The compelling and true story of how one truly dedicated journalist admitted herself to an asylum to write a groundbreaking exposé. Young Nellie Bly had ambitious goals, especially for a woman at the end of the nineteenth century, when the few female journalists were relegated to writing columns about cleaning or fashion. But fresh off a train from Pittsburgh, Nellie knew she was destined for more and pulled a major journalistic stunt that skyrocketed her to fame: feigning insanity, being committed to the notorious asylum on Blackwell's Island, and writing a shocking exposé of the clinic’s horrific treatment of its patients.
Nellie Bly became a household name and raised awareness of political corruption, poverty, and abuses of human rights. Leading an uncommonly full life, Nellie circled the globe in a record seventy-two days and brought home a pet monkey before marrying an aged millionaire and running his company after his death.
Accolades for Ten Days a Madwoman:
- A Junior Library Guild selection
"Noyes makes history accessible and irresistible in this thrilling account of women’s lives, flagrant abuse, scandal, courage, and tenacity. . . Excellent." —
School Library Journal,
starred review"You should also read
Ten Days A Madwoman, even if you’re not in middle school. You’ll learn something. Because this isn’t just a storybook telling of a woman’s adventures . . . For a book that chronicles the life of a reporter at the end of the 19th century,
Ten Days A Madwoman holds a startling prescience to the issues we face today, from benevolent sexism in the newsroom to the continued exploitation of the working class . . . a gripping book from start to finish, for kids and adults alike." —
The A.V. Club"Plenty of pizzazz. The brisk narrative draws from Bly's own writings and from biographies, skillfully incorporating quotations, dialogue, and well-chosen facts. The overall tone is admiring, but the balanced text also acknowledges criticism of her kind of "stunt" reporting and touches briefly on problems in her personal life . . . A lively biography that reflects the spirit of the intrepid reporter." —
Kirkus Reviews"Noyes’s thoroughly researched account, with archival photos and myriad quotes from Bly’s own work, offers a well-rounded look at a self-possessed women who was nothing if not resilient." —
Publishers Weekly"Noyes' vivid storytelling throws us headfirst into Nellie Bly's inspiring work and incredibly daring adventures." —
Steve Sheinkin, National Book Award Finalist and Newbery Honor–winning author of
Bomb and
The Port Chicago 50“
Ten Days a Madwoman thrilled and terrified me at the same time. I’d heard of Nellie Bly as a crusading reporter, but had no idea how daring, impetuous, and smart she was. I’ve got a new hero.” —
Elizabeth Partridge, National Book Award Finalist and Printz Honor–winning author of
John Lennon and
This Land Was Made for You and Me “Noyes delivers a riveting narrative of one of our cleverest and most resourceful heroines, zeroing in on Nellie Bly’s first exposé, and putting us right in the madhouse alongside sane women being driven crazy.” —
Tanya Lee Stone, Sibert Medalist and NAACP Image Award–winning author of
Almost Astronauts and
Courage Has No Color “In
Ten Days a Madwoman, Deborah Noyes gives us a compelling portrait of Nellie Bly, the audacious young reporter who risked her own safety to expose social injustice. Vividly written and gorgeously illustrated, the book brings fully to life a heroine of her time — and ours.” —
Matthew Goodman, bestselling author of
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland’s History-Making Race Around the World"Noyes' emphasis on muckraking as opposed to showmanship is a valuable corrective to Bly's popular legacy." —
Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books "A stimulating read for those interested in strong women throughout history." —
VOYA "A good, readable introduction to a fascinating vanguard." —
Booklist "Noyes smartly...engage[s] readers." —
Horn Book "In this truly thrilling, appealingly designed, photo-laden biography by Deborah Noyes, readers will not only get a chilling look into the horrors of Blackwell's Island, but also a sense of women's challenges in 19th-century America." —
Shelf Awareness
