The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear

Thank you to Bookreporter.com and sourcebooks for an advanced print copy of The Woman they Could Not Silence.

In The Woman They Could Not Silence Kate Moore gives voice to a little known woman in history- Elizabeth Packard. It is an amazing story of how one woman did not give up on exposing the abuses of the mental health system, such as it was, during the mid 1800’s. Although it’s a nonfiction book based on extensive historical research it reads more like historical fiction, my favorite genre.

I found Kate Moore’s writing style highly readable and it made me want to keep going to find out how it would all turn out. Moore not only brought to life Elizabeth Packard but she also delved into how the insane asylums were used to put away women who did not conform to the society of that time. I highly recommend this book for book clubs as it would give lots of food for thought.

I picked up The Women They Could Not Silence expecting an interesting piece of historical nonfiction. What I did not expect was to spend fourteen hours absolutely furious on behalf of a woman who should have been remembered in every American history class. Kate Moore tells the true story of Elizabeth Packard, a highly educated woman in the mid-1800s whose greatest crime was thinking for herself. Elizabeth was intelligent, outspoken, and unafraid to question both her husband’s theology and the morality of slavery. Unfortunately for her, the law at the time allowed husbands to have their wives committed to insane asylums without a trial. That is exactly what her husband, Theophilus Packard, did. Also, Theophilus as a name? Seriously? One morning the sheriff arrived at Elizabeth’s home and took her away to the Jacksonville Insane Asylum in Illinois. Just like that, a wife and mother of six lost her freedom because her husband believed her independence made her insane. Let me tell you, the rage I felt listening to this audiobook was immediate. Inside the asylum, Elizabeth quickly realizes she is not alone. Many of the women confined there are perfectly sane. Their real diagnoses which keep them committed include being strong-willed, religiously independent, too educated, or inconvenient to the men in their lives. The system was designed to silence women, and once inside an asylum, escaping was nearly impossible. At first, Elizabeth believes the asylum Superintendent, Dr. Andrew McFarland, might actually help her. He listens to her arguments and even uses her case to support his research about wrongful commitments. I found myself wanting to believe in him too. As the story unfolds, it becomes painfully clear that the men running the system are more invested in protecting their authority than in justice. The betrayal by Dr. McFarland that follows this brief bit of hope is infuriating. What makes this book so compelling is Elizabeth herself. She refuses to surrender her intellect or her voice. Despite being surrounded by people insisting she is insane. She organizes the women in her ward, documents the abuses happening around her, and ultimately begins planning how to reclaim her freedom. When Elizabeth finally gets the chance to fight back in court, it is one of the most satisfying moments I have ever encountered in nonfiction. Elizabeth Packard is not just the subject of a gripping historical story. She is the reason many of the legal protections women have today even exist. After proving her sanity in court in just seven minutes of jury deliberation, she went on to campaign for decades to change commitment laws and expand women’s rights to their property and custody of their children. Learning that history affected me personally. Elizabeth’s activism helped create the legal precedents that allowed women like me to leave abusive marriages and retain custody of our children. Like I said, why is Elizabeth not a household name? Kate Moore’s narrative style makes the history incredibly accessible. The story reads almost like a thriller unfolding in real time. At times I wished the book moved slightly faster in the middle sections, but the emotional payoff and historical significance made the journey worth it. Elizabeth Packard didn’t just reclaim her own freedom. She forced an entire system to reckon with its cruelty. We should all know her name.

This is very well written and such an eye opener to a tale that sadly is not fiction. The things this woman endured and survived are a beacon to everyone no matter their situation.

We owe much of our women's rights to Elizabeth Packard!

Kate Moore has such a wonderful way of making non-fiction sound like a story. Also fuck all those men. God bless Elizabeth