The Gray Chamber

Grace Hitchcock’s The Gray Chamber would probably win my “Sleeper of the Year” award. (And, yes, I know it’s only January.) I thought this book would be fun and interesting. I did not bargain for a love in danger of being lost nor a trip to Blackwell’s Island, infamous in its time for housing “insane” women. This series of historical American crimes gives a fictional façade to journalist Nellie Bly’s visit to the island.
At first, we are immersed in an enjoyable turn-of-the-century account of Edyth and fencing master Raoul Banebridge. Edyth is dying to have her best friend Raoul “Bane” notice her as a woman, but her eccentricities seem to block his view. When finally, he begins to see Edyth for the woman she is, her show more eccentricities have enabled other shocking developments.
This book is the stuff my nightmares are made of. It made perfect sense, and I could visualize it all happening. The evil mankind can perpetrate on another, made in the image of the same God!! My only hope as I read with elevated blood pressure and eyes scurrying over the pages was for a happy ending. Certainly, a chiller. However, as I think more about it, I can think of the Great Shepherd going after that one lost sheep, as well. The ultimate love that conquers hate.
Having read Hitchcock’s previous novel in this collection, The White City, I was pleased to meet Jude Law again. I always like it when novelists include fun tie-ins like this to their other works.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way influences my opinions, which are my own. show less

Mental health is a sensitive subject in our culture today. Great care is taken as we realize just how powerful the mind is, and what we need to do to care for it. I have heard of asylums and the horrors that abounded in many in the past, but nothing has really gave me pause like The Gray Chamber did. How do you prove yourself sane and falsely accused in a place that is trying to provoke and prove the opposite?

While Edyth's character was rather eccentric for a woman at that time, she was by no means crazy, and I loved seeing her strength when faced with such adversity and hopelessness. The relationship between her and Bane, so playful and yet so passionate, was a breath of fresh air.

The fight in this story is strong but the injustice had show more me audibly growling in frustration, craving justice on every page. The horrors that many endured at the hands of people who are supposed to be caretakers is unfathomable, the purest form of evil, and I am so thankful that Nellie Bly had the courage to do what she did, going in the trenches, exposing Blackwell's Island for what it really was, and helping to bring about real change.

I cannot say enough about this incredible series and am already reading another volume as I write this review. How the authors are able to mix historical fact and fiction so seamlessly is truly breathtaking, and I am glad that these stories are once again being brought to light.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own. show less

Edyth Foster is a young and rather wealthy eccentric not pressured to marry or behave the way society insists a woman must behave. Keep in mind it's 1887, and women do not ride velocipedes, nor do they fence. She lives with her Uncle and his new bride whose found a loophole in her parents' will and will do anything possible to have her committed. Does anyone even have a clue what her uncle has done? While at the asylum, she makes friends with Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist reporting on the horrors happening there.

Although the characters in this novel are a work of fiction, The circumstances of being committed and the treatment at the asylum is in fact true. I cried many tears for Poppie and her horrible treatment in that place. show more I'm pretty sure if they had given her counseling she'd have come to terms with the loss of her father. This was a creative and heart rending novel so be sure to have lots of kleenex handy. show less

The Gray Chamber is the second novel I have read by Grace Hitchcock. Her debut, The White City, was a treat, but this novel exceeded my expectations. Hitchcock has grown as a writer, and I am so very pleased because now I have another must-read author of historical mystery/suspense to add to my list! The Gray Chamber is part of the True Colors series which draws inspiration from true life crimes in our nation’s history. In this installment, the book centers on the horrific conditions of the mental health industry of the late 19th century. Nellie Bly exposed the abuses in her newspaper expose’ and subsequent book. Hitchcock took those experiences (and used Bly as a secondary character) to create a very personal portrayal of the show more arbitrary, and sometimes sinister, nature of commitment to the notorious Blackwell’s Island in NYC. Main character Edyth Foster is delightful in her eccentricities and independence, but those traits land her in the mad house. The abuses she faces and the peril she seeks to escape kept my attention riveted. This book was unputdownable. Her love interest was also especially swoony and a true hero as he seeks to free her. The historical details were spot on, and I found myself googling to find out more. The Gray Chamber was intense at times, and to counter that Hitchcock added a bit of levity at just the right moments. Edyth’s spunk and perseverance won my heart. As Edyth’s situation became more and more desperate, her reliance on God became more pronounced. Trust at the darkest of moments was difficult, but the truth that God fights for us when we cannot shines through.

