True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime Fiction Based on Strange, But True, History Will Edyth prove her sanity before it is too late? On Blackwell’s Island, New York, a hospital was built to keep its patients from ever leaving. With her late parents’ fortune under her uncle’s care until her twenty-fifth birthday in the year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or … year 1887, Edyth Foster does not feel pressured to marry or to bow to society’s demands. She freely indulges in eccentric hobbies like fencing and riding her velocipede in her cycling costume about the city for all to see. Finding a loophole in the will, though, her uncle whisks Edyth off to the women’s lunatic asylum just weeks before her birthday. And Edyth fears she will never be found.
At the asylum she meets another inmate, who upon discovering Edyth’s plight, confesses that she is Nellie Bly, an undercover journalist for The World. Will either woman find a way to leave the terrifying island and reclaim her true self?
Also Look for:
White City by Grace Hitchcock (March 2019)
Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma (June 2019)
Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken (August 2019)
Blue Cloak by Shannon McNear (March 2020)
A fantastic and horrifying story! What I love best about historical fiction is a story wrapped around true events. And The Gray Chamber delivers.
“Nellie Bly took an undercover assignment for which she agreed to feign insanity to investigate reports of brutality and neglect at the Women’s Lunatic asylum on Blackwell’s Island.” [taken from Wikipedia]
Ms. Hitchcock’s Edyth was subjected to false accusations of insanity and subjected to confinement at Blackwell’s Island. The betrayal of a loved one was unthinkable—and yet it happened to countless women.
Much of the dialogue felt stilted and awkward, and I questioned some of Edyth’s actions and choices. Then again, she was clearly more headstrong than I.
The duel of the heart between Edyth and Bane was well-parried, a true to life romance. The characters were authentic, the circumstances sadly realistic.
I loved Edyth’s quirky nature, and her socially unacceptable (for the era) skill at fencing.
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
FOUR FEATHERS
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, The Gray Chamber, Grace Hitchcock
This is the first book by Grace Hitchcock that I have read; honestly, her last name attracted my attention and had me investigating the synopsis. The idea of a young woman wrongly institutionalized for the sake of stealing her fortune intrigued me, and the intersection with historical undercover journalist Nellie Bly ensured I flipped back to the front and began reading.
The romance is well-developed before Edyth and Bane are separated and gave a good background to both their actions throughout the novel. A rather unique aspect to this book is that the couple seem to get their happily ever after early on, only to have it ripped from their hands before they can enjoy their time together.
I did not expect to feel as uncomfortable as I did while reading this book. I knew very little about historical treatments for mental illness, but the details of abuse, lack of care, and barbaric “treatments” left me stunned and, frankly, thankful to live in this period of history instead.
The author does a great job of putting us in Edyth’s shoes and helping us see that she isn’t so strange, but there are enough obstacles in her path to freedom and twists as we go along, that nothing seems quite as cut and dried as we might have thought. And even though she was wrongly committed, her sanity is by no means guaranteed to last in this awful institution.
This is a well-written, often disturbing novel, made even more troubling by the historical truths behind it. I highly recommend it for those who enjoy historical fiction with some suspense, romance, or those with an interest in how mental health was treated historically or in female journalists of the past.
I received a review copy of this book through Celebrate Lit but was under no obligation to post a positive review. The opinions expressed are both honest and my own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
The Gray Chamber
By: Grace Hitchcock
*REVIEW*
The Gray Chamber is a compelling tale of the atrocities visited upon women committed to Blackwell’s Asylum during the 1880s. This institution, located on the East River near Manhattan and Queens, was the place where Nelly Bly spent ten days undercover in order to expose the abhorrent conditions. This story occurs during this time when Edyth, and orphan about to claim her inheritance, is deemed insane and committed to Blackwell’s by her uncle. It was shockingly easy to declare a woman crazy. A few instances of unladylike behavior would suffice. Edyth’s story is heartbreaking indeed, but there is a little ray of hope with a bit of romance involved. Most striking about this story are the descriptions of the inhumane conditions within the asylum and the animalistic treatment of the patients. It’s informative, eye opening and unforgettable. The author obviously researched Blackwell’s as evidenced in her depiction of this tragic place. I recommend for historical fiction readers with intrest in this era.
