Madwoman

Book excerpt: **A HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES** The extraordinary story of a woman's quest for the truth against all odds - and how her story changed the world 'A moving story' SUNDAY TIMES, Best historical fiction books of 2022 'A must read!' GILL PAUL 'Intriguing ... A fascinating read' HAZEL GAYNOR 'Remarkable' ESSIE FOX 'An astonishing tour de force' REBECCA MASCULL In 1887 young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take. But life in the city is tougher than she imagined. Down to her last dime and desperate to prove her worth, she comes up with a dangerous plan: to fake insanity and have herself committed to the asylum that looms on Blackwell's Island. There, she will work undercover to document - and expose - the wretched conditions faced by the patients. But when the asylum door swings shut behind her, she finds herself in a place of horrors, governed by a harshness and cruelty she could never have imagined. Cold, isolated and starving, her days of terror reawaken the traumatic events of her childhood. She entered the asylum of her own free will - but will she ever get out? An extraordinary portrait of a woman way ahead of her time, Madwoman is the story of a quest for the truth that changed the world. 'Madwoman is one of the best, a magnificent portrayal of Nelly Bly in all her journalistic integrity and daring' New York Journal of Books