The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
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- Create Date：2021-06-19 18:30:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Kate Moore
- ISBN：B08LR174TM
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Summary
From the New York Times， USA Today， and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Radium Girls comes another dark and dramatic but ultimately uplifting tale of a forgotten woman whose inspirational journey sparked lasting change for women's rights and exposed injustices that still resonate today。
1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil， Elizabeth Packard， housewife and mother of six， is facing her own battle。 The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room。 Her husband of twenty-one years is plotting against her because he feels increasingly threatened—by Elizabeth's intellect， independence， and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts。 So Theophilus makes a plan to put his wife back in her place。 One summer morning， he has her committed to an insane asylum。
The horrific conditions inside the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville， Illinois， are overseen by Dr。 Andrew McFarland， a man who will prove to be even more dangerous to Elizabeth than her traitorous husband。 But most disturbing is that Elizabeth is not the only sane woman confined to the institution。 There are many rational women on her ward who tell the same story: they've been committed not because they need medical treatment， but to keep them in line—conveniently labeled "crazy" so their voices are ignored。
No one is willing to fight for their freedom and， disenfranchised both by gender and the stigma of their supposed madness， they cannot possibly fight for themselves。 But Elizabeth is about to discover that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose。。。
1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil， Elizabeth Packard， housewife and mother of six， is facing her own battle。 The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room。 Her husband of twenty-one years is plotting against her because he feels increasingly threatened—by Elizabeth's intellect， independence， and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts。 So Theophilus makes a plan to put his wife back in her place。 One summer morning， he has her committed to an insane asylum。
The horrific conditions inside the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville， Illinois， are overseen by Dr。 Andrew McFarland， a man who will prove to be even more dangerous to Elizabeth than her traitorous husband。 But most disturbing is that Elizabeth is not the only sane woman confined to the institution。 There are many rational women on her ward who tell the same story: they've been committed not because they need medical treatment， but to keep them in line—conveniently labeled "crazy" so their voices are ignored。
No one is willing to fight for their freedom and， disenfranchised both by gender and the stigma of their supposed madness， they cannot possibly fight for themselves。 But Elizabeth is about to discover that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose。。。
Reviews
Chevy
，
This book was very well done。As a lot of nonfiction works it was a little slow going in the beginning。 I think once the reader gets a feel for the timbre of the narration the book becomes very easy to read。The story progresses with 1 step forward 2 steps back which keeps the reader engaged and wanting more。 The trial IMO was the climax of the book and I couldn’t wait to finish the book。 I felt the author didn’t great job relating what happened to a Elizabeth， the asylum， and women’s rights durin This book was very well done。As a lot of nonfiction works it was a little slow going in the beginning。 I think once the reader gets a feel for the timbre of the narration the book becomes very easy to read。The story progresses with 1 step forward 2 steps back which keeps the reader engaged and wanting more。 The trial IMO was the climax of the book and I couldn’t wait to finish the book。 I felt the author didn’t great job relating what happened to a Elizabeth， the asylum， and women’s rights during the age; even with the portion of her political achievements。 BUT， I didn’t feel satisfied with the information given on her publication of the great drama and it’s 2 volumes。 I would have liked more about the 3 decades of political work she did for women’s rights。 The asylum was literally just the beginning and that’s just about all you get。That being said this was a large （intimidating） book and to add more would have been too much。 It’s enough to make modern day readers aware of the trials women faced in the past and per the postscript even now。 We can chose to read Elizabeth’s original publications for more and be thankful that there were women such as herself who led the path to where we are now。 。。。more
April
，
