THE GIRL BEHIND THE GATES: The gripping, heart-breaking historical bestseller based on a true story Paperback – 2 July 2020

This book is so full of emotion, I couldn't put it down, it made me angry ; sad; and happy, The cruelty of institutions years ago was brought to life, The miracle of recovery was amazing,

Many things in this book hit very close to home for me albeit in a much different way but my heart ached for Nora so deeply and then swelled with so much gratitude that after so many years of suffering she was found by a doctor who truly cared for her, listened to her, and actively helped her. For so many people that's a hope which becomes a fantasy until they no longer have the will to even dare dream and it gives way to numbness and despair. What happened to Nora, and to so many other people in the early 20th century, never should have happened and though I'm not unfamiliar with what the practices were back then this story felt so personal and intimate that it allowed me to see it with new eyes. This was so beautifully and compassionately written I can't help but applaud the author. Definitely something I would recommend again and again.

I read a lot of books and never review but feel strongly compelled to review this one. This story brought me to tears several times during its beautifully written telling. How we, as a so called civilised nation, used to treat people so badly blows my mind. Nora, the lady who this book is about, is totally amazing i the way she survived the relentless abuse at the hands of so called nurses. The book does not say if the perpetrators of the abuse were ever held to account, but i so hope they have been. Fabulous, heartbreaking read.

The Girl Behind the Gates points to the fear of mental difficulties and what was deemed moral deficiency that affected everybody and often sent unwed and pregnant women to mental institutions. The law was clear and stayed unchanged until 1959. The perspective is shocking, and, in my opinion, it is important to remember that this happened less than seventy years ago.Nora Jennings is a seventeen-year-old who gets to feel the consequences of a single night of passion. Labelled as morally defective and incarcerated in the local mental hospital, she lives through years of brutal conditions.Sister Cummings, a proverbial Nurse Ratched (of Cuckoo’s Nest fame), is the nemesis who knows how to make her patients, especially the young and hopeful, suffer.Janet Humphreys is a psychiatrist that arrives on the scene much later, but her insight and humanity bring hope to some patients.The blend of traumatic experiences, imperious nurses, horrifying treatments, and evolving friendships blend in a compelling document that will leave the reader pondering how easy it is to destroy the human spirit. Yet, Ms Davies manages to convey hope – even for institutionalised individuals.For me, the highlight was the deft use of the healing power of music. This is a book that will stay with you and make you think.

I enjoyed this from the first page to the last. It pulls the reader into a time most of us never knew existed, to a beautiful ending.