This book tells the story of Blackwell's Island (known today as Roosevelt Island). This island was home to two prisons, a poorhouse, and an insane asylum. The treatment of ethnic minorities has always been a grim read, but especially in this book. I recall reading about asylums while I was in psychology class, so the treatment described here was of no shock to me. It is revolting how people treat those that they do not understand. It is also ridiculous what one could be committed for and declared insane for. I was surprised that Nellie Bly was mentioned in this book, because I remember doing a book report on her in elementary school. This was well researched and well written. I had the Audible version, which was a several hour listen. I turned it on while cleaning and listened to a good portion during that point. I enjoyed the book, even if the subject matter was grim. It would be interesting to see how much has or has not changed in modern institutions of this caliber.