Nonfiction from the author of The Radium Girls！Historically we all know how backward 19th century thought was concerning women， getting to know the main character Elizabeth， then reading how she was treated was heart-rending。 It made me thankful to all our embattled ancestors who had to endure this for modern women's rights。 It's depressing and sickening to imagine myself in this position。 Although the events illustrated are not pleasant to read 'The Woman They Could Not Silence' by Kate Moore s Nonfiction from the author of The Radium Girls！Historically we all know how backward 19th century thought was concerning women， getting to know the main character Elizabeth， then reading how she was treated was heart-rending。 It made me thankful to all our embattled ancestors who had to endure this for modern women's rights。 It's depressing and sickening to imagine myself in this position。 Although the events illustrated are not pleasant to read 'The Woman They Could Not Silence' by Kate Moore should be recommended reading for all to bear witness， so that this history never repeats itself。 The way she masterfully weaves the life of Elizabeth Packard into an interesting story is pure genius。 I didn't want to put the book down。 Elizabeth was such an intelligent， strong and self assured woman。 She was the perfect subject for a book like this。 "The law did not apply to married women。 They could be received at an asylum simply by the request of the husband。 Because married women at that time in the eyes of the law were civilly dead。 They were not citizens， they were shadows: subsumed within the legal identities of their husbands from the moment they took their marital vows。" "。。。psychiatrists mistakenly deduced that slavery must be advantageous to mental health。 Those few people of color admitted to asylums therefore found the cause of their derangement often listed as just one word: “freedom。” One physician even theorized that to run away from slavery was itself madness。" There is a warning in the beginning of this book that cautions that the author uses vernacular of the time period in all it's insulting glory。 To the modern ear it's shocking but I think in terms of this book we need that shock。 We as readers need the full experience of how horrifying the treatment was。 It also holds a mirror up to our current society in terms of things that haven't changed enough from then til now。 Thanks to Sourcebooks for my egalley。 “Don’t sneer at the suggestion of our aspiring to an equality with the men！… Because perverted manhood has trodden us so long under foot， shall we choose to lick the dust？" -Elizabeth Packard 。。。more
Barbara （The Bibliophage）
，
Originally published on my book blog， TheBibliophage。com。Elizabeth Packard is the subject of Kate Moore’s new book， The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman， Her Incredible Fight for Freedom， and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear。 But I’ll venture to guess you’ve never heard of Mrs。 Packard。 Although her story is quite dramatic， you won’t find her in history books。 And， if her husband Theophilus had anything to say about it， she would have lived out her days in an asylum for the insane。 Originally published on my book blog， TheBibliophage。com。Elizabeth Packard is the subject of Kate Moore’s new book， The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman， Her Incredible Fight for Freedom， and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear。 But I’ll venture to guess you’ve never heard of Mrs。 Packard。 Although her story is quite dramatic， you won’t find her in history books。 And， if her husband Theophilus had anything to say about it， she would have lived out her days in an asylum for the insane。 Yet， she was quite sane。The Packards lived in 19th century midwestern America， and the events of Moore’s book begin just as rumblings of the Civil War start。 Their home is also a civil war of sorts， with Elizabeth supporting abolition and her pastor husband opposing。 Mrs。 Packard spent most of her life birthing and raising six children， keeping house， and being the dutiful pastor’s wife。 Then Theophilus moved his church from one doctrine to another， more conservative one。 And Mrs。 Packard objected。 Publicly。 Mr。 Packard reacted by packing her off to the asylum。 He needed just two amenable doctors to “certify” his wife as insane。And off she goes to Jacksonville， Illinois’ State Hospital， run by Dr。 Andrew McFarland。 Calling him a misogynistic enabler of vindictive husbands is an understatement。 So， Elizabeth fights while stuck in her corner of this triangle。 As best she can， she creates a place for herself in the asylum。 Initially， she makes some friends among both patients and staff。 She even connects with McFarland。 And then things go south， and she ups her game and fights even harder to get out of the hospital。 Because it’s not just her life， but the lives of the many other unjustly incarcerated wives that depend on her ability to escape with her mind intact。My conclusionsMoore tells readers right up front that she chose Mrs。 Packard’s story because she gets out from under this unjust commitment。 So， there’s no spoiler in saying that here。 And it takes hundreds of pages with extensive details to explain how she breaks these bonds。 That’s not a bad thing， it’s just complicated。Moore combines social history with biography。 This is much more than just Elizabeth’s story。 It’s the story of all women in that male-centric society。 And it’s about a politically divided country， which only adds to the divisions in place between men and women。 Moore connects these various stories well and uses events of the day as a foil for Packard’s complex journey to freedom。But at the heart of the story is one strong woman who took stock of her own situation。 Then she determined to help all the other female patients in asylums across the country。 She could’ve just taken the abuse from her husband， McFarland， and the staff。 Instead， she fought back with her words， both verbal and written。 She found a way when the situation seemed hopeless。As inspiring as this is， there are places in the book where the story drags a bit。 The machinations of the legal and mental health system in that era move slowly。 Still， it’s worth persisting because Elizabeth Packard is remarkable。 And Kate Moore does a stellar job telling her story。Pair this with a feminist book set in current day。 Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger from Rebecca Traister came to mind many times as I was reading。 Or my perennial recommendation of either of Kate Manne’s two excellent books， Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny or Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women。AcknowledgementsMany thanks to NetGalley， Sourcebooks， and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more
