Stevie‘s review of The Mad Girls of New York (Nellie Bly, Book 1) by Maya Rodale
Historical Mystery published by Berkley 26 Apr 22
I was only faintly aware of the name Nellie Bly when I picked up this book, but I’m always fascinated to read about trailblazers, be they real, fictional, or a combination of the two. Nellie arrives in New York in 1887, having already worked as a journalist in Pittsburgh, and also travelled in Mexico. She finds the New York newspaper editors to be hostile, however, with none of them wanting a woman writing for them unless it’s for the ladies’ pages – one of the career options Nellie left Pittsburgh to avoid. Nellie’s luck starts to change when she meets a close-knit group of female journalists, who work on a combination of society reporting for the ladies’ pages and ‘stunt journalism’ – undercover work to expose injustices perpetrated by big institutions on vulnerable women.
Nellie decides she wants to emulate her new friends and write an expose piece for one of the big papers. One of her new friends gets her through the door at the New York World and gives her the name of the man she needs to see. Arriving at the same time as a male investigative reporter who really does have an appointment with the deputy editor, Nellie manages to bluff her way into the office with him and sets out her plans to the two men. Having been rebuffed for her initial story ideas, Nellie takes a chance and offers to go undercover as a patient at the notorious Blackwell’s Island asylum. This gets both men’s attention, and the deputy editor agrees to run the story if Nellie can get it.
After a discussion with her new friends, Nellie moves into a new set of lodgings, where no one knows her, and sets about making herself inconvenient to those around her, forcing herself to stay awake all night in order to appear more dishevelled. The next day, Nellie is escorted out of her lodgings by the police and taken to the courthouse, where she has no trouble convincing the authorities of her insanity and being sent to Blackwell’s as a consequence.
Blackwell’s turns out to be even worse than Nellie was anticipating, and she soon learns that many of the women there were admitted on far more spurious reasoning than she had tried to fake. Most are soon beaten down by the system, and a number start to believe their only way out is death. At first, Nellie wonders how she will manage to stick things out for the full seven days that she had agreed with the New York World, but as the days pass, and then go beyond the first week, she starts to despair of ever getting out. Many of the staff are no less defeated by the oppressive system, and those who aren’t appear cruel and unfeeling; all are determined that anything Nellie tells them is a facet of her condition and not to be believed under any circumstances. Fortunately, Nellie’s contacts in New York haven’t forgotten her and plot ways in which they might rescue her.
This was a really vivid account of a true story, with some fascinating characters – particularly those Nellie encounters in Blackwell’s and learns more about after her eventual release. There is also a mystery to the full reasons behind Nellie’s departure from Pittsburgh, which I hope we learn more about in subsequent books. I am definitely keen to read more about Nellie and her friends when the series continues.
Grade: B
Summary:
A gripping and compelling novel based on the true story of fearless reporter Nellie Bly, who will stop at nothing to prove that a woman’s place is on the front page.
In 1887 New York City, Nellie Bly has ambitions beyond writing for the ladies pages, but all the editors on Newspaper Row think women are too emotional, respectable and delicate to do the job. But then the New York World challenges her to an assignment she’d be mad to accept and mad to refuse: go undercover as a patient at Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum for women.
For months, rumors have been swirling about deplorable conditions at Blackwell’s but no reporter can get in—that is, until Nellie feigns insanity, gets herself committed and attempts to survive ten days in the madhouse. Once inside, Nellie befriends her fellow patients who help her uncover shocking truths about the asylum. It’s a story that promises to be explosive—but will she get out before rival reporters get the scoop?
From USA Today bestselling author Maya Rodale comes a witty, energetic and uplifting novel about a woman who defied convention to become the most famous reporter in Gilded Age New York. Perfect for fans of hidden histories about women who triumph.
Read an excerpt.
