Elizabeth Packard had the gall to disagree with her husband of 21 years. So he committed her to an insane asylum. 

When Elizabeth Packard was committed in 1860 wives were considered to be the property of their husbands and therefore could do absolutely nothing to prove that they were sane. This book follows Packard as she fights for her freedom against her husband and the dreaded  Dr. Andrew McFarland  who oversees the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois. Elizabeth meets countless women committed by their husbands who appear to be wholly sane. When she begins to make a fuss she is sent to a ward with those that are violent and are not taken care of. While she continued to protest, she did what she could to care for the women and befriend the caretakers. Even after getting out of the asylum she continued to fight for those locked up. 

 I wish we still had Elizabeth Packard around today to continue to kick butt. While listening (Kate Moore herself narrates the audiobook and she did an outstanding job) I wondered to myself if I would do the same as Elizabeth if put in the same situation. Being completely honest, I don't know if I have the mental strength. Moore wrote Elizabeth's story as a narration which fully brought her to life. 

This is a must read for anyone who wants to learn about the history of mental health rights and women's rights in America because we would not be where we are today without Elizabeth Packard. 

A masterpiece indeed! Elizabeth is a great example of resilience in the face of injustice, not only to herself, but to others. Kate Moore is a fantastic writer!