Author: Jennifer Cody Epstein
Started: June 19, 2023
Finished: June 22, 2023
Format: Digital
Genre: Historical Fiction
Laure, an asylum attendant and former patient at a French asylum is given direct care of the newest entry to the Hysteria ward. Josephine arrives covered in blood and with complete amnesia. Laure accompanies Josephine to all hypnotist sessions as well as to the doctor's Friday lectures. When the girls come to realize that Josephine's sessions may be doing more harm than good, they devise a plan to run away to live with Laure's sister and caregiver. When Josephine's past returns to find her, Laure realizes there is more to her friend than she thought.
When I first read the synopsis of this novel and that it was by an author I had previously read and enjoyed, I got excited. Sadly, I was not a big fan of this story. I had a very hard time connecting to the characters or what they were going through. The setting was unique as I have not read many historical fictions that take place primarily in an asylum. I believe there will be an audience that truly loves this novel but it did not work for me.