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：2021-07-10 08:51:11
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- 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
Amy Gardner
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I loved Kate Moore’s first book so I preordered this as soon as I heard about it。 I am pretty sure that if I had been around during the 1830s that I would also have been locked up as well。 I learned so much more about women’s right， or lack of rights during these times。 I will order any book Kate Moore writes！ I love learning more about history this way。
Jessica Carlson
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I have a disclosure to make before I write this review。 I took a college class on the history of mental health and I already know a great deal that is included in this novel。 And hence found this novel a tad redundant。 The novel tells the true story of Elizabeth Packard， a woman， mother and wife who was placed into an insane asylum against her will。 I had the expectation that this book would discuss more of the hardships women faced in the insane asylum and explain the stories of other women， bu I have a disclosure to make before I write this review。 I took a college class on the history of mental health and I already know a great deal that is included in this novel。 And hence found this novel a tad redundant。 The novel tells the true story of Elizabeth Packard， a woman， mother and wife who was placed into an insane asylum against her will。 I had the expectation that this book would discuss more of the hardships women faced in the insane asylum and explain the stories of other women， but it didn't。 And in my opinion it made this novel a pretty dense case study。 I also did not expect this novel to be so political in the end。 Moore went into much more detail then I was expecting regarding the bills that were passed。 All in all it was a good book。 A tad dense。 Not as great as Radium Girls in my opinion。 。。。more
Erin A。
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3。5 ⭐️ Another great non-fiction story told by Kate Moore。。。 just a bit too long winded for me。 （I felt the same way with Radium Girls。） I did love her conviction to get so many bills passed and laws changed for women and the mentally ill。
Sarah
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Another well written story by Kate Morton。 I knew nothing about Elizabeth Packers until I read this book。 The author did another great job laying this story out and sharing with us Mrs。 packards fight。 It did not move as quickly for me as the radium girls and often found myself picking up other books instead。 Thus four stars instead of five。
Amanda
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4。5 Excellent nonfiction。 Packard’s determination is inspiring！
Jessica
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Kate Moore makes me want to read more non-fiction。 Loved Radium Girls & loved this one。 Takes place in Illinois 🙃 and sheds light on some lesser known history。 Appreciate all the research Moore does for her books！
Emilio III
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Every story has a protagonist and an antagonist。 Elizabeth Packard， the protagonist of this story， had a slew of antagonists， including her husband， her doctor， politicians， church members， and an extended cast of male figures who believed themselves superior to women。If ever there was a story that demonstrated the difference one determined individual can make， it is this one。 Elizabeth Packard was involuntarily committed to an insane asylum solely because her beliefs differed from her husband's Every story has a protagonist and an antagonist。 Elizabeth Packard， the protagonist of this story， had a slew of antagonists， including her husband， her doctor， politicians， church members， and an extended cast of male figures who believed themselves superior to women。If ever there was a story that demonstrated the difference one determined individual can make， it is this one。 Elizabeth Packard was involuntarily committed to an insane asylum solely because her beliefs differed from her husband's。 Her battle to right this wrong not only benefited her but countless other women in similar straits。 The whole idea of women's rights and equality starts with her。 Others followed， but Elizabeth laid the foundation。The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal。" It didn't say anything about women。 Women at that time were only slightly ahead of slaves thanks to egregious laws and regulations that stripped women of equal rights。 When Elizabeth's quest for change hit a brick wall due to some ridiculous law stripping women of a fundamental right， she campaigned to have that and similar laws banned or rewritten。 She accomplished this through her writings and public speaking。 When no publisher would agree to publish her story， she published her work herself， using what the author described as an early example of crowdfunding。 She did this despite having to fight off opponents who questioned her sanity。If you're someone who doesn't read nonfiction because you think it's boring or tedious， I strongly urge you to reconsider。 You won't find a novel with a more compelling story， a richness of characters， and an eloquence of the written word than Elizabeth's writings and that of author Kate Moore， who weaved together this amazing tale。 I also recommend the author's other book Radium Girls。 。。。more
Alle VanWye
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Gaslighting via sexism at its finest！ I’ve never heard of Elizabeth Packard until this book and it’s a shame because she was instrumental in procuring laws that protected both women and the mentally handicapped。 Interesting read that I’m sure others will find educational too。
Beth
