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：2021-08-27 03:40:57
- Update Date：2025-09-24
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- Author：Kate Moore
- ISBN：1914484002
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Summary
From the internationally bestselling author of The Radium Girls comes a dark but ultimately uplifting tale of a woman whose incredible journey still resonates today。
Elizabeth Packard was an ordinary Victorian housewife and mother of six。 That was， until the first Woman’s Rights Convention was held in 1848， inspiring Elizabeth and many other women to dream of greater freedoms。 She began voicing her opinions on politics and religion – opinions that her husband did not share。 Incensed and deeply threatened by her growing independence， he had her declared ‘slightly insane’ and committed to an asylum。
Inside the Illinois State Hospital， Elizabeth found many other perfectly lucid women who， like her， had been betrayed by their husbands and incarcerated for daring to have a voice。 But just because you are sane， doesn’t mean that you can escape a madhouse …
Fighting the stigma of her gender and her supposed madness， Elizabeth embarked on a ceaseless quest for justice。 It not only challenged the medical science of the day and saved untold others from suffering her fate， it ultimately led to a giant leap forward in human rights the world over。
Elizabeth Packard was an ordinary Victorian housewife and mother of six。 That was， until the first Woman’s Rights Convention was held in 1848， inspiring Elizabeth and many other women to dream of greater freedoms。 She began voicing her opinions on politics and religion – opinions that her husband did not share。 Incensed and deeply threatened by her growing independence， he had her declared ‘slightly insane’ and committed to an asylum。
Inside the Illinois State Hospital， Elizabeth found many other perfectly lucid women who， like her， had been betrayed by their husbands and incarcerated for daring to have a voice。 But just because you are sane， doesn’t mean that you can escape a madhouse …
Fighting the stigma of her gender and her supposed madness， Elizabeth embarked on a ceaseless quest for justice。 It not only challenged the medical science of the day and saved untold others from suffering her fate， it ultimately led to a giant leap forward in human rights the world over。
Reviews
Kathy Haygood
，
An eye opener。 A book that should be discussed with all in schools。 What Elizabeth managed to do is absolutely amazing。
Emily
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An emotional and powerful book that will hopefully continue to inspire reform for all those oppressed。
Pat Jorgenson Waterchilde
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An extraordinary read by an author that has a gift of writing nonfiction that you can't stop reading。Ms。 Moore has documented that life story of Elizabeth Packard whose husband committed her to an insane asylum in 1860。 She spoke her mind on various subjects and as he did not agree she was judged insane。Not only does the author provide remarkable information on Elizabeth's life and fights on behalf of women， she documents with expertise the climate of the nation and women's rights in the United An extraordinary read by an author that has a gift of writing nonfiction that you can't stop reading。Ms。 Moore has documented that life story of Elizabeth Packard whose husband committed her to an insane asylum in 1860。 She spoke her mind on various subjects and as he did not agree she was judged insane。Not only does the author provide remarkable information on Elizabeth's life and fights on behalf of women， she documents with expertise the climate of the nation and women's rights in the United States。 Very well written and very informative！ 。。。more
Vivien Kent
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Incredible story， extraordinary woman and a brilliant， gripping read。
Violeta
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4。5 stars。 Thoroughly researched， page-turning nonfiction about one woman’s relentless resistance and advocacy in the face of attempts to silence， institutionalize， control， and discredit her。 I learned so much reading this…and keenly felt how relatively recently in sociopolitical and medical history the events in this book happened。
Terri
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Very good book recommend it。。
Judie
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Excellent read！ Incredible that we did not know of this brave women’s efforts on behalf of women’s rights （they had none） in the 19th century。
Allison
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This is a very accessible read about a remarkable woman。 Elizabeth Packard spent 3 years unjustly trapped in an insane asylum by her husband， a man who was determined to silence her burgeoning independence。 Torn from her six children， her homestead， and every friend she had， she found herself at the mercy of Dr McFarland who frequently ignored her please for help as well as the abuse going around inside the asylum under his watch。 Instead of succumbing to her fate silently Packard began the type This is a very accessible read about a remarkable woman。 Elizabeth Packard spent 3 years unjustly trapped in an insane asylum by her husband， a man who was determined to silence her burgeoning independence。 Torn from her six children， her homestead， and every friend she had， she found herself at the mercy of Dr McFarland who frequently ignored her please for help as well as the abuse going around inside the asylum under his watch。 Instead of succumbing to her fate silently Packard began the type of activism that makes a difference。 This book is very accessible and readable for wide audiences especially those interested in feminist history， issues surrounding the treatment of the mentally ill and our society， and fans of a well told and well research story of a remarkable person in history。 。。。more
