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

Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
by Kate Moore
Sourcebooks, 2021. 540 pages. Biography 

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. 

This is a fascinating portrait of an amazing woman. Few books illustrate the hardships women have faced throughout history and how powerless they often were to change their situations. Elizabeth’s attempts to stand up for herself were used against her as proof of her instability. Because, obviously, any woman who disagrees with her husband must be insane. What I found most inspiring about her story is that when she finally won her own battles for freedom and independence, she dedicated herself to establishing laws that would help others avoid what she suffered. An important look at an overlooked piece of history. 

If you like The Woman They Could Not Silence, you might also like: 

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family
by Robert Kolker
Doubleday, 2020. 377 pages. Nonfiction 

Tells the heartrending story of a mid-century American family with 12 children, 6 of them diagnosed with schizophrenia, that became science's great hope in the quest to understand the disease. 

 

 

 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Crown Publishers, 2010. 369 pages. Biography 

Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping. 

 

 

No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America
by Ron Powers
Hachette, 2017. 360 pages. Science 

The journalist and co-author of True Compass offers a fast-paced, carefully researched narrative of the social history of mental illness, focusing specifically on schizophrenia, the taboos that compromise mental health care and the way the disease has devastated his own family. 

 

 

CG

Natural Causes

Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer
by Barbara Ehrenreich
Twelve, 2018.  234 pgs. Nonfiction

Why do we age and how can we stop it?  These are two questions that our society is trying to answer in a myriad of ways.  Ehrenreich has written of her exploration of the topic comparing quality of life with longevity.  How hard are we willing to work to live forever?  The author is very critical of preventative-care screenings that can lead to unnecessary worry and medical intervention.  She also attacks the “cult of wellness” and the tendency the wealthy have to look down on the less advantaged who may not have the time or resources to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.

Ehrenreich is a wonderful writer and presents her somewhat scientific summary in a very understandable manner.  I will admit that my favorite part of the book was the cover, but I still enjoyed the opportunity to evaluate my own theories on health and wellness.  This is a short but entertaining look at the state of American Health, perfect for readers who want something a little lighter than Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal.

CG

Death of Mrs. Westaway

Death of Mrs. Westaway
by Ruth Ware
Scout Press, 2018. 368 pgs. Fiction

Hal’s life is not going well.  Since her mother was run down by a drunk driver, she has been just barely getting by as a tarot reader on the pier where her mother worked until her death.  But money is tight which is why she is deeply in debt to an unsympathetic loan shark.  Just when things look their bleakest, Hal receives a letter about the death of a grandmother she has never heard of and a legacy that would come in very handy right now.  Hal knows the letter must be a mistake, but in desperation she replies to the letter and finds herself in a frightful old house with quarreling relatives and a host of secrets that may turn deadly.

I read Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin Ten a couple years ago and I liked it.  But I truly enjoyed The Death of Mrs. Westaway!  Hal is a very entertaining protagonist and her family is truly crazy while still being endearing.  I loved the dark atmosphere, the decrepit mansion, and the crazy housekeeper no one trusts.   I thought it was bit more mystery than thriller, and enjoyed the plot twists and turns and ultimate showdown where the whole truth was finally revealed!

CG

Map of Salt and Stars

Map of Salt and Stars
by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
Touchstone, 2018. 360 pgs.  Fiction

Nour was born in New York but after her father’s death, her mother moves her and her sisters back to her home country of Syria.  But Syria has changed and the violence they encounter soon test their courage and connection to each other.  To keep her father’s memory alive and to distract herself from the harsh realities of life as a refugee, Nour shares the stories her father taught her.  Nour’s narrative then alternates between her own travels toward hoped for safety and the journey of a Rawlya, a heroine from the twelfth century who traveled the same lands with a legendary mapmaker determined to find both adventure and a way to secure a future for herself and her widowed mother.

This is a timely story of the plight of refugees throughout the world who find themselves without home or country, safety or hope.  Nour’s story is heartbreaking but her dedication to storytelling and Rawlya’s parallel adventure lighten the mood and keep the reader from despairing to some degree.  The writing here is beautiful as is the author’s description of the diverse scenery both girls travel.  For those who enjoyed The Kite Runner or In the Shadow of the Banyan.

CG

Rocket Men

Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man’s First Journey to the Moon
by Robert Kurson
Random House, 2018. 372 pgs. Nonfiction

In 1968 the United States was losing the race to moon, an objective set by President Kennedy earlier in the decade.  Russia had reached several space milestones ahead of the U.S. space program and the pressure was mounting to pull ahead and reach the moon first.  This situation prompted NASA to make an unprecedented decision.  In just four months, they would send a crew to orbit the moon, a mission that many felt was too risky and maybe even years ahead of schedule.

