Review & Giveaway: What Girls are Good For by David Blixt

What Girls Are Good For by David Blixt

Publication Date: November 6, 2018

Creativia

Paperback & eBook; 535 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Nellie Bly has the story of a lifetime. But will she survive to tell it?

Enraged by an article entitled ‘What Girls Are Good For’, Elizabeth Cochrane pens an angry letter to the Pittsburgh Dispatch, never imagining a Victorian newspaper would hire a woman reporter. Taking the name Nellie Bly, she struggles against the male-dominated industry, reporting stories no one else will – the stories of downtrodden women.

Chased out of Mexico for revealing government corruption, her romantic advances rejected by a married colleague, Bly earns the chance to break into the New York’s Newspaper Row if she can nab a major scoop – life inside a madhouse. Feigning madness, she dupes the court into committing her to the Insane Asylum on Blackwell’s Island.

But matters are far worse than she ever dreamed. Stripped, drugged, beaten, she must endure a week of terror, reliving the darkest days of her childhood, in order to escape and tell the world her story. Only, at the end of the week, no rescue comes, and she fears she may be trapped forever...

Based on the real-life events of Nellie Bly’s life and reporting, What Girls Are Good For is a tale of rage, determination, and triumph - all in the frame of a tiny Pennsylvania spitfire who refused to let the world tell her how to live her life, and changed the world instead.

Available on Amazon

Praise for What Girls Are Good For

"Dramatic, engrossing, and spirited, What Girls Are Good For takes the reader straight to the heart of an unsung American hero--a feminist icon whose voice rings loud and true. This is a must-read for anyone who loves an underdog and celebrates justice; the perfect accompaniment for our present times." - Olivia Hawker, international bestselling author of The Ragged Edge of Night

"With rich imagination and meticulous research, David Blixt has brought the hectic, exciting world of nineteenth-century journalism vividly to life. His Nellie Bly is determined, independent, crafty, irresistible -- a heroine any reader would be delighted to get to know." - Matthew Goodman, New York Times bestselling author

My Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

2018 has shaped up to be one of the best years of reading that I can remember! I don't even know how I'm going to narrow it down to my favorite reads of the year but I do know that What Girls are Good For will be on it!

As I was finishing up reading What Girls are Good For last night all I could think of was just how I was going to write a review worthy of this amazing book. Since that's impossible I'll just tell you about how much I loved it!

I was absolutely blown away by David Blixt's novel of Nellie Bly -- a woman before her time, a woman that defied expectations and challenged the status quo of women, a woman after my own heart! She had a big mouth, a big heart, and big amibitions, and I adored her instantly.

If you know David or follow him online you know he is a great advocate for women and that shines through in the book. In my opinion, I've not found many male authors that can write women well, particularly a woman like Nellie, but David is the exception.

Historical authors are tasked with bringing important figures from history to life and David did just that with Nellie Bly, and brilliantly I might add. I think he did her proud!

Do yourself a favor and pick this up soon! Be prepared to fall in love with Nellie!

About the Author

David Blixt‘s work is consistently described as “intricate,” “taut,” and “breathtaking.” A writer of Historical Fiction, his novels span the early Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS’D series) up through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY’S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as inept spies). His novels combine a love of the theatre with a deep respect for the quirks and passions of history.

Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, he describes himself as “actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order.”

For more information, please visit David Blixt's website. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, December 10
Review at Bookish Rantings

Thursday, December 13
Review at Bri's Book Nook

Monday, December 17
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Tuesday, December 18
Excerpt at Donna's Book Blog

Wednesday, December 19
Review & Guest Post at Clarissa Reads it All
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective

Thursday, December 20
Review at Passages to the Past

Friday, December 21
Review at Just One More Chapter
Review at Tar Heel Reader

Saturday, December 22
Interview at Passages to the Past

Thursday, December 27
Review at A Bookish Affair

Friday, December 28
Review at Coffee and Ink
Interview at Reading the Past

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 4 paperback copies of What Girls Are Good For! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on December 28th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

What Girls Are Good For