The Mad Women’s Ball highlights the plight of spirited women in the 1880s

Once upon a time, women considered too “spirited” were whisked away to sanitariums to recover their wits because society frowned upon women who wanted to think for themselves. In The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas, the spotlight shines on a group of women who change perceptions at the Salpetriere asylum in the 1880s.

One of the things I love most about the way Mas crafts the story is that she has several narratives weaving through the book at the same time. There is Genevieve the senior nurse at Salpetriere, elder patient Therese and young Louise, and finally Eugenie, who was sent to the asylum by her father. Each of the women have their own ideas about life at Salpetriere, but their beliefs are shaken to the core.

The Mad Women’s Ball is a story of women being brave in the face of adversity

For Genevieve, a nurse who has been at the asylum for years, there is no reason to question Dr. Charcot and his methods, no matter what. After her sister died her faith was rattled, so she’s sticking to her job as a nurse and focusing on work to escape her grief.

Therese has been in the system for years, and she’s more nervous about leaving Salpetriere than she is being stuck there. As the oldest patient she watches over the other women like a mother hen. She’s particularly close to young Louise, but when Louise comes back from a “treatment” and is never the same after, Therese sees that they are at risk so long as the doctors are allowed to continue their controversial experiments.

And then there’s Eugenie. Eugenie comes from a well to do family. She’s educated and she’s smart. She also sees spirits. When her family finds out, it’s a one-way ticket to Salpetriere, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road.

Eugenie challenges the conventions and gets Genevieve to think about what’s happening at the asylum. While women can’t affect a great deal of change at this point in history, they can believe in each other and that might be enough to make a difference.

While there is an element of mysticism in the story, the underlying tale of women being locked away for myriad offenses is at the core of the book. Their courage and their bravery is a testament to the trials and tribulations women have always faced, and in this case these women have had their freedoms taken away from them and yet they still fight to be seen and heard.

It’s hard to imagine a time when women were locked away for being too spirited by society’s standards. By that metric, we’d all probably be locked up by now. Mas’ story invites readers to reflect upon the sins of the past so that those same mistakes aren’t made today. Women are still being persecuted for being too strong or independent, and pregnant women of color are dying at alarming rates in the hands of medical professionals whose duty is to help them.

The Mad Women’s Ball is a fast-paced read that grabs you from the start. You can finish it in a matter of days or draw it out over time, but the impact it leaves will be felt long after you’ve closed the book. Victoria Mas has delivered a powerful story about a group of women being brave in the face of adversity, and it’s a tale that rings particularly true today.

The Mad Women’s Ball is available now.