I was not aware of how much I would enjoy The Gray Chamber when I first began to read it nor how difficult it would be to stop reading in order to get a little sleep before a busy day. I am so thankful that our society has changed enough that women are not as easily committed to such institutions as the Blackwell Island Asylum for selfish reasons such as Edyth was.
Edyth was actually a delightful character. She was one who stretched the bounds of society as far as possible with her love of fencing, horseback riding, and how she loved to travel on her bicycle rather than by carriage like a proper lady. Despite her unique personality and characteristics, Edyth had a heart of gold and was willing to help so many others in need. Nevertheless her uncle Boris managed to use her peculiarities against her in order to have her put away in an asylum so that he could inherit her wealth before she reached the age he would no longer be her guardian. Edyth’s good friend Bane played an important part in the story and was instrumental in her release. Pardon me if that is too much of a spoiler.
This novel contains riveting descriptions of the unthinkable treatment of the women doomed to live in the asylum. At times it is difficult to read, knowing that these things actually took place not so long ago in our history and possibly still exist in other places in our world. Filled with plenty of action, danger, betrayal, romance, and even a touch of humor, the story also illustrates the importance of faith and trusting in the Lord to help us during difficulty circumstances.
I loved The Gray Chamber and will certainly be on the lookout for more books by this promising author.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
I’m going to be honest… When I was given the chance to read this book I took it without thinking it through. I had heard great reviews of other books in this series, but true crime is just not “my thing”. After I got the book in my hands I just did not want to read it since it was way out of my comfort zone. Also I had never read a book by this author. But, I had already told myself I would give it a try. I am so glad I did!!! This book will not be my last by Grace Hitchcock and I have already added other books in this series to my wishlist! This book had a sweet love story that gave just the lightness this story needed to balance the crime portion. Thinking the whole book would be dark and depressing, I was pleasantly surprised when that was not the case. Spiritually I took away from this read the importance of hiding God’s Word in your heart. Such a vital part of a Christian’s life. The research the author did to write this work was amazing. You won’t need to ask if that is true once you read it. It is apparent in the very first chapter. I’m thinking I need to get out of my comfort zone more often.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
This is my first book in the True Colors series where Fiction is based on Strange-But-True History.
The fictional story of Edyth Foster, heiress to a fortune is whisked off to the asylum by her uncle just before her birthday when she is due to inherit and take control of her fortune. Before she is whisked off, her eccentric character is well developed and lovable. I was rooting for her! She had been allowed to learn how to fence for many years and was secretly in love with her friend and fencing-master Raoul Banebridge (Bane). He is tenacious in looking for her after her disappearance. What follows is page-turning, heart-stopping action, horror, and adventure.
In the asylum, Edyth meets Nelly Bly, a real person in history who went undercover in Blackwell Island’s Insane Asylum. (Ten Days in a Mad-House is a book by American journalist Nellie Bly. It was initially published as a series of articles for the New York World; Bly later compiled the articles into a book, being published in New York City in 1887). “Bly experienced the deplorable conditions firsthand. The nurses behaved obnoxiously and abusively, telling the patients to shut up, and beating them if they did not. The food consisted of gruel broth, spoiled beef, bread that was little more than dried dough, and dirty undrinkable water. The dangerous patients were tied together with ropes. The patients were made to sit for much of each day on hard benches with scant protection from the cold…..The bathwater was frigid and buckets of it were poured over their heads, after which the patients were roughly washed and scrubbed by attendants. The bathwater was rarely changed, with many patients bathing in the same filthy water. Even when the water was eventually changed, the staff did not scrub or clean out the bath, instead throwing the next patient into a stained, dirty tub.”