Ruth
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Amazing story of a woman who， until this book， was certainly forgotten by history。 She accomplished amazing results that we women all benefit from today。 And it points up the lengths to which men， yet today， still try to oppress us。 The afterword by Margaret Atwood sizzles。
Donna
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WOW！！！ What a fabulous book！！ I had read Kate Moore's wonderful Radium Girls and was really looking forward to reading this next narrative non-fiction book。 And it did not disappoint！！It is the story of Elizabeth Packard， a housewife and mother of six children。 Her husband， Theophilus Packard is a clergyman。 Elizabeth does something that is just not done--she has a different opinion about religion than he does！！！ I know， right！！ Married women were little more than property and could be sent to a WOW！！！ What a fabulous book！！ I had read Kate Moore's wonderful Radium Girls and was really looking forward to reading this next narrative non-fiction book。 And it did not disappoint！！It is the story of Elizabeth Packard， a housewife and mother of six children。 Her husband， Theophilus Packard is a clergyman。 Elizabeth does something that is just not done--she has a different opinion about religion than he does！！！ I know， right！！ Married women were little more than property and could be sent to an asylum for any number of reasons by her husband without trial！！ And after reading some the reasons， I have no doubt that I would have been locked up （reading novels was one such reason）。 So， Elizabeth is sent to the asylum in Jacksonville， Illinois， where she sees many other women just like her。 As the story develops， Elizabeth befriends several of the patients and the attendants。 The superintendent， Dr。 Andrew McFarland comes across as a friend and supporter， but he betrays her time after time。The book chronicles Elizabeth's battles for her own release， supported by friends and her older sons trying to get a trial to prove her sanity。 And she fights for the rights of others in asylums to get oversight to prevent abuse and wrongful imprisonment。 Finally， she fights for the rights of married women and women everywhere to be equal to their husbands and men before the law。It is an amazing story and after reading this and Radium Girls， I realize how much we owe to these unknown women who have given so much so that we can have at least a fighting chance。 Highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Jeri
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One of the best books I have ever read。
Sarah
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I think I'm going to read everything Kate Moore writes。 The topics she chooses and the way she writes about them are so compelling。 I also think some of the men in 1860 needed to be put in asylums more than the women。 I think I'm going to read everything Kate Moore writes。 The topics she chooses and the way she writes about them are so compelling。 I also think some of the men in 1860 needed to be put in asylums more than the women。 。。。more
Scooby
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Must readThis book was fascinating。 I’m so glad this author is telling the stories about women who have done so much for women in our country， especially at a time when women were not respected。
Sara
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I really wanted to like this book。 I thought Radium Girls was extremely well done。 And the topic is intriguing: husbands committed difficult wives to the insane asylum to control them。 But despite clearly exhaustive research， I found this book tedious and way too long。 It also fails to address some of the more unappealing aspects of its heroine （she was an unapologetically racist and often compared her situation to slavery）。 This book would have benefited from tighter writing and judicious editi I really wanted to like this book。 I thought Radium Girls was extremely well done。 And the topic is intriguing: husbands committed difficult wives to the insane asylum to control them。 But despite clearly exhaustive research， I found this book tedious and way too long。 It also fails to address some of the more unappealing aspects of its heroine （she was an unapologetically racist and often compared her situation to slavery）。 This book would have benefited from tighter writing and judicious editing。 。。。more
J。J。
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Import work on a crusader in women's rights and rights for the mentally ill。 Overall horrifying read as a woman。 I especially was impressed with the authors placement of the more well known historical facts of the days， ie Civil War battles， the assassination of Lincoln， etc。 which really positioned this story in the larger American landscape。 Import work on a crusader in women's rights and rights for the mentally ill。 Overall horrifying read as a woman。 I especially was impressed with the authors placement of the more well known historical facts of the days， ie Civil War battles， the assassination of Lincoln， etc。 which really positioned this story in the larger American landscape。 。。。more
Kay
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Wow。 This book was …。infuriating， inspiring， upsetting and I could not stop reading it。 I listened to the audio book and it was truly fascinating and educational。
Andrew Kline