Marie
，
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy of The Woman They Could Not Silence， publication date June 22， 2021。Well， Kate Moore did it again。 This book was a treasure trove of information about Elizabeth Packard， an absolute beast of a woman。 It was fascinating to read her life story and life’s work。I was both fascinated and horrified by McFarland。 His “character” was spine-chilling， as was Mr。 Packard’s methodical and insidious erosion of Elizabeth’s freedom。 As one or two other pe Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy of The Woman They Could Not Silence， publication date June 22， 2021。Well， Kate Moore did it again。 This book was a treasure trove of information about Elizabeth Packard， an absolute beast of a woman。 It was fascinating to read her life story and life’s work。I was both fascinated and horrified by McFarland。 His “character” was spine-chilling， as was Mr。 Packard’s methodical and insidious erosion of Elizabeth’s freedom。 As one or two other people mentioned， the work is full of quotes and they can be distracting if you focus on it。 However， I also felt they added a very human element to the book， having Elizabeth’s own words as well as several other people’s。Elizabeth Packard is an Inspiration and Kate Moore and did an amazing job bringing her to life on the pages。 。。。more
Chelsey Lepinski
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Review forthcoming on publish date。
Darla
，
Elizabeth Packard is not a household name， but she should be。 When her selfish and cruel husband put her away in the asylum in Jacksonville， Illinois， he thought he had taken away her voice。 That was just the beginning of Elizabeth's life work and dedication to women's rights。 While in the asylum she realized that women like her were not protected from the whims of men who did not want women to use their minds or color outside the lines。 She was motivated to get back to her six children and also Elizabeth Packard is not a household name， but she should be。 When her selfish and cruel husband put her away in the asylum in Jacksonville， Illinois， he thought he had taken away her voice。 That was just the beginning of Elizabeth's life work and dedication to women's rights。 While in the asylum she realized that women like her were not protected from the whims of men who did not want women to use their minds or color outside the lines。 She was motivated to get back to her six children and also to free the women she met inside。 Her story is inspiring。 While in the asylum she was at all times trying to make conditions better for those with her。 She also used her gift for writing to document what she saw and experienced at the time。 Later she would use that information in court to be declared sane， then to support herself and help pass laws on behalf of women who were victimized by current statutes。 It is encouraging to see that there were men who stepped up to assist Elizabeth in her quest。 We owe her a great debt and I hope many will read her story and know her name。 Kate Moore did extensive research to write her story and if you loved The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women， you will also want to pick this one up。Thank you to Sourcebooks and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Robyn
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Notable Books #39
Karen R
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A million thanks to Kate Moore for bringing Elizabeth’s story to life。 I was awed by Kate’s extensive research and compelling storytelling。 Kate points out in her Author Note that this is a nonfiction book and that everything in it is based on careful historical research。 Every line of dialogue comes from a memoir， letter， trial transcript or some other record made by someone who was present at the time。 It is an incredible story。Elizabeth was a remarkable person。 Her husband Theophilus felt so A million thanks to Kate Moore for bringing Elizabeth’s story to life。 I was awed by Kate’s extensive research and compelling storytelling。 Kate points out in her Author Note that this is a nonfiction book and that everything in it is based on careful historical research。 Every line of dialogue comes from a memoir， letter， trial transcript or some other record made by someone who was present at the time。 It is an incredible story。Elizabeth was a remarkable person。 Her husband Theophilus felt so threatened by her independent thinking and philosophy that he conspired to have her committed， tearing her away from her beloved children。 He could not cope with his independent， outspoken wife who was gaining influence so began a conspiracy theory of derangement。 At the time， the law stated that women could be put in an asylum simply based on the request of the husband。As I turned the pages， I became so angry about how women were treated， their intelligence stifled， the ease in which husbands had the ability to force a woman to be locked up in an asylum based on nonsense like simply reading a novel， having sunstroke， or domestic troubles。 There is a historical chart Moore includes that lists these numerous causes of insanity。 The list is insanity！！ The misinformation of science of the times was staggering， quackery rampant。 For example， it was once believed that a woman’s insanity sprang from the position of her uterus。 Moore has meticulously researched historical records。 Actual documents and photos are included and as I looked at a photo of the behemoth-sized Illinois State Hospital in the early 1860’s， I couldn’t help but feel a deep sadness for the many thousands of persons placed there based on fraudulent and idiotic diagnoses of mental illness。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Nicole
