1860: Elizabeth Packard's husband, Theophilus, feeling threatened by Elizabeth's intellect, independence, and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts, has her committed to an insane asylum. The conditions in the asylum are horrific. But most disturbing is that many other rational women have also been committed not because they need treatment, but were instead conveniently labeled "crazy" so their voices are ignored. No one is willing to fight for their freedom, and disenfranchised 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..." --

Includes reading group guides (pages 454-456) and conversation with the author (pages 457-462).