City of Incurable Women

In "City of Incurable Women," Maud Casey reimagines nineteenth-century female psychiatric patients confined in Paris' Salpêtrière hospital as complex, flesh-and-blood people with stories to tell, restoring their humanity to a historical context that often reduced them to specimens for study.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 128 pages
Publication date: 07 April 2022
Publisher: Bellevue Literary Press

In a captivating blend of fact and fiction, the nineteenth century witnessed the institutionalization of women as hysterics, shedding light on a profound societal disregard for their bodily and psychic suffering. This insightful exploration delves into the enigmatic diagnosis of hysteria, a condition once widely attributed to female bodily and mental distress. What is particularly striking is the response of medical professionals, who often exhibited a curiously hysterical reaction to these women's pain.

"City of Incurable Women" emerges as a novel of remarkable originality, offering a profound historical perspective while evoking a haunting sense of beauty. Author Maud Casey skillfully reimagines these marginalized and dispossessed women as complex individuals with rich narratives to share. Through a series of linked prose portraits, accompanied by authentic period photographs and medical documents, both real and invented, Casey restores the humanity and individuality of nineteenth-century female psychiatric patients confined in Paris' Salpêtrière hospital. These patients, once reduced to mere specimens for study by renowned neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot and his male colleagues, are given a voice and a presence that transcends the boundaries of history.

The novel's exploration of hysteria extends beyond the confines of the hospital, delving into the societal and cultural forces that perpetuated this condition. Casey sheds light on the historical marginalization of women, their lack of agency, and the oppressive norms and expectations that confined them to subordinate roles. The medical profession, too, is scrutinized for its patriarchal biases and its tendency to pathologize women's experiences as a result of their gender.

"City of Incurable Women" is a powerful testament to the resilience and strength of these women, who faced immense adversity and discrimination yet found ways to assert their humanity and reclaim their lives. Through their stories, the novel challenges the dominant narratives of history and offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of gender, power, and medical discourse. It serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing and valuing the experiences of women who have been historically marginalized and overlooked.

In conclusion, "City of Incurable Women" is a remarkable work of fiction that delves into the forgotten history of nineteenth-century women institutionalized as hysterics. Through its captivating prose, historical authenticity, and thoughtful exploration of gender and power, the novel offers a profound and thought-provoking perspective on the lives of these women and the societal forces that shaped their experiences. It is a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of challenging historical narratives to promote greater understanding and empathy.

Weight: 150g
Dimension: 134 x 209 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781942658863