，
I received a free copy of this book after winning a Goodreads giveaway。 This book took me nearly a month to read。 The writing was incredible， the research flawless， and the use of primary sources made my history teacher heart happy。 But， I had to dip in and out of this book because at times I found the information so frustrating。 To hear how Elizabeth Packard was treated by her husband， doctors， the law was so hard to stomach。 However， this book is one that should be read， the story needs to be I received a free copy of this book after winning a Goodreads giveaway。 This book took me nearly a month to read。 The writing was incredible， the research flawless， and the use of primary sources made my history teacher heart happy。 But， I had to dip in and out of this book because at times I found the information so frustrating。 To hear how Elizabeth Packard was treated by her husband， doctors， the law was so hard to stomach。 However， this book is one that should be read， the story needs to be told。 I'm so grateful to Kate Moore for researching Elizabeth and telling her story。 。。。more
Debie Orrell
，
The Woman They Could Not Silence， I think this title says it all about this book。 Her husband， the doctor in the asylum， the staff and so many others tried but Elizabeth Packard never quits in telling the truth about the unwarranted testimony to commit Elizabeth to the Illinois State Asylum and the lies and brutal treatment by the Dr。 McFarland to keep her there so the “insane” tendencies could be exhibited， even though they never were。Elizabeth only wanted to be able to say her own beliefs， and The Woman They Could Not Silence， I think this title says it all about this book。 Her husband， the doctor in the asylum， the staff and so many others tried but Elizabeth Packard never quits in telling the truth about the unwarranted testimony to commit Elizabeth to the Illinois State Asylum and the lies and brutal treatment by the Dr。 McFarland to keep her there so the “insane” tendencies could be exhibited， even though they never were。Elizabeth only wanted to be able to say her own beliefs， and live her life as a knowledgeable woman but was condemned by men ti the asylum without hope of getting out even though no symptoms of insanity were evident other than she did t want to live with her abusive husband。 Even while being unfairly committed， she cared for others to show compassion to those that were in the same position she was in。Everyone should read this book and be brave enough to admit the horrors that were inflicted on people without any evidence。 It reads like a fiction novel but is brutally honest about the actual conditions using the actual documented words of Elizabeth。 This is another great read by Kate Moore on the true and real life of Elizabeth Packard。 #Netgalley #Sourcebooks 。。。more
Anne
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The story of Elizabeth Packard is a fascinating and infuriating one。 It was incredibly easy for a man to put his wife or daughter in an asylum with no evidence of any mental problems needed。 This details her fight to be released， and her equality work afterwards as well as her fight to have access to her own children。 I did find it a little long in places and some points felt like they were made more often than was needed - the story makes the points on it's own。 Thank you to Netgalley， the publ The story of Elizabeth Packard is a fascinating and infuriating one。 It was incredibly easy for a man to put his wife or daughter in an asylum with no evidence of any mental problems needed。 This details her fight to be released， and her equality work afterwards as well as her fight to have access to her own children。 I did find it a little long in places and some points felt like they were made more often than was needed - the story makes the points on it's own。 Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher and author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Paige Malone
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Great read！ The husband did not get the end he so deserved but I suppose that’s life。
Annette Jordan
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The Woman They Could Not Silence is the latest release from Kate Moore， whose previous book， The Radium Girls is one of the best non-fiction books I have read in several years， and one that is still as fresh in my memory as when I first read it。 That was a high standard to match and I was equally excited and apprehensive to crack open this new book and see where it would take me。 I am so pleased to report that I was not disappointed， once again the author has given us a compelling story that wil The Woman They Could Not Silence is the latest release from Kate Moore， whose previous book， The Radium Girls is one of the best non-fiction books I have read in several years， and one that is still as fresh in my memory as when I first read it。 That was a high standard to match and I was equally excited and apprehensive to crack open this new book and see where it would take me。 I am so pleased to report that I was not disappointed， once again the author has given us a compelling story that will shock and anger the reader ， but will absolutely have them turning the page desperately to find out what happens next。 