Madwoman: Nellie Bly

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In this compelling tribute to a fearless young reporter of Victorian New York, Treger brings to vivid life the way one woman's broken past gives her the strength to expose the many horrors faced by others left to rot in an asylum. An important and shining book that brings to light a female pioneer who needs to be understood and celebrated. I’ve always been interested in the life of Nellie Bly, so I was really looking forward to reading this fictionalised (but very close to what actually happened) account of her 10-day incarceration in a lunatic asylum. A fascinating story of a can-do woman, but I could've come to every conclusion the book laid out for me without being told. This was such a captivating read, made even more so by the fact that it was based upon a true woman and her story.

Madwoman is one of the best, a magnificent portrayal of Nellie Bly in all her journalistic integrity and daring.The audio itself is deftly performed by Laurel Lefkow, who reflects Bly's newspaper vocation, giving the text just a hint of one of the big stories being read out from that day's paper. 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 on Blackwell's Island. Her ambition is at best tolerated, at worst seen as unfeminine, wrong, in some sense, bound to lead to trouble and perhaps indicative of an unsound mind. The New York newspapers are uninterested in Nellie’s previous success, women journalists are not welcome on Park Row.

Overall an enjoyable read and has made me want to investigate more into the history of this “mad” woman’s life. Trigger warnings: forced institutionalizing, self- induced vomiting (not ed related), drugging, sexist notions, use of dated labels (“lunatics” etc. What she is doing - having herself committed to the asylum - is a deeply serious step and Nellie finds conditions worse there than she could have imagined.Madwoman by Louisa Treger is an engrossing story giving a fascinating insight into the remarkable life of pioneering 19th century journalist Nellie Bly. There are hints of scandal in an institution - the asylum on "Blackwell's Island" in New York - and an intrepid investigative journalist sets out to penetrate the establishment and expose the truth.