The shocking story of how the British government locked up thousands of innocent people – then forgot about them.
Sarah Wise Books
Sarah Wise specializes in the fascinating and often dark aspects of 19th-century history, particularly in London. Her work delves into lesser-known stories, exploring societal issues such as mental health, poverty, and crime. Wise utilizes detailed historical research to bring the past to life, presenting complex characters and examining ethical dilemmas that resonate with contemporary society. Her style is analytical yet accessible, drawing readers into a vivid depiction of Victorian England.
The Blackest Streets
- 352 pages
- 13 hours of reading
In 1887 Government inspectors were sent to investigate the Old Nichol, a notorious slum on the boundary of Bethnal Green parish, where almost 6,000 inhabitants were crammed into thirty or so streets of rotting dwellings and where the mortality rate ran at nearly twice that of the rest of Bethnal Green.
The Italian Boy
- 352 pages
- 13 hours of reading
Towards the end of 1831, the authorities unearthed a series of crimes at Number 3, Nova Scotia Gardens in East London that appeared to echo the notorious Burke and Hare killings in Edinburgh three years earlier.
Inconvenient People
- 496 pages
- 18 hours of reading
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WELLCOME BOOK PRIZE Gaslight tales of rooftop escapes, men and women snatched in broad daylight, patients shut in coffins, a fanatical cult known as the Abode of Love... The nineteenth century saw repeated panics about sane individuals being locked away in lunatic asylums.