The book tells the story of Elizabeth Packard， a woman who was incarcerated in an Asylum for the Insane at the behest of her husband ， and her desperate and protracted struggles to free herself， prove her sanity and reunite with her children。 Beginning in 1860 ， through Elizabeth's tragic story， the author illustrates the desperate plight of so many women， regarded as little more than their husband's property， with no legal rights of their own。 Elizabeth was no ordinary woman however， she was intelligent， determined and charming， and used all of these traits in her battles against her husband and the doctor in charge of the Illinois State Hospital ， Dr Andrew McFarland。 The author really brings her to life on the page， and her stories and struggles are so compelling that I found it difficult to put the book down。 Although I had never heard of Elizabeth Packard before， versions of her story are familiar in fiction， thought I have to say I found her story more chilling ， and ultimately more inspiring， than any fiction I have encountered。 I was impressed by the amount of research the author had put into the book， it was fortunate that she had no shortage of primary documentation to work with given Mrs Packard's published works and many letters ， as well as trial records and documentation of course。 Although it is clear that the research is meticulous ， it never impedes the author in her efforts to tell the story which flows in an impressively engaging manner。 I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher， all opinions are my own， 。。。more
Rosie Cockshutt
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I read this having loved The Radium Girls， and this did not disappoint。Instead of telling the story of a group of women， The Woman They Could Not Silence focuses in on one woman， Mrs Elizabeth Packard and her fight for women’s rights。 What begins as her struggle to free herself from her abusive husbands control and the asylum he has her committed to transforms into a battle to save all the women she discovers being held captive in the same situation。The choice of topic was great on multiple fron I read this having loved The Radium Girls， and this did not disappoint。Instead of telling the story of a group of women， The Woman They Could Not Silence focuses in on one woman， Mrs Elizabeth Packard and her fight for women’s rights。 What begins as her struggle to free herself from her abusive husbands control and the asylum he has her committed to transforms into a battle to save all the women she discovers being held captive in the same situation。The choice of topic was great on multiple fronts。 First， Mrs Packard was a fascinating woman， who lived an extraordinary life and her story makes for an incredible reading experience。 Second， Mrs Packard was an avid journaller and letter writer， as were many of the people who are involved in her story so there is a lot of primary documentation to work with。 Third， her story is still highly relevant and moving for the modern reader。This was a deeply emotional and thought provoking read， but the writing style kept me engaged and wanting to read more。 。。。more
Brittany Murhammer
，
I loved learning Elizabeth's history。 What a powerful woman that changed so many things for the better for all women， just so she could live her own happily ever after。 If it weren't for Elizabeth and her supporters， it's hard to imagine where we could possibly be today in regards to mental health and women's rights。 I loved learning Elizabeth's history。 What a powerful woman that changed so many things for the better for all women， just so she could live her own happily ever after。 If it weren't for Elizabeth and her supporters， it's hard to imagine where we could possibly be today in regards to mental health and women's rights。 。。。more
Roberta Young
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Before women could fight for the right to vote， they had to fight for the right to be a person if married。 A stunning book of a woman who not only fought to be freed from the insane asylum her husband than committed her to， but to fight for the right of all women to be a person。 All this takes place around the same time the US is fighting the Civil War。 Women and slaves had a lot in common。
Jane
，
The subject matter was very interesting。 The book was well researched and presented the lack of rights women had in this country as well。
Sharon
，
The idea that a husband could put his wife away in an insane asylum makes many of go "What！！？？" but that was the way it was in the 1800s。 Women were chattel， with no rights and no property and usually， no money of their own。 Husbands could do whatever they darn well pleased， and many of them did just that。 Get the little wifey out of the way， and then get on with their lives。 Elizabeth Packard was a free-thinker， well-educated， and seen as unstable by her husband， who determined to lock her away The idea that a husband could put his wife away in an insane asylum makes many of go "What！！？？" but that was the way it was in the 1800s。 Women were chattel， with no rights and no property and usually， no money of their own。 Husbands could do whatever they darn well pleased， and many of them did just that。 Get the little wifey out of the way， and then get on with their lives。 Elizabeth Packard was a free-thinker， well-educated， and seen as unstable by her husband， who determined to lock her away。 He did just that， leaving him with six children to raise - but of course， he hired a sweet， young housekeeper to care for the family。 The oldest daughter who was 11， was forced to take on the task of caring for the younger children and doing most of the cooking and housework。 Packard felt quite sure her stay at the asylum would be short and she would go back to her family。 Years passed and she remained locked away。 She wrote journal entries， learning to hide them wherever she could， to protect them and make sure those records would remain to tell her story。 The chapters are short， the book is lengthy。 I found myself reading a chapter or two each day， and then thinking my way through it。 The ordeal that Packard went through will stay with the reader for some time。 I received an e-galley from NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Julie
