most interesting if you are only vaguely familiar with Nellie Bly's exploits but still enlightening as to her early years. This fictionalized account of her life takes the reader from her birth as Elizabeth Cochran, called Pink, to her time in the mental health hospital on Blackwell's Island, where she had herself sent in order to get a story and hopefully a job. Bly's life- especially her time in the mental health facility- has been the topic of a number of recent novels - this is less sensational than some. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I am a fan of Nellie Bly, often described as the first woman investigative reporter. Treger primarily focused this fictional look at her life and work at her sensational offer to infiltrate the women's lunatic asylum at Blackwell
Island to get the real down-low on inmate treatment. This earned her a byline and a job with Alfred Pulitzer’s World. Treger was true to Blys articles on her adventure, while creating some very believable characters and back stories for her fellow inmates, some credibly sane with common stories of being committed by family or husbands, etc.

Some are in fact mentally ill but it is hard to know whether they this preceded their confinement or was caused by it. Staff varies from abusive to intentionally ignoring desperate conditions to kind but unable to fix things. Treger spends time covering Nellie’s childhood and early adulthood near Pittsburgh, providing context for some of her emotional responses to her ten days at Blackwell.

This is a well told story, true to Bly’s newspaper story, My Ten Days in a Madhouse. The fictional parts are well imagined, fit seamlessly and make this a better book. Definitely will read more Treger!

Was this review helpful?

The author clearly conducted incredibly thorough research and did an excellent job in creating the atmosphere and era. I simply could not get excited about the tale as a fictionalized account of Nelly Bly's extraordinary life. The imagined emotions woven into the historic facts detracted from the story in my opinion, lending a triteness to a very powerful tale.

I am very grateful to Bloombury and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Was this review helpful?

When I was 10 or so I read a biography for children about Nellie Bly, and it was much more engaging than this plodding book. The writing was all tell and very little show, keeping us far removed from Nellie (think "Nellie felt sad remembering her father" rather than "The doctor clenched his fist as he spoke, just as her father used to—she caught herself sighing at the memory"). Characters speak in a way no real people would have, with educated and noneducated, native speakers and emigrants all sounding the same. And the subtext regarding women's lack of autonomy is sledgehammered home with a complete lack of artistry. Only reason I'm not giving it one star is that Nellie Bly is definitely worthy of a novel... just not this one.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I have been interested in Nellie Bly for quite a while, so I was excited to read this book. I thought the beginning with her younger life was slow, but it picked up as it went along. The lack of upper case letters drove me a little crazy. Thanks for letting me check it out!

Was this review helpful?

This was a really well done fictionalized version of Nellie Bly's life. She's a person who's story I didn't realize I wanted to read a fictionalized version of but it was extremely well done! I look forward to reading more from Louisa Treger in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is an interesting look at Nellie Bly, the first female investigative journalist. A campaigner for rights for women, Nellie deliberately put herself into dangerous situations in order to report back to the public and work for improved conditions in places such as slums, factories, and psychiatric institutions. The review copy needed a good edit, but I have no doubt that the finished product will be high quality. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for a digital ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Madwoman is a psychological drama based on the intriguing life of feminist heroine Nellie Bly. Nellie, as you know, is the courageous newspaper woman who, in 1817, posed as a madwoman to expose the atrocities taking place in the “insane” asylum on Blackwell’s Island, New York.
Treger begins her novel in Nellie's childhood where Nellie, a precocious, brave young girl, wants to be a lawyer just like her father. Sadly, due to various tragic events in her life, Nellie soon becomes consumed by the plight of the poor, especially the plight of women in society. Nellie soon changes her ambition from law to journalism and eventually finds herself in New York. Desperate for work, Nellie forces her way into the offices of the World and finds herself talking to the managing editor John Cockerill and millionaire Joseph Pulitzer where she presents her ‘insane’ idea of a story.
Without giving away any more plot, I can say that the portion of the novel that takes place at Blackwell’s is incredibly riveting. In fact, after I had read the novel, I fell down a rabbit hole of Googling more information on Bly just to discover more about her incredible life.
Madwoman is a novel that is a fast-paced, incredibly compelling story of a real-life heroine.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a historical fiction style story of Nellie Bly, newspaperwoman and author. I call this historical fiction because there are many conversations held throughout this book that would have been made up. However from what I have read in other sources, it matches the general life story of Nellie until just after her time in the asylum.

The story of Nellie at Blackwell Island in an asylum for the mentally ill is truly harrowing. She was treated terribly, as were the other inmates. Her story helped change at least partially how the mentally ill were treated.

The simple writing level and style of the book made it easy to read. The writing is strange with lowercase and uppercase, not sure if that is just the NetGalley version or if the final one will be like this too.

