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Ten Days in a Mad-House

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Ten Days in a Mad-House

By: Nellie Bly
Narrated by: Laural Merlington
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About this listen

In 1887, Nellie Bly had herself committed to the notorious Blackwell's Island insane asylum in New York City with the goal of discovering what life was like for its patients. While there, she experienced firsthand the shocking abuse and neglect of its inmates, from inedible food to horrifyingly unsanitary conditions. Ten Days in a Mad-House is Bly's expose of the asylum.

Written for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, Bly's account chronicles her 10 days at Blackwell's Island and, upon its publication, drew public attention to the abuse of the institutionalized and led to a grand jury investigation of the facility. Ten Days in a Mad-House established Bly as a pioneering female journalist and remains a classic of investigative reporting. This edition also includes two of Bly's shorter articles: "Trying to Be a Servant" and "Nellie Bly as a White Slave".

Public Domain (P)2011 Tantor Americas Classics World New York American History Nonfiction
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What an extraordinary woman who put her life at risk to save others and to force the world to take notice of the terrible treatment of people in mental health institutions.
This story to me is about selflessness, justice and human rights. People like Nellie Bly should be celebrated. I had come across her name via a post on Facebook on A Mighty Girl and I was intrigued to hear her story. It is so unbelievable to know that patients were treated so badly because they were mentally ill. These days the stigma is still strong bur the treatment of patients from my experience is respectful and collaborative with patients.
This book is clear and concise and straight to the point about what Nellie experienced and I would encourage others to listen to the story, she is an inspiring person and it shows the difference one person can make if they set their mind to it.

One person can really make a difference

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I really enjoyed this - only short but very brave story of a young girl putting herself into a dangerous situation to expose the plight of women in insane institutions in New York city in the 1800's. Easy to listen to, I would have liked it to be longer!

Fascinating

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