Monday, March 13

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: The Painted Bridge by Wendy Wallace

'I am more sane than I have ever been in my life. And yet, I look like a madwoman'

Behind a high stone wall on the outskirts of London lies Lake House, a private asylum for women. Tricked by her husband, Anna Palmer becomes its newest patient just weeks into her marriage.

Ravaged by the cruel treatments of the time, Anna struggles to prove her sanity, despite some surprising allies: Talitha Batt, a longtime inhabitant who seems to be as sane as she is; Lucas St Clair, a visiting physician who believes that photography may reveal the state of a patient's mind; and Catherine Abse, the proprietor's highly-strung daughter. Yet the longer Anna remains at Lake House, the more she realises that no one and nothing is quite as it appears. Not her fellow patients, her husband, her family -- not even herself.

Will Anna discover the freedom she seeks, or plunge so far into the recesses of the mind that she might never escape? 

My thoughts:
Omg, poor woman. Men are such asshats!

Anna did not make the best of choices, but she just wanted to help. And for that, and cos he was embarrassed her husband sent her to an asylum! Because he does own her after all. And asylums in those days, well let's just say I would go insane there. Any sane human would go insane by their treatments.

I did wonder in the beginning, is she a bit mad after all? Who knows. Her husband sure kept saying it, but then you saw her and she just wanted to go home.

And we do learn things about the husband. Asshat!
And we do learn more things that made me wonder about her.

In the asylum we meet other women too. And hey they are not crazy either. Stupid era! Arghhhh!!!! Women are people too, not property.

Conclusion:
A good book. A slower pace that let's you get into her head.


Paperback, 386 pages
Published 2013 by Simon & Schuster UK (first published May 24th 2012)
Historical fiction
Own

3 comments:

Carole Rae said...

Oh boy...men...

Blodeuedd said...

Men!

Anachronist said...

This one made me think about Camille Claudel. She was confined to an asylum by her own mum and she died there, even though most likely she was completely sane, just depressed.