A few points in Nellie’s history were missed. For example there was no mention of her trip to Mexico before going to NYC. This trip seemed like an important part of her journey professionally, being stationed somewhere and writing the experiences truthfully. I wonder why this was not included. While Nellie is in the institution, everyday felt so long and the author keeps using the words “as the days went by” but really it was one day.

However overall this a good book to read for an introduction to Nellie Bly. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars. Madwoman by Louisa Treger was a fascinating historical novel based on the life and trailblazing work of the woman who became known as Nellie Bly. Her early life was nurturing and inspired her love for stories. Her father encouraged her interest in factual accounts, and her mother told her imaginative stories. After her father's sudden death, her mother married a brutal and abusive man, and they were plunged into poverty and despair. Nellie realized she could not study for a legal career as her father had encouraged. Her love for the written word inspired her to try for a career in journalism, rarely open to women. She was determined to live independently and landed a job writing for a newspaper in Pittsburg. Here she was confined to writing columns of interest to women, such as social gossip and theatre reviews. She was determined to become an investigative reporter and moved to New York City. Once there, she had very little money to sustain herself.

In New York, she convinced a leading newspaper publisher to allow her to go undercover by faking insanity and be confined to the notorious Blackwell insane asylum to report on the horrific conditions therein. The filth, brutality amounting to torture, near-starvation diet, and lack of any reading material or activities made this a fearsome, harrowing place to be confined.

She learned that not all women in this place were mentally ill but were imprisoned there because their husbands or male relatives wanted to be rid of them or they had broken some restrictions of society. Women who were sane on entering were in danger of lapsing into insanity due to their hopeless future. Those who suffered from a mental illness were misdiagnosed and/or offered no helpful treatment. Nellie made friends with two women who were sane like herself but watched in horror as their psychological and physical conditions deteriorated. She was assigned to a sympathetic doctor who felt his treatment benefited her. Nellie tried to interfere with some of the beatings and other torture methods employed by the 'caretakers,' and for speaking out, was savagely punished. Nellie feared that the newspaper would forget to release her, and the grim conditions she experienced were driving her mad.

This account was most disturbing to read, and Blackwell was not the only institution where these appalling conditions occurred. Fortunately, she had not been forgotten by the newspaper and was released from Blackwell against the wishes of those in charge. After taking time to recover mentally and physically in a luxurious hotel, she began writing her reports. These were published in the newspaper and caused a sensation. This led to an inquiry. Conditions improved due to increased financial aid from the city. She had promised her two friends that she would work towards their legal release but learned to her sorrow, that both had died.

Her romantic feelings toward the doctor led to rumours when they met after her release, but little is known as fact. I thought the chapters detailing her early life could have been condensed, and her memories of early happier times that sustained her while in confinement were an unnecessary recap. She was now driven to maintain her career as the first female investigative reporter, and her work opened up the newspapers to hire capable women for important roles in journalism. Her bravery and determination became an inspiration for others.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA for this informative and compelling ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed the beginning of the book but soon found it long winded and was not interested enough to finish it.

Was this review helpful?

What an interesting historical fiction account of Nellie Bly’s story!

As I was only generally aware of the woman that this story was based on, it really helped to open up my knowledge of her; as well as it prompted me to do additional research on the side while and after reading.

Going into it and being aware that it was from a time many years ago, I was slightly preparing myself to uncover the conditions that were within the asylum. It can be shocking to discover what was allowed to happen in those times.

This book comes at a time where mental health is being discussed much more than it ever has been. To think of what discoveries could have occurred even earlier if people knew more or were willing to engage in discussion more is evident. This story really sympathized with people who were wrongly admitted into asylums or incorrectly diagnosed/improperly treated for their ailments.

This story really showcased a range of emotions and inner turmoil. Making big decisions can be extremely hard, but also very worth while. In the end, it really showed that, as a people, we could be more accepting and open/empathetic to more people, especially when we don’t know their full story of what they are personally going through.

Thank you to the author, Louisa Treger, Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the arc ebook!

Was this review helpful?

It was a perfect title for this book. This woman named Eli EB LY Well the woman who wanted to become a journal i Had to fight for everything to be a newspaper writer because the men would not allow her but she proved them wrong despite all the obstacles Her father gave her the back phone and he died early and then I'm in the book and then the mother suffered for a lot of different reasons with her 2nd husband but I will not get married and fall into that trap. And then she went to New York I want to New York to write for the world news. She told the editor Put me in the style on BLA CK WELL .. I couldn't believe what this one went through to do this undercover story that was pretty brave for a woman at that time and that day but everybody how bad it was and no 1 realized I could read this book how women were treated like that in the older days.. They could be putting for any reason the husband didn't like them or they were too reckless with their lives. It's programmed for a lot of reasons and how things were changed after this was exposed in the newspapers... And then she was respected by all the newsmen and how brave she really was. The book has a weird Twisted ending.