The Gray Chamber highlights a particularly ugly slice of history and the real-life journalist who exposed the maltreatment of women who were sent to Blackwell Island whether justly or unjustly. Author Grace Hitchcock does an excellent job of incorporating the historical truths of that horrible time into her story. I especially liked was the fact that Edyth was forced to examine her life while at Blackwell Island. She did not have the luxury of her normal life of being so busy or doing any of her pastimes, which gave her endless time to think. This horrible experience gave her time to examine her life and to draw closer to God, and entrust her life to his care.
I found The Gray Chamber to be a well-written, fast-paced story with a wonderful hero and unconventional heroine in a difficult time in history. I highly recommend it!
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 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.
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 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.
The Gray Chamber by Grace Hitchcock is a powerful Christian historical tale set in 1887. It surrounds the asylum where women could be sent to for no good reason, forgotten and ill-treated. It is horrifying and barbaric. The novel has its roots in fact, around which, Grace Hitchcock has woven her tale.
Money and status are terrible masters, corrupting lives whose hearts lie in riches. There is nothing wrong with money and status if our hearts are aligned with God but when they are the foundations for our lives, we are in for a fall.
The lead character is a very modern, forward thinking young lady and as such, the establishment feels challenged by her.
We see the faithfulness of God who provides a peace in spite of our circumstances. There are times when all we can do is cling on to hope and trust that God is good.
It is beautiful to watch both friendships and love bud and blossom within the tale.
I am loving this True Crime series which The Gray Chamber is a part of. This series is highlighting periods in history where horrific things have happened that I was unaware of. I am being educated whilst I read and also inspired to do further research to delve deeper into history.
Thank you Grace Hitchcock for a powerful novel.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
My Thoughts on The Gray Chamber:
Wow. I have been loving this series and read this one as soon as it came through as an ebook through Netgalley. It’s amazing. So amazing. Okay, so maybe I should say more about the book but I’m still reeling with what a great read it was and it’s a super-fast read too. I could not put it down.
On the one hand, we have a social debutante who has this huge fortune left to her from her dying parents. But it’s still controlled by her uncle until she comes of age. Her uncle has married and she’s not so sure of the aunt but even though they’re not the best of friends she gives her the benefit of the doubt. The new aunt also has a daughter that she’s not sure she’ll get along with but she actually gets along really well with and loves.
Edyth thinks the best of people which is probably her biggest downfall. She also is a bit eccentric and doesn’t much care what society thinks. This seems to be a theme with being declared mentally ill in the past and it’s a loophole her uncle is willing to take to get his hands on her fortune.
Poor Edyth is in love with her fencing instructor(one of those eccentric things is that she loves fencing and takes lessons). Just as they are beginning to see each other as more than friends tragedy strikes. He must race against time to find and free her while she merely tries to survive with her life intact.
Add in more fun and suspense when doctors are bribed and controversial treatments are tried. Oh and an undercover journalist in Nellie Bly enters the story which is a great bit of fun and suspense as well.
I really loved this book. I’ve loved all of the books in this series actually and can’t wait to read the ones that come next. I highly recommend the entire series and hope you’ll read them all.
This book held special appeal to me though as it discusses mental health and how the world both viewed mental health plus how they treated it. Women were often deemed mentally ill or unstable for things such as inheritances, men wishing to remarry, or simply being a bit peculiar. Even just having your own opinion might have you locked up. As a mental health nurse, I love learning more about what this area of medicine was like and how it’s progressed.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Wowzers! This book gave me the creeps, but in a good way. Grace Hitchcock captures the time and place and you feel like you are trapped in the lunatic asylum with Edyth and the real life character Nellie Bly. Edyth is an engaging character who has eccentric likes for the time period, such as fencing & riding a velocipede. I felt like I was sucked into 1887 and the times for declaring someone, especially women mentally ill were atrocious. You don’t know who is trustworthy and who is shady and self seeking. This book has all the elements of a great read. You will be captivated from the beginning and sitting on the edge of your seat by the end. I highly recommend this, as well as the other books in the True Colors series.