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Five stars for the topics， three and a half stars for the writing。 Similar to Radium Girls， the writing is a little too inconsistent， but the story of Elizabeth Packard is essential reading。 Set in the 1860s， in the shadow of the Civil War， Ms。 Packard wages her own war against her husband， the insane asylum she has been committed to， and the laws of the land that deny married women any agency。 The tribulations she endures are near unimaginable， and she somehow finds the strength to survive and Five stars for the topics， three and a half stars for the writing。 Similar to Radium Girls， the writing is a little too inconsistent， but the story of Elizabeth Packard is essential reading。 Set in the 1860s， in the shadow of the Civil War， Ms。 Packard wages her own war against her husband， the insane asylum she has been committed to， and the laws of the land that deny married women any agency。 The tribulations she endures are near unimaginable， and she somehow finds the strength to survive and continue fighting through situations that would have easily broken most men。 Perhaps the original American #MeToo/#TimesUp movement。 There are parts that drag。 It is obvious that Moore wanted the reader to experience every up-and-down in Elizabeth's life， but it was repetitive at times， and at others， fears or anxieties that did not manifest。 For the sake of pacing， some of it could have been condensed or skipped， but as a reader， I pushed through the less compelling section because I felt I owed it to Elizabeth to read her story in its entirety。 Impressively and meticulously researched， Moore establishes her niche as a voice for the forgotten and unheard。 Considering one of her offenders still has his portrait hanging in a place of prominence， and mental health issues slowing becoming less stigmatized， this is a perfect time for this book。 。。。more
Anne Michaud
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Quite a good story about a woman， Elizabeth Packard， who helped reform mental health treatment in the U。S。 She fought for legal hearings prior to involuntary commitment and for inmates' right to receive mail。 Some of her reforms helped Mary Todd Lincoln regain her freedom。 I was a little unsettled by the author "knowing" small details， such as Elizabeth lifting her gaze at the dinner table to take in the other women at the table。 Such details are unknowable。 However， such details also made for a Quite a good story about a woman， Elizabeth Packard， who helped reform mental health treatment in the U。S。 She fought for legal hearings prior to involuntary commitment and for inmates' right to receive mail。 Some of her reforms helped Mary Todd Lincoln regain her freedom。 I was a little unsettled by the author "knowing" small details， such as Elizabeth lifting her gaze at the dinner table to take in the other women at the table。 Such details are unknowable。 However， such details also made for a highly readable book。 I recommend it for anyone interested in the rights of married women and the history of commitment in the U。S。 。。。more
Holly Ites
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I had to give this book five stars based more on the subject matter than the writing。 It's a story everyone should read to understand the struggle women have had in obtaining protection against abusive husbands。 In an era when women， as well as children， were the property of marriage， Elizabeth Packard was legally committed to an insane asylum because her opinions regarding religion and slavery， among other subjects， differed from her husband's。 She spent three years locked away from her childre I had to give this book five stars based more on the subject matter than the writing。 It's a story everyone should read to understand the struggle women have had in obtaining protection against abusive husbands。 In an era when women， as well as children， were the property of marriage， Elizabeth Packard was legally committed to an insane asylum because her opinions regarding religion and slavery， among other subjects， differed from her husband's。 She spent three years locked away from her children in a system that paradoxically required that she admit she was insane to prove she was sane。 She refused。 Against the odds， she gained her independence， and through her determination， intelligence， and charisma was able to generate support in enacting laws to allow married women equal rights to property and custody of children and bring about reform in psychiatric hospitals。 Using excerpts from Elizabeth's journals and books， Moore relates the overall message that a woman with a mission may bend， but she does not break。 。。。more
Marilyn
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The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore was both inspirational and riveting。 I listened to the audiobook that was masterfully read by the author。 It is embarrassing that I had no idea who Elizabeth Packard was prior to listening to this captivating audiobook。 How she slipped through history without more of a presence was hard to fathom！ Elizabeth Packard was a true heroine in women’s rights。 Author， Kate Moore， impeccably researched this book and combined her research with her masterful s The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore was both inspirational and riveting。 I listened to the audiobook that was masterfully read by the author。 It is embarrassing that I had no idea who Elizabeth Packard was prior to listening to this captivating audiobook。 How she slipped through history without more of a presence was hard to fathom！ Elizabeth Packard was a true heroine in women’s rights。 Author， Kate Moore， impeccably researched this book and combined her research with her masterful storytelling and talent to remind everyone about this all but forgotten woman who changed the history of women’s rights。 The Woman They Could Not Silence was a true account of Elizabeth Packard’s time in an insane asylum and her long and difficult fight she fought in the name of mental health rights for women and the rights of married women。 Kate Moore relied heavily on letters， memoirs and trial transcripts to detail the obstacles Elizabeth faced both before her confinement in the insane asylum and after。 Although The Woman They Could Not Silence was quite long （over 14 and half hours of listening time）， I found that I could not pull myself away from her story。 