Ten Days a Madwoman

November 23, 2015
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. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

November 15, 2015
As the title implies, this biography focuses largely on reporter Nellie Bly's 10 grim days in a New York City insane asylum for women in 1887, which influenced public opinion and gained her instant celebrity. Bly's famous 1889 trip around the world, inspired by the Jules Verne novel and followed closely by thousands of newspaper readers, is covered in less detail but with 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. While Bly's work life is presented chronologically, her earlier years are spread out in a disjointed manner in sidebars throughout the book. These and other double-page sidebars are embedded in the middles of chapters, often disrupting the smooth flow of the story. Plentiful black-and-white photographs, cartoons, newspaper pages, and artifacts expand the sense of time and place. Noyes sets Bly's life and career in context, especially with regard to limitations on women and condescending attitudes toward their abilities. A lively biography that reflects the spirit of the intrepid reporter. (author's note, source notes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 11-14)

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Starred review from December 1, 2015

Gr 6 Up-Daring? Turbulent? Madwoman? When a book's title includes those words, readers are bound to be inspired to open it. When the book is as well done as this one is, readers will stay through the last page. About half of the narrative is devoted to the 10 days that journalist Nellie Bly spent undercover in an asylum for mentally ill women (and women who were put there unjustly by their families). Given the high drama of these real-life events, the author's matter-of-fact writing style keeps the narrative from veering toward sensationalism. Passages from Bly's newspaper article about the experience are threaded into the narrative, thereby keeping her vibrant viewpoint as the dramatic center. The rest of the volume covers Bly's other exploits, personal and professional: her venture around the world in a record-breaking 72 days, her interview with imprisoned anarchist Emma Goldman, and her own marriage at 31 to septuagenarian millionaire Robert Seaman. The illustrations are a mix of straightforward archival photos and surreal retouched photos a la Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Quirk, 2011). Because the former are captioned with historical facts and the latter are not captioned at all, it is easy to tell the difference between the actual images and the fanciful. Noyes makes history accessible and irresistible in this thrilling account of women's lives, flagrant abuse, scandal, courage, and tenacity. The source notes are extensive, and the research is impeccable. VERDICT This excellent work is a natural fit for units on history, biography, and social studies.-Jennifer Prince, Buncombe County Public Libraries, NC

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2015
Grades 5-8 In 1887, Nellie Bly left Pittsburgh for New York City to find fame as a journalist. Initially, what she found was poverty and rejection. But what Nellie Bly lacked in education and opportunities, she made up for in courage and determination. Soon she made her mark by becoming an inmate at the infamous insane asylum on Blackwell's Island and reporting on the harrowing conditions there. Next came her around-the-world journey, which brought worldwide recognition. Noyes details these two important experiences and describes others in a well-researched biography that includes copious quotes from Bly and her contemporaries. While the book focuses on Bly as an adult, one-, two-, and four-page features appearing throughout the book offer information on related topics and sometimes fill in facts about her early years. Readers will also learn about Bly's era, particularly the difficulties faced by a woman attempting to support herself and her family. Many period photos and prints illustrate the text. A good, readable introduction to a fascinating vanguard.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)