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Man， this one hit hard with the bonus timing of Britney's mental health issues and lack of autonomy all over the news。 This country has a lot to atone for， but we also have a long way to go on this issue。 Brutal read but extremely engaging and educational。 Man， this one hit hard with the bonus timing of Britney's mental health issues and lack of autonomy all over the news。 This country has a lot to atone for， but we also have a long way to go on this issue。 Brutal read but extremely engaging and educational。 。。。more
Jennifer
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Very interesting and eye-opening read about the rights of women and mental health。 The postscript really ties it all together to make it relevant to today。 We should all stand up and clap for Elizabeth Packard！
Sadie Gettings
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I really appreciate the telling of Elizabeth Packard’s story， but I did feel the book was pretty long。 Also the amount of quotations in the book really slowed it down for me。 I found myself re-reading multiple pages。
Mlg
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This is an incredible book about a real woman in Illinois who was falsely declared insane and locked up in an insane asylum for 3 years without any recourse。 The story is infuriating because of the ways women were treated and the laws that failed to protect them。 Elizabeth Packard， the main character becomes a crusader both for the rights of women and the mentally ill。 I couldn’t put this book down， it was THAT good。 Definitely one of the best books of the year from the author of Radium Girls。
Marilyn K Orlos
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Thank you to Kate Moore for telling us about a remarkable woman in US history， Elizabeth Packard。 Elizabeth Packard's perseverance， strength， and fortitude helped improve the lives of women and those in insane asylums in the 1860s and was a stepping stone for what we have today。Kate Moore's use of diaries and other first person accounts brought Mrs。 Packard and her plight to life for me today。 Thank you to Kate Moore for telling us about a remarkable woman in US history， Elizabeth Packard。 Elizabeth Packard's perseverance， strength， and fortitude helped improve the lives of women and those in insane asylums in the 1860s and was a stepping stone for what we have today。Kate Moore's use of diaries and other first person accounts brought Mrs。 Packard and her plight to life for me today。 。。。more
Mary Testin
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This is a wonderful non-fiction book I could not put down。 At the time of the Civil War men who wanted to get rid of their wives just declared them insane and put them in an asylum。 This woman disagreed with her husband （a pastor） religious views so he had her committed。 Inside she found many other women sent there under the same fate。 This books tells her story and how， when released， she got the Illinois legislature to pass laws requiring a full review of sanity before commital。
Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews
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I shouldn't be stunned anymore when reading our history。 Whether it's women or people of color， yet here I sit stunned。 The mighty privilege of being a white man is horrifying in so many aspects。 Read our history。 Search out our real and silenced history。 ~Tanja Follow me on Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok I shouldn't be stunned anymore when reading our history。 Whether it's women or people of color， yet here I sit stunned。 The mighty privilege of being a white man is horrifying in so many aspects。 Read our history。 Search out our real and silenced history。 ~Tanja Follow me on Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok 。。。more
LilyRose
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The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore is a phenomenal biography of one woman’s incredible journey of resilience and determination。 Elizabeth Packard was a housewife and mother of six when she began voicing her opinions on politics and religion。 Threatened by Elizabeth’s independent will her husband declares Elizabeth ‘insane’ and has her committed involuntarily to an asylum。 Inside Illinois State Hospital Elizabeth is removed from her family， friends and supporters but discovers a siste The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore is a phenomenal biography of one woman’s incredible journey of resilience and determination。 Elizabeth Packard was a housewife and mother of six when she began voicing her opinions on politics and religion。 Threatened by Elizabeth’s independent will her husband declares Elizabeth ‘insane’ and has her committed involuntarily to an asylum。 Inside Illinois State Hospital Elizabeth is removed from her family， friends and supporters but discovers a sisterhood of patients lucid and similarly betrayed by husbands and family for having a voice or seeking independence。 Elizabeth’s fight to escape the asylum is a long and painful quest marked by her relationship with Dr。 McFarland who dutifully denies her freedom or aspirations。 Elizabeth witnesses shocking abuse and violence during her imprisonment but it is with her sharp mind and the flow of her pen that she seeks justice and truth。 It becomes Elizabeth’s mission to speak up for those whose voices have been stolen and silenced。 This is a well-researched， eye opening and powerful book about a woman who fought for justice and human rights against the prejudice and discrimination that faced women in the eyes of the law， society and politics。 Elizabeth Packards name needs to be remembered for her life， legacy and the countless lives she saved and this book is a beautiful portrait that recognises and celebrates her journey。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy in exchange for honest feedback。 。。。more
Mary Lynn
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Did you know that in1860， a husband could send a woman off to an insane asylum just because he wanted to？ A woman who spoke her mind or disagreed with her husband was likely to meet this fate。 Elizabeth Packard was such a victim， but she relentlessly used her intellect and writing skills to free herself and other women。 This true story documents events that happened in Illinois。 It is shocking and certainly worth reading so we don’t see history repeating itself regarding women’s rights。