I wanted to know more。 In the year 1860， Elizabeth Packard had been married for twenty one years to Theophilus Packard。 Elizabeth was a housewife and patient and loving mother to their six children。 Her children were Elizabeth’s heart and sole。 She lived for them。 Theophilus was a Calvinist minister and quite threatened by Elizabeth’s remarkable intelligence， unheard of independence and inability to hold back her own thoughts on any subject she found contrary to her own thoughts。 In those days， a woman lost all her rights as a U。S。 citizen when they married。 In the eyes of the law， in 1860， the man was always right。 The husband was regarded as being in sole possession of the property where a husband and wife lived and the husband would be awarded complete possession of the children if either were to be contested in a court of law。 The laws always favored the husband。 Based on these laws， Theophilus had no trouble having Elizabeth committed to the Illinois State Hospital insane asylum located in Jacksonville， Illinois， against her will。 He proclaimed her insane just because she had begun to question his religious views。 Theophilus had two friends write letters for him to support his findings。 That was all Theophilus needed to have Elizabeth committed。 At the Illinois State Hospital， Elizabeth quickly learned that she was not the only sane housewife to be committed without evidence of insanity。 Dr。 Andrew McFarland， the doctor in charge of the asylum， held the power to silence Elizabeth and keep her locked up for three long years。 All that time， Elizabeth fought back against her cruel husband， unmoving and detestable doctor who showed the world a different side of him than he showed the patients at the asylum and the 19th century laws that gave men， and especially husbands， absolute power over women and wives。 Elizabeth was determined to change those laws and give women their undeniable rights as citizens。 The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore was both powerful and dramatic。 Elizabeth Packard’s accomplishments were historic and heroic。 She got her points across through her voice during the trials she endured， the books she wrote and by seeking intervention and reform by the government both through individual states and by the national government。 Elizabeth Packard became an advocate for women’s rights。 The Woman They Could Not Silence was a testament to how far women’s rights have progressed from those dire days of 1860 but also how far they still need to come。 Hats off to the courageous and undying bravery Elizabeth Packard displayed as she fought for her own freedom and rights and those of her fellow women。 This is a book not to be missed。 I highly recommend this book。Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for giving me the opportunity to listen to the audiobook of The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Cassandra
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There was a really interesting story couched in here but it was couched in 200+ more pages then necessary。 This was one of the books I wish I wasn't OCD about finishing books because I probably would have moved on about a quarter of the way in。 The last 20% was somewhat redeeming but still didn't make up for so much useless writing。 There was a really interesting story couched in here but it was couched in 200+ more pages then necessary。 This was one of the books I wish I wasn't OCD about finishing books because I probably would have moved on about a quarter of the way in。 The last 20% was somewhat redeeming but still didn't make up for so much useless writing。 。。。more
Leia
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Gut-wrenching and infuriating。 We have to know our history if we want to change the present。
Tasha
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In all honestly， I was somewhat disappointed in the book。 I loved The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women and immediately bought this book when it was released， hoping and expecting the same riveting experience as I had with the other book。 While I feel the author does a good job presenting us with a woman from history that I don't think many have ever heard of， a strong， effective and courageous woman who I'm happy to have learned about， the writing just didn't work for me。 In all honestly， I was somewhat disappointed in the book。 I loved The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women and immediately bought this book when it was released， hoping and expecting the same riveting experience as I had with the other book。 While I feel the author does a good job presenting us with a woman from history that I don't think many have ever heard of， a strong， effective and courageous woman who I'm happy to have learned about， the writing just didn't work for me。 I felt the writing was too full of dramatic effect and lots and lots of quotes which did not give me that narrative non-fiction flow I love。 While the first half of the book held my interest， the second half started to drag and I feel we could have had a more concise experience in that second half。 。。。more
Karen
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Excellent; well written historian account of the Insane Asylums during the 1860's Excellent; well written historian account of the Insane Asylums during the 1860's 。。。more
Kelly Ostrom
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I had no idea who this woman was before reading。 The insidiousness of "insane" （crazy） was so well detailed。 I had no idea who this woman was before reading。 The insidiousness of "insane" （crazy） was so well detailed。 。。。more
Karla
