A review by blogginboutbooks
Ten Days a Madwoman: The Daring Life and Turbulent Times of the Original Girl Reporter, Nellie Bly by Deborah Noyes

4.0

I just finished MADWOMAN by Louisa Treger, a fictionalized account of Nellie Bly's childhood and her undercover investigation of the insane asylum at Blackwell's Island. Since I wasn't sure exactly what parts of that book were true and which weren't, I wanted to read a non-fiction account of Bly's life to compare/contrast and learn more about this one-of-a-kind woman. TEN DAYS A MADWOMAN served that purpose well. I agree with other reviewers that the title is misleading, though, because the book covers Bly's entire life, with her asylum experience as only a small part. I appreciated this since MADWOMAN focuses almost entirely on her time on Blackwell's Island. As interesting as that is, Bly did a lot more in her life, most of which I didn't know about. TEN DAYS A MADWOMAN talks about all of it in a straightforward way that is clear, concise, and compelling. The book is written for a middle-grade audience, but it doesn't talk down to the reader. It never gets graphic, but it doesn't shy away from discussing Nellie's abusive stepfather, horrors she saw at the asylum, etc. What results is a fascinating portrait of a trailblazing woman who worked hard to achieve her goals, experienced incredible things, and pushed for reforms that benefitted women, the impoverished, the mentally ill, and the working poor. I enjoyed the quick, informative read.