Nellie Bly, born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864, was an American journalist, author, and charity worker who received initial renown after writing a stinging expose of the mistreatment of the mentally ill while faking insanity and living undercover at a New York mental institution. At a time when women were just beginning to break into the field of journalism, the type of undercover investigative reporting undertaken by Bly set an important precedent, allowing her to successfully pioneer working in the male dominated field of newspaper writing.

Bly addressed social issues that desperately needed attention at the turn of the 20th century; issues that affected not only women but all minorities marginalized by society. Bly reported the news from the perspective of a woman and, as such, helped to elevate the role of women in American society. Bly writes from the heart and we feel intensely the sadness and hopelessness she feels for the inhabitants of the institution who will likely be held captive for the rest of their lives.

Dawn Harvey is a stage and film actress, as well as an audiobook narrator. Dawn’s rich, dulcet tones, and her quirky style, will take you on a thoroughly engrossing ride in Ten Days in a Mad-House.