Ten Days a Mad Women by Deborah Noyes was book retelling the story of one of the first female reporters in New York and her first job, getting into and learning about how the inmates at Blackwell mental asylum were treated. to do this she must make a group of trained professionals into thinking she is mentally ill. The book also includes information on some of her followup jobs, including going around the world in less than 80 days to beat the popular Phileas Fogg from Around The World in 80 Days and another stunt reporter Elizabeth Bisland, a former co-worker, and getting a monkey.

The violence at Blackwell was only actually brought up after a reporter came in, was abused, and then got out, which shows the corruption that nelly was sent in to investigate.

The asylum women are seen as entertainment for the gourds and orderly’s, and are used as toys to break and get rid of. They are beaten and threatened with massive morphine injections if they do not comply.

At the time of the story, there were barely any female anythings to be truthful. So being a reporter, let alone a stunt reporter, was not very common or agreed with. So life was difficult for nelly starting out in the big apple.