Review - The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
I received a free NetGalley of this book, but my opinions are all my own.
The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear is historical non-fiction, telling the story of Elizabeth Packard and her fight for women’s rights in the 19th century. The author uses Packard’s own writings, as well as the writings of others, to tell this in-depth story of the problems facing married women in the Civil War era.
Elizabeth Packard was sent to an insane asylum by her husband Theophilus. He forcibly removed her from her home, her six children, and her life, labelling her as “insane” and locking her up to protect himself from criticism for her opinions. Elizabeth was a force to be reckoned with, and not only did she survive the insane asylum, but she went on to change laws throughout the country so that the same thing would not continue happening to other married women.
The book is extremely detailed. I enjoyed reading it and learned much that I didn’t know about the Civil War era and women’s rights. The author really brings the reader into Elizabeth’s experience. We experience the frustrating feeling of being trapped right along with her. We experience the confusion as it is difficult to know who is trustworthy. We experience the heartbreak of her life as a mother.
Overall, I recommend this book. It is well-researched, well-written, and still relevant to the struggles of our day. At times it does move slowly and I feel that the story could have been told just as effectively in fewer pages. But ultimately, the author has done an incredible job with a difficult and complicated subject.
