“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” —Audre Lorde
After months of languishing on my Audible wishlist, The Woman They Could Not Silence demanded to be read…or rather, heard. Maybe it was the combination of two solo road trips on the horizon and a general apprehension (dread) for the future of the world. In short, I needed to rally. And this, dear readers, was the clarion call I was craving. Suddenly, I was five again, dancing in my room with my older brother, Sheldon, belting “I am woman hear me roar” along with Helen Reddy. My first and most ardent ally, Sheldon fed me a steady diet of Helen, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, and Carol King in hopes I’d soak up some of their moxie. I weep for anyone who didn’t grow up with a brother like him and I weep for myself that he’s gone. Still, he remains. He’s my taste in music, my love of books, my championing of the underdog, my bold belief that women can rule the world. A belief that Elizabeth Packard shared in spades.
Born during a time women could be institutionalized for daring to have an opinion, Elizabeth Packard was unceremoniously ripped away from her young children and sent to the Jacksonville Insane Asylum at the behest of her husband. Turns out he wasn’t a fan of Elizabeth giving voice to her own convictions and refusing to obey his every command. Little did he know that voice would only grow louder and would become one of the strongest, most consequential voices in the fight for women’s rights and the wrongfully institutionalized. Alexa, play “Mad Woman” by Taylor Swift.
And Kate Moore. Just wow. This book reads like a true crime novel and kept me on the edge of my seat. In the words of Hank Phillipi Ryan: "Kate Moore has a rare gift for combining impeccable research and brilliantly mesmerizing storytelling. You will cry, and then you will cheer, and then your life will be changed forever."