Dear Fellow Reader,

Do you ever go to hear an author speak? I don’t go nearly enough but I do always enjoy it. Whether they are talking about their characters or their process, I find it interesting. Do they plot the entire book out in advance or start with a concept and let the characters lead the way? Are they funny in person and chilling on paper? Just what are they like? Could you be friends?

I am lucky to have a fantastic local bookstore. They have authors all the time and there is a video library of the talks available on their website. Some of the talks aren’t long but that is almost better, right? It is easy to find a little time to listen rather than a long time to listen. I urge you to check out the website, www.boswellbooks.com, and see all they have to offer. Also, buy a book or two from them to support all the things they do. And check out your own local indie bookstore. They might have the same programming.

By the way, I read recently (an elastic term) that Barnes and Noble had bounced back from extinction because they decided to let each bookstore buy and supply the market for where they are. So perhaps the store in Glendale, Wisconsinm needs a lot of books on Wisconsin native plants while the store in Evanston, IL, needs lots of books on Jane Austin. Each bookstore can now supply its customers with the books they want. What a great idea!

The Madwomen of Paris is a historical fiction book about Laure, an attendant at the Salpetiere Asylum outside of Paris. The asylum is run by the famous Dr. Charcot who treats women who have “hysteria” and lunacy. Laure was a patient at the asylum but was deemed to be “cured” but without any family to return to, she started working at the asylum. It is hard work and her direct supervisor dislikes her because she knows that Laure is smarter than she is.

Laure is assigned to help the woman that Dr. Charcot uses in his demonstrations. Dr. Charcot uses his demonstrations to show people how susceptible women who have hysteria can be. As the book opens, the patient that has become famous for being his demonstration patient makes the mistake of trying to show up the doctor. She is quickly replaced by Josephine who is very susceptible to hypnosis and beautiful, so the crowds love her. As she gets better, she is sure she had committed a crime and is afraid that she will be arrested. In the meantime, Laure is looking to reunite with her younger sister who had been placed in the French foster system and then lost.

The Madwomen of Paris is an interesting read. There is the part about how women were treated and the state of medicine at the time. Then the story of Laure and Josephine. It is a bit more complex than most beach reads but very readable.

Thanks for reading!

This book was given to me in exchange for my unbiased review.