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The Madwomen of Paris
Nominee:Edgar Award -Novel (2024)
EDGAR AWARD FINALIST - "Epstein's page-turning historical novel--an indictment of the medical establishment's manipulation of women--remains eerily relevant and timely."--Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Spectacular
Two women fall under the influence of a powerful doctor in Paris's notorious nineteenth-century women's asylum--a gripping novel inspired by true events, from the bestselling author of Wunderland. After being dragged into the Salpêtrière asylum screaming, covered in blood, and suffering from amnesia, Josephine is diagnosed with what the nineteenth-century Parisian press has dubbed "the epidemic of the age" hysteria. It's a disease so uniquely baffling that Jean-Martin Charcot, the Salpêtrière's acclaimed director, devotes popular lectures to it, using hypnosis to elicit fits and fantastical symptoms in front of rapt audiences. Young, charismatic, and highly susceptible to this entrancement, Josephine quickly becomes a favorite of the powerful doctor and the Parisian public alike. But her true ally at the Salpêtrière is Laure, a lonely ward attendant. As their friendship blossoms into something more, the two women find comfort and even joy together despite their bleak surroundings. Soon, Josephine's memory returns, and with it images of a gruesome crime she's convinced she's committed. Ensnared in Charcot's hypnotic web, she starts spiraling into seeming insanity, prompting a terrified Laure to plot their escape together. First, though, Laure must solve a grim mystery: Who, really, is the girl she's grown to love? Is Josephine a madwoman . . . or a murderer? Inspired by true events, expertly researched, and masterfully written, The Madwomen of Paris is a Gothic saga for the ages with themes that remain hauntingly resonant today.
Two women fall under the influence of a powerful doctor in Paris's notorious nineteenth-century women's asylum--a gripping novel inspired by true events, from the bestselling author of Wunderland. After being dragged into the Salpêtrière asylum screaming, covered in blood, and suffering from amnesia, Josephine is diagnosed with what the nineteenth-century Parisian press has dubbed "the epidemic of the age" hysteria. It's a disease so uniquely baffling that Jean-Martin Charcot, the Salpêtrière's acclaimed director, devotes popular lectures to it, using hypnosis to elicit fits and fantastical symptoms in front of rapt audiences. Young, charismatic, and highly susceptible to this entrancement, Josephine quickly becomes a favorite of the powerful doctor and the Parisian public alike. But her true ally at the Salpêtrière is Laure, a lonely ward attendant. As their friendship blossoms into something more, the two women find comfort and even joy together despite their bleak surroundings. Soon, Josephine's memory returns, and with it images of a gruesome crime she's convinced she's committed. Ensnared in Charcot's hypnotic web, she starts spiraling into seeming insanity, prompting a terrified Laure to plot their escape together. First, though, Laure must solve a grim mystery: Who, really, is the girl she's grown to love? Is Josephine a madwoman . . . or a murderer? Inspired by true events, expertly researched, and masterfully written, The Madwomen of Paris is a Gothic saga for the ages with themes that remain hauntingly resonant today.
Book Details
- Publisher: Ballantine Books
- Publish Date: Jul 11st, 2023
- Pages: 336
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 9.20in - 6.30in - 1.30in - 1.20lb
- EAN: 9780593158005
- Categories: • Historical - General• Women• Gothic
About the Author
Jennifer Cody Epstein is the internationally bestselling author of The Painter from Shanghai, Wunderland, and The Gods of Heavenly Punishment, which won the Asian/Pacific American Honor Award for Literature for Adult Fiction. She has written for The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Self, Mademoiselle, and others. She has an MFA in fiction from Columbia University and an MA in international affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Epstein lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.
Praise for this book
Praise for The Madwomen of Paris "Memorable characters, heartbreaking moments and intriguing details . . . this eye-opening novel has it all. [The novel] is a series of dramatic, dangerous events and shocking twists."--Woman's World "This engrossing novel explores all the different ways that young women are exploited and told they should appreciate the attention. The novel is well-written, thought-provoking, and immersive. A must-read for those interested in the treatment of women and the ethics of medicine. Highly recommend."--Historical Novel Society "Epstein has achieved her goal of immersing readers in the 'stranger-than-fiction' universe of late-19th-century Paris. At a time when women's reproductive rights are under threat and people with unexplained medical conditions are routinely gaslit, The Madwomen of Paris provides a fascinating look back at a condition with modern-day resonance."--Science Magazine "This beautifully crafted historical from Epstein evokes the cruel and misogynistic mental health system of late 19th-century Paris. . . . Combining elegant prose, artfully chosen historical details, and convincing characterizations, this haunting narrative showcases Epstein at her best."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Laure and Josephine's story reflects the raging obsession that people had with hysteria. . . . It speaks to the dangers of treatments used on patients and the vulnerable positions in which they were placed. . . . A gripping historical novel that describes the treatment patients received from Dr. Charcot at Salpêtrière."--Booklist
Praise for the novels of Jennifer Cody Epstein "Searing . . . a heartbreaking page-turner."--People "An epic about friendship and family set against an inherently emotional, dramatic backdrop . . . a story that feels tragic and brutal and true."--USA Today "Engrossing . . . Moving between decades and continents, Epstein reveals the devastating choices these women make."--Real Simple "Both heartbreaking and hopeful, this story of a daughter searching for the truth about her mother's secret past, tangled up in old secrets and terrible lies, kept me up late turning pages."--Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls "A beautiful and haunting and utterly magnificent novel: a wrenching tale of friendship and betrayal . . . It's also a page-turner that kept me reading util two in the morning one night and three in the morning the next. It's that good."--Chris Bohjalian, New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant
Praise for the novels of Jennifer Cody Epstein "Searing . . . a heartbreaking page-turner."--People "An epic about friendship and family set against an inherently emotional, dramatic backdrop . . . a story that feels tragic and brutal and true."--USA Today "Engrossing . . . Moving between decades and continents, Epstein reveals the devastating choices these women make."--Real Simple "Both heartbreaking and hopeful, this story of a daughter searching for the truth about her mother's secret past, tangled up in old secrets and terrible lies, kept me up late turning pages."--Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls "A beautiful and haunting and utterly magnificent novel: a wrenching tale of friendship and betrayal . . . It's also a page-turner that kept me reading util two in the morning one night and three in the morning the next. It's that good."--Chris Bohjalian, New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant