Ten Days a Madwoman
The Daring Life and Turbulent Times of the Original "Girl" Reporter, Nellie Bly
-
-
3.8 • 5 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
Work for a New York newspaper
Fall in love
Marry a millionaire
Change the world
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 as the world followed her enthralling career in “stunt” journalism that 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.
With its sensational (and true!) plot, Ten Days a Madwoman dares its readers to live as boldly as its remarkable heroine.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Readers meet Elizabeth Jane Cochran (aka Nellie Bly) on the eve of her illustrious journalism career in the opening pages of Noyes's (Plague in the Mirror) biography. Over 13 chapters, this story of the innovative, bootstrapping Bly reveals her many juxtaposed traits ("as frivolous as she was socially earnest, as funny and self-deprecating as she was proud and haughty" writes Noyes in a closing note). The winding narrative initially focuses on Bly's undercover work, getting committed to a New York City asylum and reporting on its appalling conditions, then recounts her other accomplishments, including circumnavigating the globe in fewer than 80 days and other stunt-style assignments, many of which championed the socially downtrodden. Numerous sidebars and interspersed spreads explore Bly's childhood and other topics, but while these frequent diversions provide useful context, they are also distracting, forcing shifts in readers' attention every few pages. Still, 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. Ages 10 up.
