The Mad Women’s Ball
By Victoria Mas
The Mad Women’s Ball is a historical fiction novel set at the famous Salpetriere hospital in 1885. Dr. Charcot, now considered the father of French neurology, was renowned in his time for his treatment of hysteria as a neurological disease at the hospital. During his teaching, he would hypnotize patients and show off the physical manifestations of their hysteria to large groups of medical students.
The book’s title is the nickname of the Lenten Ball, when the hospital would open its doors to parade hysterical patients to the upper class. During the weeks before the ball, the patients’ normally boring schedule is replaced by time to design and sew their costumes for the ball, unaware that they were considered part of a freak show.
The ball preparation coincides with the admission of young Eugenie, who communicates with spirits. The normally stern and distant ward nurse Genevieve is shaken by the new patient and reexamines everything she has believed during her life. Since most people do not believe in spirits, does that mean anyone who does is insane? Are there hysterical people who should be released into society, or should their hospitalization be a life sentence? Does one conversation or one action justify hospitalizing someone for hysteria?
The Mad Women’s Ball succeeds in many ways. The novel captures the stark, yet sometimes comforting, experiences of women in Salpetriere. Mas compassionately brings her characters to life so that readers can identify with them, even though they are the throwaways of the book. Mas makes us care about them. She immerses her reader in this world and brutally exposes the injustices toward the mentally ill, particularly women. It was easy to curl up in a chair and ignore the rest of the world for a few hours to stay in her story.
If you enjoy historical fiction that transports you to a different time and circumstances, then check out The Mad Women’s Ball.
If you enjoy historical fiction that transports you to a different time and circumstances, then check out The Mad Women’s Ball. Share on XThank you NetGalley and Overlook Press for providing an advanced review copy of the book.