The men chosen to fly this Apollo 8 mission were men of fierce resolve and unquestioned courage.  But along with their courage was the courage of those they left at home.  Wives, children, coworkers, and a host of NASA employees who would make the mission possible thanks to hard work, dedication, and a drive to prove that American resolve, determination, ingenuity would win the day.

For readers who enjoyed Boys in the Boat or Rocket Boys, Rocket Men is a wonderful recounting of a historic few months that many of the younger generation may not be aware of.  Older readers may be flooded with memories of that historic year and the national pride that was tied up in the space race.  Kurson spends a lot of his book with each of the men on the mission and their dedication to family and country.  An inspirational story filled with drama and adventure!

CG

Fascism

Fascism: A Warning
by Madeleine Albright
Harper, 2018, 288 pgs.  Nonfiction


I’ll be honest.  I’ve never really understood what fascism was.  But thanks to Mrs. Albright’s very interesting examination of the fascists who have shaped our modern world, I am closer to understanding how to identify such people and the dangers they pose to our freedom and future.  She begins with the fascist ideas and leaders that were responsible for World War II and ends with a warning that these same ideas are held by a new generation of leaders. 


I thoroughly enjoyed this tour of world politics from a woman who has been so influential for so many years.  Her writing is clear and direct and she pulls no punches as she points to those who may challenge the democratic world we now inhabit.   This is a wonderful exploration of the topic and will hopefully become the warning it was intended to be.


CG

Girls Burn Brighter

Girls Burn Brighter
By Shobha Rao
Flatiron Books, 2018. 307 pgs. Fiction


This powerful story of friendship set against the cruelties of the word is told alternatingly by two girls, both born into poverty in India.  After Poornima’s mother’s death she finds little happiness in life until Savitha is hired to help with the family’s weaving business.  Savitha is a breath of fresh air and Poornima soaks in the joy and hope her new friend has in abundance.  But a brutal act of abuse breaks Savitha and she disappears into the Indian underworld.  Poornima is left behind to an arranged marriage that brings little joy until she decides to take charge of her destiny and search for her friend.


This is not an easy story to read.  Any time human trafficking is described, readers should be prepared for violence and abuse.  But I felt like Rao handles these situations in a careful way without becoming too graphic while still staying true to the situation, which I admired.  Her heroines are wonderful, strong, women who do what they must to stay alive and somehow manage to maintain some level of hope for the future.  This is a novel that sticks with you and describes a dark part of the world few of us, thankfully, will ever know.


CG

Need to Know

Need to Know
by Karen Cleaveland
Ballantine Books, 2018, 290 pgs.  Fiction

Vivian Miller is a professional trying to balance work and family.  What makes her situation unique is that she works at Langley as an analyst searching for Russian sleeper cells on American soil.  The good news is that she is very good at her job.  The bad news is that her most recent breakthrough will completely destroy her life and her family.  How far will she go to protect her children and husband?  How much can her country ask of her?

I haven’t read a good spy novel in ages and this was a pretty good reminder of why I really do enjoy the genre.  Vivian is a very relatable character that you can’t help but root for her.  I was left guessing at the loyalties of the different characters up until the very last page, which is always a good sign. Nothing groundbreaking but a solid addition to literary spydom. 

CG

When

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing
by Daniel H. Pink
Riverhead Books, 2017. 272 pgs. Nonfiction

Does it matter when you start a new goal?  A new relationship?  A new job?  Does it matter what time of day you tackle different types of tasks?  How about when you should visit a hospital or have surgery?  The answer to all these questions is a resounding YES, according to Daniel H. Pink it matters a great deal.  Pink has reviewed cutting edge research and data to determine how we can best schedule our lives to optimize our success and happiness.

I love books that use science to explain life.  The author’s stories and illustrations are entertaining and convincing (not that I needed a lot of convincing to know that naps are awesome).  I particularly enjoy the way Pink writes about his own personal feelings about the discoveries he makes.  You feel like you are on a journey with him, picking up little jewels of insight as you travel from page to page.

CG

Carnegie's Maid

Carnegie’s Maid
by Marie Benedict
Sourcebooks Landmark, 2018. 281 pgs. Historical Fiction


Andrew Carnegie, at the age of 33, seemed to take his life in a drastically different direction as he began to use his vast wealth in philanthropic ways.  Much speculation has been spent on trying to find out why this change occurred and some historians think it likely that a personal relationship brought on the about face.  In Carnegie’s Maid, author Marie Benedict imagines such a relationship. 


Clara Kelly, a desperate Irish immigrant, takes the chance of a lifetime working as the wealthy Carnegie matriarch’s personal maid.  She meets and slowly grows to admire her mistress’s oldest son Andrew and is both hopeful and afraid that her affection will be returned. 


This is a wonderful work of historical fiction.  The early years of industrial America provide a wonderful background of change and opportunity that fits perfectly with both Andrew and Clara’s efforts to secure the futures of their families. 