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Even now in the 21st century， frequently at a wedding， the father “walks the bride down the aisle” and “gives her away” to the husband， as if she were property。 Let’s stop this old fashioned custom。
Shirley Anderson
，
Fantastic！ Historical and hard to imagin what life was like for woman。 Hzard to believe what husband could do legally to there wife。 A great read！ Suspenseful and couldn't wait to see what happened in this woman's fight Fantastic！ Historical and hard to imagin what life was like for woman。 Hzard to believe what husband could do legally to there wife。 A great read！ Suspenseful and couldn't wait to see what happened in this woman's fight 。。。more
Denise
，
What a great read！ I always knew the name Elizabeth Packard， but was not familiar with her whole story。 This book gives a full account of exactly what she did for women’s rights。 Definitely recommend this read！ The book also includes questions for book clubs ， an interview with the author， and a very in-depth bibliography and footnotes。 * I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from SOURCEBOOKS and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
Jessica Johnson
，
This was a great book。 I learned so much about psychiatric hospitals and women's rights in the 1860s。 Elizabeth played an important role in getting many laws changed and created， in not just her home state of Illinois but other states as well。 This was a great book。 I learned so much about psychiatric hospitals and women's rights in the 1860s。 Elizabeth played an important role in getting many laws changed and created， in not just her home state of Illinois but other states as well。 。。。more
Brenda Schneider
，
A amazing story of a woman and her struggles and triumphs during a very hard time for women。I won this book through goodreads。
Justine
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Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing an ARC！
Catherine
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3。5 stars Thank you NetGalley for an ARCI have mixed feelings with this book。 As a big fan of Radium Girls， I was thrilled by the synopsis of this book。 A women’s history book about social and gender injustice？ Here for it。 The beginning quarter of the book moved slowly， setting the tone and context。 While understandable， it took a while to get into it， and specifically all the footnotes that appear frequently。 As the book progressed， I really enjoyed the social contextualization and informative 3。5 stars Thank you NetGalley for an ARCI have mixed feelings with this book。 As a big fan of Radium Girls， I was thrilled by the synopsis of this book。 A women’s history book about social and gender injustice？ Here for it。 The beginning quarter of the book moved slowly， setting the tone and context。 While understandable， it took a while to get into it， and specifically all the footnotes that appear frequently。 As the book progressed， I really enjoyed the social contextualization and informative history of the time period。 Elizabeth’s story is heartbreaking yet riveting。 Her incredible strength is an driving force throughout the book and she radiates clear resilience。The book could have been edited more。 As the book went on there was a lot of information that fell flat or mundane。 I think overall it didn’t need to be 500 or so pages that it was。 This didn’t hold me engrossed page to page like Radium Girls did。 but overall it was enjoyable and education read on a topic we assume happened throughout history but never known in depth。 。。。more
KarenK2
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I received this from Netgalley。com。 A fictionalized account of Elizabeth Packard。 We hear some of her thoughts as they are spoken through her letters and journals。 Incredible story。3。5☆
Victoria
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Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sharing this upcoming fiction title by the author of The Radium Girls。 Elizabeth Packard， the woman they could not silence， was new to me。 She obviously never got the lasting name recognition of an Elizabeth Cady Stanton but her actions were equally important。 Unjustifiably sent to and kept at an asylum through the complicity and duplicitousness of her husband and the asylum administrator， Packard refused to give in to despair or censor her belief in her i Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for sharing this upcoming fiction title by the author of The Radium Girls。 Elizabeth Packard， the woman they could not silence， was new to me。 She obviously never got the lasting name recognition of an Elizabeth Cady Stanton but her actions were equally important。 Unjustifiably sent to and kept at an asylum through the complicity and duplicitousness of her husband and the asylum administrator， Packard refused to give in to despair or censor her belief in her intelligence and sanity。 She fought for agency for herself and both women and mental health patients and was ultimately successful。 Like The Radium Girls， the tale is horrific in parts and enraging all the way through。 I highly recommend this for anyone who likes nonfiction， anyone who is interested in women’s history， or who enjoyed The Radium Girls。 。。。more
