Madwoman

'Chelsea Bieker breathes thrilling, risky energy into the familiar trope of the madwoman...A well-paced and absorbing page-turner .' New York Times CLOVE HAS BUILT HER DREAM LIFE. IT'S ABOUT TO COME CRASHING DOWN. Everything appears to be going pretty well for Clove. She's built a stable family home in Portland, she has a handsome husband who encourages her to pursue her dream of writing, and her two kids are pretty adorable. Sure, she dabbles in a low-level shopping addiction and is racking up a not-so-funny amount of credit card debt, but who doesn't have a vice or two? But when a letter arrives from a women's prison in California, Clove's past comes hurtling into her new life. Soon, she is caught up in a dangerous game of cat and mouse as she desperately tries to outrun her worst experiences. Raw and hilarious, Madwoman is a story about resilience, courage, and one woman's refusal to be defined by a past she would rather forget. 'A truly stunning read– this is my book of the year.' Ella Berman A Time Magazine 'Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2024'

'Chelsea Bieker breathes thrilling, risky energy into the familiar trope of the madwoman... A well-paced and absorbing page-turner .' New York Times CLOVE HAS BUILT HER DREAM LIFE. IT'S ABOUT TO COME CRASHING DOWN. Everything appears to be going pretty well for Clove. She's built a stable family home in Portland, she has a handsome husband who encourages her to pursue her dream of writing, and her two kids are pretty adorable. Sure, she dabbles in a low-level shopping addiction and is racking up a not-so-funny amount of credit card debt, but who doesn't have a vice or two? But when a letter arrives from a women's prison in California, Clove's past comes hurtling into her new life. Soon, she is caught up in a dangerous game of cat and mouse as she desperately tries to outrun her worst experiences. Raw and hilarious, Madwoman is a story about resilience, courage, and one woman's refusal to be defined by a past she would rather forget. 'A truly stunning read – this is my book of the year.' Ella Berman A Time Magazine 'Most Anticipated Book of Fall 2024'

**A HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES** The extraordinary story of a woman's quest for the truth against all odds - and how her story changed the world 'A moving story' SUNDAY TIMES, Best historical fiction books of 2022 'A must read!' GILL PAUL 'Intriguing ... A fascinating read' HAZEL GAYNOR 'Remarkable' ESSIE FOX 'An astonishing tour de force' REBECCA MASCULL In 1887 young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take. But life in the city is tougher than she imagined. Down to her last dime and desperate to prove her worth, she comes up with a dangerous plan: to fake insanity and have herself committed to the asylum that looms on Blackwell's Island. There, she will work undercover to document - and expose - the wretched conditions faced by the patients. But when the asylum door swings shut behind her, she finds herself in a place of horrors, governed by a harshness and cruelty she could never have imagined. Cold, isolated and starving, her days of terror reawaken the traumatic events of her childhood. She entered the asylum of her own free will - but will she ever get out? An extraordinary portrait of a woman way ahead of her time, Madwoman is the story of a quest for the truth that changed the world. 'Madwoman is one of the best, a magnificent portrayal of Nelly Bly in all her journalistic integrity and daring' New York Journal of Books

**A HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES** The extraordinary story of a woman's quest for the truth against all odds - and how her story changed the world 'A moving story' SUNDAY TIMES, Best historical fiction books of 2022 'A must read!' GILL PAUL 'Intriguing ... A fascinating read' HAZEL GAYNOR 'Remarkable' ESSIE FOX 'An astonishing tour de force' REBECCA MASCULL In 1887 young Nellie Bly sets out for New York and a career in journalism, determined to make her way as a serious reporter, whatever that may take. But life in the city is tougher than she imagined. Down to her last dime and desperate to prove her worth, she comes up with a dangerous plan: to fake insanity and have herself committed to the asylum that looms on Blackwell's Island. There, she will work undercover to document - and expose - the wretched conditions faced by the patients. But when the asylum door swings shut behind her, she finds herself in a place of horrors, governed by a harshness and cruelty she could never have imagined. Cold, isolated and starving, her days of terror reawaken the traumatic events of her childhood. She entered the asylum of her own free will - but will she ever get out? An extraordinary portrait of a woman way ahead of her time, Madwoman is the story of a quest for the truth that changed the world. 'Madwoman is one of the best, a magnificent portrayal of Nelly Bly in all her journalistic integrity and daring' New York Journal of Books

An addictive literary thriller from a breakout new voice

An addictive literary thriller from a breakout new voice