Amy
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Great book， exquisite writing。 Men 🙄
Karen York-Fair
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Review forthcoming
Renee Poust
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EVERY WOMAN should read this！
Pat Koch
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I could say that this is my favorite non-fiction and fiction book of this year。 Why？ Because it is non-fiction that reads like a fiction novel。 I could not put it down！ And it is amazing that the story is true！ This important history of both mental health issues and women's rights in our country should be something that should be taught and we all should know。 Elizabeth Packard should be a name that we all should know。 She is indeed my heroine。 I could say that this is my favorite non-fiction and fiction book of this year。 Why？ Because it is non-fiction that reads like a fiction novel。 I could not put it down！ And it is amazing that the story is true！ This important history of both mental health issues and women's rights in our country should be something that should be taught and we all should know。 Elizabeth Packard should be a name that we all should know。 She is indeed my heroine。 。。。more
Chris Webber
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Exhibit #1，353 why it’s important to know history。 This reminds me very much of the movie Hysteria， only fleshed out。 Oh how far women have come in terms of having societal rights and independence。https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 Exhibit #1，353 why it’s important to know history。 This reminds me very much of the movie Hysteria， only fleshed out。 Oh how far women have come in terms of having societal rights and independence。https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 。。。more
Deb
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Glad I read this nonfiction book about a brave woman who did all she could to make life better for women！
Megan
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Elizabeth Packard， condemned to an Illinois asylum in 1860 by her pastor husband simply because of her religious beliefs， was an inspiring figure who fought tirelessly for her freedom and secured liberty for other wrongfully committed women。 Her story leaves me wondering why we don't hear more about her in discussions of mental health advocacy and women's rights。This book would have been perfect if it wasn't so long。 There were a lot of passages that could have been condensed a bit better。 Other Elizabeth Packard， condemned to an Illinois asylum in 1860 by her pastor husband simply because of her religious beliefs， was an inspiring figure who fought tirelessly for her freedom and secured liberty for other wrongfully committed women。 Her story leaves me wondering why we don't hear more about her in discussions of mental health advocacy and women's rights。This book would have been perfect if it wasn't so long。 There were a lot of passages that could have been condensed a bit better。 Otherwise， this was an informative and eye-opening read。 。。。more
Cheryle
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The nonfiction work relates the story of women's rights in 1860's Illinois as well as the United States。 Once a woman married she lost all right to own property， inheritance money， etc。 Her husband was the arbitrator of all business。 In this day and age it seems incredible that such things were allowed， but the author shows us how far it had gone and what atrocities were levied against wives during this time period。1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil， Elizabeth Packard， The nonfiction work relates the story of women's rights in 1860's Illinois as well as the United States。 Once a woman married she lost all right to own property， inheritance money， etc。 Her husband was the arbitrator of all business。 In this day and age it seems incredible that such things were allowed， but the author shows us how far it had gone and what atrocities were levied against wives during this time period。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。。。 。。。more
Linda Scroggy
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Although I am a historical fiction reader， I chose to read this book and am glad I did。 It was a bit lengthy。 I was enthralled by the story and had not known anything about Elizabeth Packard and her story before reading this book。 It was so well researched and written and I truly enjoyed learning about how different and cruel the laws were for women。 And it was during Civil War times。 Amazing ！！！ We have come so far and to learn the history behind it all was so informative。
Kristi Amdur
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What a horror she lived， yet what an inspiration and force this woman was！ A Fascinating slice of history that is so easily taken For granted today。 Women are more indebted to Elizabeth Packard than history would have us know。
Mary
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Kate Moore tells a story that reels you in but the scary part is this is nonfiction and occured right here in the USA。 Elizabeth fought back but it scary to think of how many people were locked up forever just because they did not fit society's norm。 You will feel anger reading this book。 Kate Moore tells a story that reels you in but the scary part is this is nonfiction and occured right here in the USA。 Elizabeth fought back but it scary to think of how many people were locked up forever just because they did not fit society's norm。 You will feel anger reading this book。 。。。more
John Shugert
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Wow， what a human！ A very easy read。
Mandy
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