Joyce
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Kudos to Kate Moore。 The Woman They Could Not Silence should be required reading for high school seniors and college English students as well。Detail， details and more details show diligent historical research。Thoroughly amazed at the achievements of one woman's journey to total freedom as an American citizen。A VERY GOOD READ。 Kudos to Kate Moore。 The Woman They Could Not Silence should be required reading for high school seniors and college English students as well。Detail， details and more details show diligent historical research。Thoroughly amazed at the achievements of one woman's journey to total freedom as an American citizen。A VERY GOOD READ。 。。。more
Luke Goldstein
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Kate Moore， the fantastic author of The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women， returns with another true story of women suffering horrible injustices， but now there is no sheen of justification， no protection by "the greater good。" The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman， Her Incredible Fight for Freedom， and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear brings to life the story of Elizabeth Packard， a fiercely intelligent woman sent to an insane asylum for having an opinion diff Kate Moore， the fantastic author of The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women， returns with another true story of women suffering horrible injustices， but now there is no sheen of justification， no protection by "the greater good。" The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman， Her Incredible Fight for Freedom， and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear brings to life the story of Elizabeth Packard， a fiercely intelligent woman sent to an insane asylum for having an opinion different from her husband。Readers today might think this atrocious injustice was a one-off thing， but back in 1860， Moore points out this wasn't the case:"Incessant talking。" "Unusual zealousness。" "Strong will。" These were， in fact， textbook examples of female insanity in the nineteenth century。 Doctors frequently saw pathology in female personality。These are the very early days of the equality battle we are still fighting more than one hundred and sixty years later。 Women's rights began to bloom in various cities， but it was still treated as a fringe eccentricity。 In Elizabeth's case， her husband， Theophilus， a minister， found his breaking point when she dared to differ from his religious beliefs and quit attending his church。 He couldn't let her disobey him like that in public。 It was dangerous to his standing as a minister and his role in the clergy， but more so， it was devastating to his male-centric worldview。 He took decisive action by rounding up signatures from others， primarily men， to drum up a petition to have Elizabeth declared insane and imprisoned in Jacksonville Insane Asylum。The horrors she witnessed and suffered were unthinkable， yet for her， they were secondary to the pain of being removed from her children。 They became the pilot light burning in the darkness she endured。 She knew she could never give up if she ever wanted to see them again。 She also took a solid practical view of the situation。 If she followed all the rules to the letter and became the perfect patient， the asylum administrator would have no option but to free her。 She was then unaware of how long this fight would finally take and how her priorities would shift。 She still wanted to see her children with every fiber of her being。 Still， her struggle illuminated in painful clarity how women in general， and married women in particular， were not protected at all by the law。This became her driving force， and once her mission was clear， she was unstoppable。 No matter how many men， how many laws， how many societal traditions were in her way， she would make them bend to her eloquence and passion for true fairness and justice。 Even after she secured her release and later her legal status as "sane，" she fought this battle until her dying days decades later。 Outside of her incredible determination， another integral part of her personality was her compassion。 Bearing witness to the treatment of others in the asylum， some of whom did clinically suffer from mental disorders， Elizabeth saw a glaring problem。 She determined that care should not be based on punishment and fear but instead centered on love and understanding。She [Elizabeth] was uniformly kind to her charges， no matter whether they were violent or timid or rude。 "I do not regard an insane person as an object of reproach or contempt， by any means，" she said simply。 "They are objects of pity and compassion; for I regard insanity as the greatest misfortune which can befall a human being in this life。" As such， she had only respect for those who were suffering this affliction。 When every day was a battle， what courage these individuals showed。 What respect and love they were due for the daily wars they won。That section struck me as pressingly relevant to the mental health issues of society today。 The struggles of individuals with these issues cannot be physically displayed， cannot be monitored by a smartwatch， and cannot be easily proven to people who write them off。 While giving us an amazing heroine from the past， Moore has also given us a way to live in the future。 。。。more
Kara
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