Author(s): Louisa Treger

Fiction | Staff Picks

**A HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES**___________________________'A moving story' SUNDAY TIMES, Best historical fiction books of 2022'A must read!' GILL PAUL'Intriguing ... A fascinating read' HAZEL GAYNOR'Remarkable' ESSIE FOX'An astonishing tour de force' REBECCA MASCULLIn 1887 young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take.But life in the city is tougher than she imagined. Down to her last dime and desperate to prove her worth, she comes up with a dangerous plan- to fake insanity and have herself committed to the asylum that looms on Blackwell's Island. There, she will work undercover to document - and expose - the wretched conditions faced by the patients.But when the asylum door swings shut behind her, she finds herself in a place of horrors, governed by a harshness and cruelty she could never have imagined. Cold, isolated and starving, her days of terror reawaken the traumatic events of her childhood. She entered the asylum of her own free will - but will she ever get out?An extraordinary portrait of a woman way ahead of her time, Madwoman is the story of a quest for the truth that changed the world.'Madwoman is one of the best, a magnificent portrayal of Nelly Bly in all her journalistic integrity and daring' New York Journal of Books

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Reviewed by Natalie:

Based on the true story of Nellie Bly, an investigative journalist who had to feign insanity to be taken seriously. Once committed to the infamous Blackwell's asylum, Nellie and the other patients face horrifying abuse from nurses and staff. This book was shocking and sad but overall an interesting insight into the beginning of women in journalism and how Nellie exposed the terrible living conditions and abuse in the asylum.