I received a complimentary copy from CelebrateLit/author. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
The Gray Chamber (True Colors)
by Grace Hitchcock
The Gray Chamber has a chill factor in the level of a Alfred Hitchcock story with the trickery surrounding history of Blackwell’s Island. An addictive plot and characters in an action-packed story, with distressing and conniving family members, a woman’s strength of character to survive that will keep the readers turning pages at quickly; keeping the reader up at night. This is a brilliant, historical romance with daring rescues, with a strong promise of love and the delicious hero; for the reader to enjoy.
Author Ms. Grace Hitchcock shows her readers through her descriptive writing how women have been viewed and treated. Her thoughts of the stigma attached mental health, and the lack of human dignity of care facilities, are certainly frightening and induces of anger-filled compassion for those with conditions of the mind. Ms. Grace Hitchcock does a great job of discovering trauma and post-traumatic effects. Well Done.
I enjoyed adventure of the main characters learning to keep busy to dull the pain, and how to use God to teach us to be still and dependent on Him. This story was addictive, informative, heartbreaking and AMAZING!! American crime with romance intertwined and a few Christian verses made me believe in the power of love again. I could not have loved this story more and highly recommend it to all readers of history, medical and Victorian romance lovers. I had the great pleasure of receiving an ARC from NetGalley and I want to leave my honest review and give a 4.5-star rating.
The Gray Chamber is my first book by Grace Hitchcock. I was kind of worried as to whether I would like this story or not because of the prominent part the Blackwell Lunatic Asylum plays in the story. While this part is very chilling, suspenseful, and eye opening, it really makes you feel for those that were wrongly committed and the conditions they all lived under. It also makes you thankful for those like Nellie Bly who helped expose these horrific conditions.
I really liked Edyth and her “unconventional” ways and always positive personality. I was so happy that she kept her positivity and never gave up after she was committed. Otherwise, this could’ve been too dark. I also loved that Bane never gave up on Edyth! There is also a great secondary character, Lavinia. I would love to see her get her own story!
I really like Ms. Hitchcock’s writing style and look forward to reading more of her stories. And, this cover is the perfect cover for the feel of this story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This is a tale of the evil that can be caused by greed but in the end, it is a story of love and faith. As I read all of the horrors that Edyth and so many others endured who were banished to Blackwell Island, I learned that it was very easy to have someone committed to an insane asylum 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.” (P. 125)
The Gray Chamber relates some of the treatment the patients were subjected to that was enough to truly send them into madness. It is apparent that author Grace Hitchcock did a lot of research and I found myself checking many of the happenings to see what was true and what was fictional. Nellie Brown is one of the young women that Edyth meets but she is unaware of Nellie’s true identity. She is really Nellie Bly, a reporter for The World newspaper who is there to uncover what truly is occuring in this hospital. Bly really did spend ten days there and it is her expose that brought about changes at Blackwell Asylum.
Grace Hitchcock has created some memorable characters in The Gray Chamber. Colorful and eccentric Edyth Foster and her antics made it easy to label her unstable; even her best friend had moments of doubt when she suddenly disappeared. I really liked Raoul “Bane” Banebridge and his determination to find out where Edyth was and I was also drawn to Poppy, the young tormented girl who found solace in reading her Bible and adamantly believed that she would be reunited with her martyred parents.
The Gray Chamber is the fourth book of the True Colors series that is devoted to true stories of American crime and it certainly maintains the momentum of the previous books. I found myself unable to put it down, even when I found descriptions of the cruel treatments so disturbing. I was eager to discover if Edyth would be rescued before she truly suffered a breakdown and I was shocked to think that many of these events were based on true happenings. Watching Edyth’s faith flourish and strengthen was very inspring and I can certainly recommend The Gray Chamber to anyone who enjoys historical Christian fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.
