46. The Woman They Could Not Silence

The Woman They Could Not Silence: The Shocking Story of a Woman Who Dared to Fight Back. Kate Moore. 2021. 537 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence from the author's note: This is not a book about mental health, but about how it can be used as a weapon. It's a historical book. 

First sentence from the prologue: If she screamed, she sealed her fate. She had to keep her rage locked up inside her, her feelings as tightly buttoned as her blouse. Nevertheless, they came for her. Two men pressed around her, lifting her in their arms, her wide skirts crushed by their clumsy movements--much like her heart inside her chest. Still, she did not fight back, did not lash out wildly, did not slap or hit. The only protest she could permit herself was this: a paralysis of her limbs. She held her body stiff and unyielding and refused to walk to her destiny, no matter how he begged. Amid the vast crowd that had gathered to bear witness, just one person spoke.

First sentence from chapter one: It was the last day, but she didn't know it. In truth, we never do. Not until it is too late. 

Premise/plot: The Woman They Could Not Silence is a biography of Elizabeth Packard. It is the story of how she turned an absolutely horrible and unjust circumstance into an opportunity to change laws and society. Theophilus and Elizabeth Packard, but, not entirely happily. It seems that after some [early] years together [that were mostly quiet and peaceful], Elizabeth began to think, to think for herself, to think above and beyond what her husband wanted. Namely, her husband, a minister, became greatly upset when his wife began to reach different conclusions about religion. Not only did she form contrary opinions to his doctrine, she would talk about her opinions with others--men, women, her own children. Whether he truly and sincerely believed that she was actually insane and must be committed to an insane asylum for her own good, or, if her committal to an insane asylum was just beneficial to him personally, I don't know if we--the readers--can know. But we do know that she was committed against her will--at the will of her husband (and father, and many members of the congregation, there was a petition)--for several years. Being locked away had unintended consequences, it gave her a voice. Or perhaps the better way to phrase it, was instead of taking away her voice, it strengthened it. Instead of silencing her and hampering her circle of influence, it strengthened her voice, impassioned her, and gave her a life-long calling.

The book covers her life--and life's work--from 1860 onward. It discusses the rights--or lack of rights--for women, married women, for those women deemed insane. It covers laws, politics, and religion.

My thoughts: Elizabeth Packard is an author I'd never heard of before. I found her story--this biography--fascinating. It is a complex read. I would recommend for those who enjoy history, biography, legislation and law, politics, and culture.

 

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