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While there seems to be some slight bias in the telling of the narrative， the story of Elizabeth Packard is skillfully told: This is no typical history read。 The integration of direct quotations from sources was smooth and natural， and the pacing of the information， sometimes revealing information in a non-chronological order， kept the story moving and intriguing。 It is hard to imagine such a controlling world that Elizabeth lived in， yet in 2021 we see the potential re-subjugation of the women While there seems to be some slight bias in the telling of the narrative， the story of Elizabeth Packard is skillfully told: This is no typical history read。 The integration of direct quotations from sources was smooth and natural， and the pacing of the information， sometimes revealing information in a non-chronological order， kept the story moving and intriguing。 It is hard to imagine such a controlling world that Elizabeth lived in， yet in 2021 we see the potential re-subjugation of the women in Afghanistan as the Taliban exerts control again。 It is also a marvel that Elizabeth drew on her own strength and convictions in order to challenge the powerful influences existing in that time period。 。。。more
Grace
，
I took two things away from Kate Moore's "The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman， Her incredible Fight for Freedom， and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear"1。 I hope to one day have half the strength that Elizabeth Packard had when Dr。 MacFarland moved her to the locked ward with the women who actually appeared to be mentally ill （whether they were at the start or it was a result of the abysmal conditions and lack of humanity， that's another story）。 Instead of feeling sorry for herself。 I took two things away from Kate Moore's "The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman， Her incredible Fight for Freedom， and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear"1。 I hope to one day have half the strength that Elizabeth Packard had when Dr。 MacFarland moved her to the locked ward with the women who actually appeared to be mentally ill （whether they were at the start or it was a result of the abysmal conditions and lack of humanity， that's another story）。 Instead of feeling sorry for herself。 Mrs。 Packard begins caring for the women， helping them bathe （for the first time in who knows how long） and cleaning the dormitory-style bedrooms。 2。 If I were a woman in the 1860s， someone would surely have thought I， too， was insane with all my thoughts and ideas。 This is a must-read for mental health professionals and feminists alike。 。。。more
Vlbayman
，
I don't know what it is that makes Kare Moore's writing such a chore for me。 She picks interesting and important subjects for her books， but somehow what should be an engrossing read turns into homework on your least favorite subject in school。 This one was even more of a slog for me than Radium Girls was。 I gave that and this book 4 stars for bringing to light important events from history that many people are unaware of， and for doing impressive research。 But man， it sure seems like these shou I don't know what it is that makes Kare Moore's writing such a chore for me。 She picks interesting and important subjects for her books， but somehow what should be an engrossing read turns into homework on your least favorite subject in school。 This one was even more of a slog for me than Radium Girls was。 I gave that and this book 4 stars for bringing to light important events from history that many people are unaware of， and for doing impressive research。 But man， it sure seems like these should be easier reads than what they are。 。。。more
Liz
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I was really looking forward to this book。 As in Moore's previous book - this title is overstuffed with historic detail。 Much of the evidence comes from the diary and correspondence of Mrs。 Packard， her husband， and the asylum superintendent， Dr。 McFarland。 Their style of writing， full of introspection， drama， and/or aggrandizement， was off-putting to me， but I'm glad I stuck with it。 Once Mrs。 Packard is finally released from the insane asylum following three years after she was committed by he I was really looking forward to this book。 As in Moore's previous book - this title is overstuffed with historic detail。 Much of the evidence comes from the diary and correspondence of Mrs。 Packard， her husband， and the asylum superintendent， Dr。 McFarland。 Their style of writing， full of introspection， drama， and/or aggrandizement， was off-putting to me， but I'm glad I stuck with it。 Once Mrs。 Packard is finally released from the insane asylum following three years after she was committed by her husband for having inconvenient theological beliefs， the pace picks up as Mrs。 Packard advocates for other asylum inmates in particular and married women in general （page 232 on）。 I am personally encouraged by her story of disregarding public approval， nay inviting public vilification， in her pursuit of justice and reclaiming her children。 I imagine myself giving into despair， paralyzed by all the trappings society constructed to keep women silent。 But as is often the case， when a person advocates for herself， her work often is magnified in advocacy for others exponentially and nearly for all time。 Mrs。 Packard and other wives committed to asylums by their husbands were powerless under the law， so she sought to change the laws。 Thank you， Mrs。 Packard！ I can imagine that life for women in America in the 21st century would mirror how Americans view Taliban treatment of women without 30+ bills passed in 24 states under her guidance which shattered the shackles of coverture。I hope that students in my high school library will read this book and feel empowered to follow her example of standing up for the oppressed and campaigning for laws that assure everyone has equal rights and access to justice。 Note the final 100 pages are epilogue， postscript， bibliography and notes。 Hurray for citing sources！ 。。。more
Clara
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