As she did in her previous novel for the True Colors series, in The Gray Chamber Hitchcock has given readers a glimpse into a morbidly fascinating bit of criminal history. Women are held to an entirely different set of standards, and not only did this often disenfranchise them, it often put them in danger, as it does for main character Edyth Foster.
Edyth is forward-thinking; she fences when this is considered a man’s sport; she pays no heed to what society dictates. This plays well into the schemes set into play by members of her family, and it also serves her well when she finds herself unfairly locked up in an asylum and her fortune removed from her. Her longtime friend, Bane, is an endearing character as well, though I was a bit put off at his change of heart when it came to Edyth – it comes off as a bit abrupt and somewhat superficial, as he couldn’t see Edyth’s good qualities without fancy trimmings. I did enjoy their interactions together, and there are some tension-filled moments when they are both trying to save her from the asylum on Blackwell’s Island.
The details of the treatment of those in the asylum are hard to read about and a dark blot indeed on mental healthcare – thank goodness many strides have been made in that field, and kudos to Hitchcock for shedding light on this time in history.
Hitchcock is an author that I’ve come to expect good things from, after having read her debut novel and two novellas. Though I didn’t enjoy The Gray Chamber quite as much as The White City, I’m glad that I read it, and recommend it for readers of romantic historical mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the author; I was not required to post a review, and these are my honest thoughts and opinions.
I’m really enjoying this true colors series by various authors. Each one is based on an actual true historical story of American crime but is fictionalized in a novel. The Gray Chamber deals with the institutionalizing of women to lunatic asylums and their horrific treatment in the late 1800s. Some were put away by greedy relatives, like Edyth in this story, who was not mentally ill. In 1887, Nellie Bly an undercover journalist, went into the asylum at Blackwell’s Island to seek out information on the welfare of the patients. I read of her accounts by Googling her name.
Everything Edyth and her cousin Lavinia and friend Bane try to do to help Edyth, is thwarted by her greedy Uncle Boris. He will inherit her massive estate if she dies or is committed to an asylum. Edyth is filled with despair and hopelessness. Follow her story and the true eye-opening treatment of those women in The Gray Chamber. Five stars!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.
My heart certainly went out to Edyth Foster who will inherit her parents’ fortune on her twenty-fifth birthday! Edyth has never been the usual society lady in 1887 New York since she enjoys fencing and riding her velocipede! I could not imagine her guardian uncle having her placed in a “women’s lunatic asylum” so he could obtain her fortune! Edyth’s fencing instructor, “Bane” Banebridge was an amazing hero once he realized he loved Edyth. You will learn much about the horrors of early lunatic asylums in this fiction based on a true story! I found The Gray Chamber to be a very interesting story. I have enjoyed reading most of the True Colors series.I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a review.
Edyth Foster is your average twenty-five year old in the year 1887 who loves fencing and her fencing instructor, Bane. She is about to come into her fortune when she is involuntarily committed to an institution. I really enjoyed this story! The romance, pacing, and history were all well done. I would highly recommend it but set aside some time. You won’t be able to put it down.
I received this book through Net Galley and have left an honest review.
I have read several of the books that are part of this True Crime Series and I have enjoyed them all.
It’s hard to wrap my mind around such people that can do things to other people and not feel condemned. Money makes folks do a lot of things. Edyth’s uncle was just that kind of person. Putting her in the lunatic asylum where he could get her money. When I read the description of the book I thought “Yikes”, that would be a terrible fate. Hitchcock did a great job with the characters and even in the worst circumstances love and faith shows through. There are some books I want to read as fast as I can to find out what happens and this is one of them. This historical romantic suspense book will keep you flipping those pages.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
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 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.