CG

Martin Luther

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World
by Eric Metaxas
Viking, 2017, 480 pgs.  Biography

Metaxas begins his carefully researched and thoroughly readable biography of Martin Luther by telling the reader that most of what they think they know about this great man of faith is not true.  Then he lays out the truth behind Luther’s life, actions, and cause.  Luther emerges as a courageous man who never intended to change the world but, when faced with adversity, stood firmly and fought for the God he felt was being abandoned by Western Christendom.

This biography was as gripping to me as many thrillers.  Though I thought I knew the story, Metaxas presents Luther in vivid color as a man searching for his own salvation despite real dangers and violent opposition.  His war was mainly waged with words in an age when the power of print was just taking hold thanks to the printing press.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about history, religion, or fascinating individuals (or even those who just enjoy a great story).

CG

The Great Alone

The Great Alone
by Kristin Hannah
St. Martin’s Press, 2018. 440 pgs. Fiction

Leni Allbright is a thirteen-year-old just trying to fit in.  Her father, a form Vietnam POW, is constantly moving his family from place to place promising with each move that things will be better.  Thanks to a surprise inheritance, Leni and her parents move to the Alaska wild.  Completely unprepared for survival during the long brutal winter, the Allbrights need the help of the close knit community.  Initially,Leni’s father seems to be thriving in the wide open wilderness, but with winter comes darkness and his own dark past starts to emerge.

Watching Leni grow up in a home threatened by domestic violence is definitely not easy, but her courage and loyalty keep the narrative from becoming too oppressive.  I loved everything about this novel.  The writing was as beautiful as the Alaskan landscapes it describes.  The characters are wonderfully complex and the plot unexpected and engaging. 

CG

The Girl in the Tower

The Girl in the Tower
by Katherine Arden
Del Rey, 2018, 362 pgs.  Fantasy

The Girl in the Tower is book two of the Winternight Trilogy.  The first in the series, The Bear and the Nightingale, introduces readers to Vasya, a young girl torn between an emerging modern Christian world and the legends and magic of the deep Russian forests where she lives.  In this second installment, Vanya travels beyond her small village to the huge city of Moscow where dark magic threatens to destroy the peace of the kingdom.

I can’t praise this series enough.  It’s dark fairy magic captivates me on every page.  The characters are engaging, the action is exhilarating, and the writing is simply lovely.  I am very excited that, unlike many trilogies, I don’t have to wait a whole year for the final volume.  The Winter of the Witch will be released in August and I am anxious to learn where Vasya’s adventures  lead her. 

CG

Irresistible

Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked
by Adam L. Alter
Penguin Press, 2017. 354 pgs. Nonfiction

Adam Alter, a professor of psychology and marketing at NYU, writes in Irresistible about the damage being done by the technology you just can’t seem put down.  Think about the number of times you pick up your cell phone each day and ask yourself if you are addicted.  It’s very likely that you are and Alter explains why this is so dangerous and why those addictive behaviors are so hard to overcome.  He argues that technology isn’t all bad, but it does need to be harnessed and used in a way that enriches our lives instead of consuming our every waking moment.

I really enjoyed this book and, while he did scare me straight a little bit, he didn’t do it in a sensationalized way.  It is nearly impossible to live a life without technology and why give up so much that all our little apps have to offer?  But we need to be very conscious about how we interact with technology, especially as we teach the rising generation by our examples.  This is a wonderful book that can help almost anyone become more aware of their technology consumption.

CG

Love and Other Consolation Prizes

Love and Other Consolation Prizes
by Jamie Ford
Ballangine Books, 2017, 307 pgs.  Historical Fiction

Jamie Ford finds little known facts from the Northwest and writes wonderful historical fiction that brings them to life.  In Love and Other Consolation Prizes he used the 1909 Seattle worlds’ fair, the Alaska Yukon Pacific Expo to bring Seattle to life at the turn of the century.  Ernest Young, a half-Chinese orphan, is donated by a wealthy sponsor as a raffle prize at the Expo.  He is “won” by the madam of a notorious brothel who puts him to work cleaning and helping keep the house in order.  This unlikely sequence of events places Ernest in the most stable home he has ever known and he soon befriends the owner’s daughter along with one of the kitchen girls.

While not my favorite of Ford’s works, I enjoyed the obscure Seattle history and glimpses into a very different sort of lifestyle.  So often, the underbelly of society is overlooked making it easy to forget that people are people and we are all just trying to make the most of the situations we are given.  As always, readers of Ford’s books will enjoy the vibrant descriptions of Pacific Northwest and an engaging story.

