MADNESS Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum

Antonia Hylton does a bang-up job narrating her own work, a searing account of Crownsville Hospital, a segregated mental institution in Maryland that served as a dumping ground for any Black person whom white authorities found inconvenient. Crownsville was, for much of its 93-year history, not a place of healing, despite the best efforts of some staff members. Instead, it was a place of misery and abuse. Emotion comes through in Hylton's performance, keeping the listener engaged without overwhelming the content. Her pacing and tone are excellent, which is no surprise--her day job as a TV reporter depends a great deal on her voice and ability to tell a story. Those assets make this audiobook even stronger. G.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2024]