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The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear Audiobook
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From the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Radium Girls comes another dark and dramatic but ultimately uplifting tale of a forgotten woman whose inspirational journey sparked lasting change for women’s rights and exposed injustices that still resonate today.
1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil, Elizabeth Packard, housewife and mother of six, is facing her own battle. The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room. Her husband of twenty-one years is plotting against her because he feels increasingly threatened—by Elizabeth’s intellect, independence, and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts. So Theophilus makes a plan to put his wife back in her place. One summer morning, he has her committed to an insane asylum.
The horrific conditions inside the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois, are overseen by Dr. Andrew McFarland, a man who will prove to be even more dangerous to Elizabeth than her traitorous husband. But most disturbing is that Elizabeth is not the only sane woman confined to the institution. There are many rational women on her ward who tell the same story: they’ve been committed not because they need medical treatment, but to keep them in line—conveniently labeled “crazy” so their voices are ignored.
No one is willing to fight for their freedom and, disenfranchised both by gender and the stigma of their supposed madness, they cannot possibly fight for themselves. But Elizabeth is about to discover that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose …
Bestselling author Kate Moore brings her sparkling narrative voice to The Woman They Could Not Silence, a story of the forgotten woman who courageously fought for her own freedom—and in so doing freed millions more. Elizabeth’s refusal to be silenced and her ceaseless quest for justice not only challenged the medical science of the day, and led to a giant leap forward in human rights, it also showcased the most salutary lesson: sometimes, the greatest heroes we have are those inside ourselves.
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“With path-breaking research and electric prose, Kate Moore reveals just how crazy marriage laws once were?and one unbeaten heroine helped make them sane.”
— Elizabeth Cobbs, author of The Hello Girls
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“An inspiring portrait of someone who fought the system and won.”
— NPR -
“An intelligent and sensitive history told with the riveting energy of a gripping novel.”
— Barnes&Noble.com -
“Author/narrator Kate Moore delivers her stunning biography…[and] is flawless…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“Moore delivers an absolutely fantastic narration of her biography of Elizabeth Package.”
— Library Journal (starred audio review) -
“Moore packs in plenty of drama…Readers will be thrilled to discover this undersung early feminist hero.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Absolutely unputdownable…A veritable tour de force about how far women’s rights have come and how far we still have to go.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“A vivid look at the life and times of a little-known pioneer of women’s rights.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“A masterpiece.”
— Nathalia Holt, New York Times bestselling author -
“An incredible narrative about a singular historical woman.”
— Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author -
“Brings the indomitable Packard to brilliant life and proves she belongs among our most celebrated women leaders.”
— Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author -
“With path-breaking research and electric prose, Kate Moore reveals just how crazy marriage laws once were―and one unbeaten heroine helped make them sane.”
— Elizabeth Cobbs, author of The Hello Girls -
“Will keep you up at night and illuminate women’s ongoing battles for authority and respect.”
— Elaine Showalter, author of The Female Malady -
“This beautifully written tale unspools with drama and power. You will be riveted.”
— Liza Mundy, author of Code Girls -
“Simply magnificent. It reads like a suspense novel [and] Moore’s research is impeccable.”
— Phyllis Chesler, author of Women and Madness
Awards
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A June 2021 LibraryReads Pick
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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A Library Journal Best Audiobook of 2021
The Woman They Could Not Silence Listener Reviews
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Wendy Mason, 3/27/2025
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Carolyn A Cohoon, 6/23/2024
About Kate Moore
Kate Moore is the USA Today bestselling author of The Radium Girls, which won the 2017 Goodreads Choice Award for Best History, was voted US librarians’s favorite nonfiction book of 2017, and was named a Notable Nonfiction Book of 2018 by the American Library Association. A British writer based in London, she writes across a variety of genres and has had multiple titles on the London Sunday Times bestseller list. She is passionate about politics, storytelling, and resurrecting forgotten heroes. Visit her at Kate-Moore.com.