CG

Before We Were Yours

Before We Were Yours
By Lisa Wingate
Ballantine Books, 2017. 342 pgs. Historical Fiction

Rill Foss’s parents leave her in charge of her four siblings on their family shantyboat when her mother’s labor stops progressing normally.  While they are gone, all five children are pulled from the only home they have ever known and sent to the care of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society.  While in the orphanage, the children will suffer a variety of abuses until some are adopted by wealthy couples unaware that they have loving parents still searching for them.

This story is based on the infamous adoption scam run by Georgia Tann.  Hundreds of children are believed to have died in her care and hundreds more were kidnapped to feed her orphanages that catered to the rich and famous.  Wingate tells the story of the fictional Foss children while alternating from a present day story to one occurring to Rill in 1939.  The history behind this novel makes it a must for historical fiction fans and the wonderful storytelling makes it a must for everyone else.

CG

American Wolf

American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West
By Nate Blakeslee
Crown Publishers, 2017. 300 pgs. Nonfiction


Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995 and since then, park rangers and conservationists have been watching and tracking individual wolves and wolf packs throughout the Rockies.  Using this data so meticulously collected, Blakeslee has written the dramatic story of O-Six, a large, clever alpha female who reigned the Lamar Valley.  But the story of this beloved wolf cannot be told without also introducing wolf watcher Laurie Lyman and park wildlife expert Rick McIntyre who together helped to build O-Six's the celebrity and use her life to argue the case for keeping wolves on the endangered species list and safe from hunters determined to keep their numbers low.

American Wolf  is written with a wonderful pace and inspired passion.  The plight of the wolves is carefully described, but the author also attempts to describe the arguments of the ranchers and hunters who feel no love for the creatures. The author is definitely biased for the wolves, but admirably manages to keep the other side from being vilified.  Perfect reading for animal and nature lovers...also for anyone who just wants a good true story. 

CG

Lincoln in the Bardo

Lincoln in the Bardo
By George Saunders
Random House, 2017. 341 pgs. Fiction

The bardo refers to the state of existence between life and death.  Souls who wish to postpone departing this world for the next linger in the bardo and it is here that Willie Lincoln, young son of Abraham Lincoln, finds himself following a deadly case of typhoid fever.  In the graveyard he encounters a cast of ghosts all avoiding the "matterlightbooming" phenomenon for their own diverse reasons.  President Lincoln's visit to his son's mausoleum causes such an uproar in the usually quiet graveyard that few souls will survive the night unaffected. 

This is not a necessarily easy read, though it can be a quick read thanks to the script like formatting the author has chosen.  What makes Lincoln in the Bardo difficult is that it is just bizarre and the style definitely takes some getting used to.  I began by listening to the audiobook, which has an all-star cast including Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, Don Cheadle, Bill Hader, Julianne Moore, Susan Sarandon, and Ben Stiller.  How could you go wrong listening to this?  I'm not sure I know the answer but it did not work for me.  It was disjointed and confusing and I eventually switched to the print version to see if it was better.  Maybe I should have stuck with the audio for a bit longer, but by the end of the print version of the novel, I was a bit awestruck by its depth and beauty.  This may not be for everyone, but if you are looking for something that takes a bit of work and leaves you with plenty to think about, this may be just the thing.

CG

Beartown

Beartown
By Fredrik Backman
Atria Books, 2017.  418 pgs. Fiction

For residents of Beartown, nothing is more important than hockey.  It is a hockey town and this year the Junior team is headed to the championship.  From the first few paragraphs, though, readers are aware that things are not right and someone, a few days after the championship game, will be staring into the barrel of gun.  Between those hopeful days leading up to the big game to the tragedy that will follow it, Beartown delves into the characters and deepest desires of Beartown residents.  No one will be prepared for how it all ends.

From the author of A Man Called Ove, comes a very different sort of story.  Ove was a cantankerous but ultimately loveable character, as was Britt-Marie and little Elsa.  Beartown is home to some less extreme personalities and less of the  mesmerizing character development of previous novels.  This book instead, demonstrates the ills of society and how we raise our sons and daughters to know what is right and how to prioritize our passions.  Not as heartwarming as I had expected, but it definitely left me thinking.

CG

Into the Water

Into the Water
By Paula Hawkins
Riverhead Books, 2017. 388 pgs. Fiction  9780735211209

A history of drownings haunts a dark watering hole outside a small town.  Troublesome women tend to disappear beneath its calm surface.  The most recent death, that of a single mother who was particularly fascinated with the pool, is bound to disturb the river’s dark history.  As with most small towns, there are plenty of secrets to uncover and feathers to ruffle when investigators conduct their investigation.

Into the Water definitely has a creepy tone and I enjoyed it a lot more than I did Hawkins’ last novel, Girl on the Train.  The characters here, while still dark and damaged, were far more likable and I felt the mystery was satisfying.  I thought I had it all figured out several times and discovered that in the end, I didn’t have it figured out at all.  This is a great suspense novel with a surprising dose of human insight.

CG