Edyth Foster was a lively young woman who preferred fencing and
riding her velocipede to more feminine pursuits. She felt she was
protected and able to indulge her choices because at twenty-five she
was to inherit the large fortune bequeathed to her by her deceased
parents. Unfortunately for Edyth, her uncle, who until her
twenty-fifth birthday controlled her fortune, recently married. His new
wife, loathe to give up the life afforded by Edyth’s money, finds a
loophole in the will that allows the uncle to retain the fortune if
Edyth is found insane and committed.
In 1887, some
doctors were willing to certify a patient insane for money. This
allowed husbands and other relatives to rid themselves of
inconvenient female relatives. Edyth is committed to Blackwell Island
an asylum on the East River between Manhattan and Queens. There Edyth
meets Nellie Blye who is undercover doing a story for Pulitzer.
The description of
conditions in the asylum is chilling. It’s even more so when you
realize that women were actually subjected to these conditions. I
thought the author did an excellent job showing the horrors of
Blackwell Island. The scenes are based on the book written by Nellie
Blye, Ten Days in a Mad-House.
The story is
historically accurate, thrilling, and there’s even a delightful
romance. If you enjoy historical mysteries, this is a good one.
I received this book
from Barbour Books for this review.
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