I highly recommend The Gray Chamber for those interested in true crime, historical fiction, or just a really good story. I look forward to more from this talented author.

(Thanks to Barbour for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) show less

The True Colors series has quickly become a favorite of mine. Writing about true American crime stories from a Christian perspective provides sufficient factual information without sensationalizing violence and devolving into lurid details, offering hope in the midst of dreadful circumstances. The accounts may be historical, but they are still issues that plague society, and using fiction to bring attention to them serves to inform readers while hopefully cultivating the seeds of positive change. A similar approach proved to be a motivating factor for contemporary society, as evidenced by one of the secondary but true-to-life figures in this book.

With a sweet, romantic beginning, Grace Hitchcock’s “The Gray Chamber” quickly show more escalates into a suspenseful, page-turning journey. Although under the guardianship of her uncle until her upcoming twenty-fifth birthday, heiress Edyth Foster already has wealth and security and needs neither, so she defies social convention by participating in the sport of fencing and wearing outfits unbefitting a woman of her rank. As amusing as her eccentricities are, however, they put her in danger of losing her fortune to her uncle, who commits her to the female insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island. There she meets the intrepid journalist Nellie Bly, and both women embark upon a terrifying path to escape the asylum with their sanity intact. Aside from the barbaric treatments and living conditions, the core of the horror of “The Gray Chamber” and other such stories is the broad definition of madness, which results in many women being wrongly committed, and the subsequent inability to discern who is truly insane. As Nellie chillingly remarks, “It is a hard thing to be sane in this pit that seems to be designed to make us mad.” Today this takes the form of gaslighting, the awareness of which is spreading, but in 1887 “All it took was a dishonorable man’s word against an unwanted female to get her committed and a bribe to silence the staff of her fate.” As such, one of Edyth’s observations particularly struck me, when she laments that she had not memorized more Scripture because she took reading it for granted. This is still true of us as Americans who have enjoyed religious freedom, and a reminder to hide God’s Word in our hearts rather than assuming that will always have easy access to it.

“The Gray Chamber” is a book that successfully takes on the challenge of portraying life in a late-nineteenth-century women’s mental asylum realistically but hopefully, so that readers come away with a more compassionate heart and a stronger faith in God, who promises to never leave or forsake us.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. show less

Wow. The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock is another great addition to the True Colors series, which is written by a variety of authors. The author immediately sweeps the reader up into the story with intense family dynamics and the independent spirit of the heroine, Edyth. I loved the suspense as the unthinkable happens and Edyth is, as the book blurb tells, committed to an insane asylum. I knew it was coming, and yet it was heartbreaking and horrifying to see how the author plays it out. Interest was kept high with the intensity of Edyth's experience and wondering how in the world will she get out of these awful circumstances, or even will she get out alive. I had a hard time putting the book down. I enjoyed the fencing angle of the show more story and thinking about how it would be for a woman in the late 1800s to be involved in that sport. The author does a masterful job of depicting the social injustice of mental healthcare during that time in history. I am looking forward to the next book in this series of historical stories of American Crime and readers who like romance mixed with intrigue and danger will not want to miss this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via CelebrateLit. A favorable review was not required, and opinions are my own. This review is part of a CelebrateLit blog tour. show less

Edyth Foster does not favor traditional female pursuits and instead, chooses to fence, cycle, and get into all sorts of unintended mischief. When greed for her fortune overcomes her uncle, her eccentricities seem to support his claim of madness, and she ends up in Blackwell Island’s lunatic asylum. When everything she does reinforces her “diagnosis,” how can she ever hope to get out?

Historical stories set in an asylum are maddening, to say the least. Edyth has little reason to hope from within the walls of her prison—faced with endless threats, abuse, and “treatments”—yet she never gives up. With intrepid reporter Nellie Bly at her side, dashing fencing instructor Raoul Banebridge at work on the outside, and a necessary show more reminder of her faith, she is never as alone as she feels.

With all the complications of Edyth’s experience, Grace Hitchcock’s The Gray Chamber proves to be quite the suspenseful (and romantic) read. I will admit that the cheesy-sounding dialogue lessen my enjoyment a tad, but the overall stress of the situation still kept me enthralled from beginning to end. I look forward to reading more True Colors novels as they release.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. show less