Madwoman

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Needless to say the circumstances in the asylum are truly horrendous. The staff consists of criminals and prostitutes who could not care less about the patients if they tried, and have had no training whatsoever. The doctors are apparently blind as bats or equally uninterested in what goes on. It’s all quite devastating and sometimes pretty uncomfortable to read about. Many of these women weren’t even “insane”. Some were put there by their husbands because they were in the way of a new love affair, for instance. Or that infamous “hysteria” illness so many women seem to suffer from. Basically, an asylum was often an acceptable way of dealing with inconvenient women, and nobody cared as long as the insane, real or not, were hidden away out of sight. Indeed, the story is very modern in several senses - Nellie Bly sets out with hopes of righting wrongs and exposing abuse, but a century of institutional scandals will warn the early 21st century reader that little is likely to be done. We should not be too judgemental of our Victoria forbears, perhaps. At twenty, she comes across an editorial – a diatribe against working women. With blood boiling, she writes a piece of her mind, which really gets editorial’s attention. Suddenly, reporting becomes something more achievable rather than becoming a lawyer. Plus, journalism would give her better maneuver to express complicated truths of life. She becomes a bone fide news reporter under a pen name Nellie Bly.

Nellie is a well-fleshed out character. We get to know her inside out. What shapes her to be who she is and what gives her fire to tread dangerous waters. She is determined to succeed, and she clearly sees it doing with articles that are personal and emotional, giving intimate glimpses into working class female workers. Every literary festival stays in an author’s mind for slightly individual reasons. I shall remember the Oxford festival for:

Madwoman

But it isn’t just her prose and imagery that makes you feel all of this, it is the deep connection she forges between the reader and Nelly that makes this story so deeply moving. Nelly is a fascinating and compelling character. As a young girl she gives us glimpses of the trailblazer she will become and little Nelly - or Pinks as she is then known - is a fierce and outspoken tomboy who doesn’t fit in and wants much more than to just be somebody’s wife. It helps us understand her actions as an adult such as why she is so determined to be independent and has her sights set on succeeding in what was then considered a man’s profession. Ms. Trager really gets inside Nelly’s mind, body and soul, allowing the reader to walk in her shoes and making our emotions mirror hers. The storytelling of Nellie’s courage and willpower to succeed in what she believes in are realistically presented and keeping a reader on edge with her bravery. Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures

Treger’s vivid descriptions of Nellie’s time in the asylum and her portrait of a truly extraordinary woman make for a compelling read.’ A fascinating story of a can-do woman, but I could've come to every conclusion the book laid out for me without being told. The asylum seems to be more a place of punishment than a place of healing and refuge for women. A conversation with a female patient opens her eyes to the realisation that these female patients are not necessarily “insane” in terms of psychiatric standards, but inconvenient to the patriarchal narrative forcing women to be subservient. Praise for Louisa Treger: 'A daring blend of romance, crime and history, and an intelligent expose of the inherent injustice and consequences of all forms of oppression -- Tsitsi DangarembgaShe writes a piece on working women and the conditions and treatment they face and well, the masculine world of journalism wakes up but becomes wary of her. I loved the way this strengthened her and pushed her even further. She starts writing more hard hitting pieces about things that really matter and rankles a few feathers along the way. Go on Nelly I was shouting at this point. We need people like this as role models in schools and everywhere. I fairly leapt at the chance to read Louise Treger’s fictionalised narrative of Elizabeth Cochran who wrote under the pseudonym of Nellie Bly, having always been fascinated by her remarkable story. So I loved the book it made me sad but it also gave me hope in that people like Nellie are still around today and are as caring as she was, please read the book it really is worth it. I flew through the book it’s not an easy read due to the content but it’s an important read we owe it to all those poor unfortunates know just what hell they went through. The Oxford festival is the most elegant and atmospheric of literary festivals. It’s a pleasure to both attend and perform there.

I’d heard the name Nelly Bly but knew nothing more about the woman at the heart of this story. But as soon as I read the synopsis and saw the striking cover I knew I needed to read this book. I needed to know what kind of woman would willingly get herself committed to an asylum in the nineteenth century and just what did she experience while there?A stimulating and rewarding on-stage conversation; a lively informed and tolerant audience; privileged access to the great treasures of the Bodleian, and finally, wonderfully interesting dinner companions to help me conclude the best day I have enjoyed at any festival – anywhere.