Damnation Island

By Stacy Horn,

Book cover of Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad, and Criminal in 19th-Century New York

Book description

"Enthralling; it is well worth the trip." --New York Journal of Books Conceived as the most modern, humane incarceration facility the world had ever seen, New York's Blackwell's Island, site of a lunatic asylum, two prisons, an almshouse, and a number of hospitals, quickly became, in the words of a…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Damnation Island as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

If you ever wondered about Blackwell Island off of New York City, this is the book for you.

Over a hundred years, this island housed the insane, indigent, sick, and criminal (although this was often a word used loosely). The book takes you walking through the different institutional buildings created there in the 1800s. Through the eyes of its inhabitants, both those who worked there and those who were incarcerated there, this novel takes you on a tour of the island and through the lives of the poor, criminal, and mentally ill and how they were treated.

While things have…

If you love Damnation Island...

Ad

Book cover of We Had Fun and Nobody Died: Adventures of a Milwaukee Music Promoter

We Had Fun and Nobody Died By Amy T. Waldman, Peter Jest,

This irreverent biography provides a rare window into the music industry from a promoter’s perspective. From a young age, Peter Jest was determined to make a career in live music, and despite naysayers and obstacles, he did just that, bringing national acts to his college campus atUW-Milwaukee, booking thousands of…

Want books like Damnation Island?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Damnation Island.

Browse books like Damnation Island

Book cover of It's Kind of a Funny Story
Book cover of Ten Days in a Mad-House
Book cover of The Snake Pit

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,586

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like Damnation Island, you might also like...

Book cover of Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

Traumatization and Its Aftermath By Antonieta Contreras,

A fresh take on the difference between trauma and hardship in order to help accurately spot the difference and avoid over-generalizations.

The book integrates the latest findings in brain science, child development, psycho-social context, theory, and clinical experiences to make the case that trauma is much more than a cluster…

Book cover of Who Is a Worthy Mother?: An Intimate History of Adoption

Who Is a Worthy Mother? By Rebecca Wellington,

I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in mental disorders, New York State, and psychiatric hospitals?

Mental Disorders 182 books
New York State 563 books