Was this review helpful?

"Madwoman" by Louisa Treger is historical fiction at its best. Treger tells the story of Elizabeth Cochran Seaman, known to her family as Pinky and known to the rest of the world as Nellie Bly. Her love of reading is fostered by both her parents, and her writing ability flowed out of that passion for stories. What started as an idyllic childhood turns difficult when her father dies. His death sets her family on a tough path of abuse and struggle that only ends when her mother reaches the end of her rope. Bly's career as a reporter starts in Pittsburgh, then drastically changes when she moves to NYC and takes on the challenge of infiltrating an insane asylum on Blackwell's Island. The chapters covering her time in the asylum are some of the most harrowing to read. The descriptions of how inmates are treated are scary and sad. They will make you angry as you read it, knowing that Miss Bly actually subjected herself to this. Ten days of hell is what she suffered...and yet her sacrifice did bring about some changes in that asylum and in others across the country. Because of this, she became a star reporter for Pulitzer's paper, and continued reporting on the ills of society. I enjoyed reading this book about such a strong, intrepid woman. It is high on my list of great books to read, and definitely one of the best to read in honor of Women's History Month (March).

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I will be posting this review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on August 24, 2022.

Was this review helpful?

MADWOMAN
BY: LOUISA TREGER

Louisa Treger has written a fascinating account of Nellie Bly's life based on factual data. Nellie Bly was the first female newspaper reporter trailblazing the path for future women to be able to do investigative reporting. It wasn't easy by any means and how she broke open the story was difficult to read at times, but absolutely gripping.

The book begins in 1870's where Elizabeth Jane Cochran's early life was charmed by living on a farm her Poppa, who was a judge who taught her to read and her mother told her stories which laid the foundation for the grown up Nellie's ambitions. Nicknamed Pinkie because her mother dressed her in Pink her youth was filled with days competing with her two older brothers and riding her horse. Poppa instilled in his daughter that reading and writing could give her options that most women didn't have during that time period.

Everything changed when Poppa died leaving no will and the family was forced to move into a smaller home. Her mother was grief stricken and she mourned Nellie's father. When her mother recovered she met and quickly married a man named Jack whom was as it turned out to be very abusive. He worked less and accused their mother of stealing the housekeeping money. He lived off their mother's money and he grew violent. Nellie said to herself that after witnessing Jack's violence she would never depend on a man. Her mother, Mary Jane, finally divorced Jack and the family made a fresh start by moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Nellie got her first job as a writer for the Pittsburgh Dispatch but soon moved to New York to pursue her place and hone her skills as a writer of journalism seeking a job with Joseph Pulitzer at the newspaper called the World. They didn't hire women and Nellie convinced them that she had talent to write and she would prove it by exposing the cruelties happening at the Blackwell's Island Asylum. Nellie pitched the daring idea to expose the alleged brutality and neglect of the patients at Blackwell's by to be a patient committed there.

Nellie Bly spent ten harrowing days inside Blackwell's Island Asylum suffering the indignities that were beyond cruelties that the sadistic staff imposed on Nellie and other patients. She made some friends while there who were no more insane than she was. Squalid conditions and moldy food was served that wasn't fit to eat. Freezing cold baths and mildewed blankets in the most inhumane treatment. Nellie almost went mad herself except for one doctor was kind and she used her investigative skills to ask him questions. She was promised by the Editor and Joseph Pulitzer that they would get her out. She felt at times that they forgot her as she was starting to lose her sanity towards the end. A lawyer finally showed up to get Nellie out and the newspaper put her up in a fancy hotel so she could recover.

I was so sick at heart reading about what went on at Blackwell Island Asylum. I will not write how bleak the conditions were and Nellie Bly witnessed firsthand. Now she could expose the suffering that was endured by herself and the other patients. Nellie requested that two of her fellow inmates be released. Her expose was a national sensation. A grand jury was convened to look into the brutal treatment.

This sort of reminded me of Kate Moore's excellent book that I recently read called, "The Woman They Could Not Silence". Only this one was more graphic and difficult to read during Nellie's incarceration as one of the patient's. It is hard to imagine how Nellie survived her ten long day stay at Blackwell's Island Asylum. I feel for the women who died there and were placed there when they became an inconvenience. Luckily, this day and age there are no longer incidents like what was going on in the year Nellie faked her own madness to gain access to expose everything that she was able to experience first hand witness how other's were also treated inhumanely in 1887.

Publication Date: August 23, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Louisa Treger and Bloomsbury USA Bloomsbury Books for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#Madwoman #LouisaTreger #BloomsburyUSABloomsburyBooks #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?