Driven toward Madness

“Taylor crafts a book that should be read by all who have an interest in understanding the roots of slavery and oppression of women during the pre–Civil War era. It should also be read by those seeking to understand the depth of pain and depravity faced by women living under the tyranny of American slavery.” ~Library Journal (starred review)

“In this brief book, Taylor sets the context, reviews the known actions, and applies a genuinely multidisciplinary set of tools to understand a mother maybe driven to madness. The author peels away layers of analysis of Garner as archfiend or feminist and abolitionist hero to discover what she calls an intensely personal act, even if one fraught with political consequences. Summing Up: Recommended.” ~CHOICE

“Taylor’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in African American history, women’s

history, midwestern history, or Black feminist theory.”

~International Journal of Africana Studies

“[Taylor] uses exhaustive research to provide a nuanced view not only of Garner and her fateful act but also of the broader psychosis and trauma that slavery unleashed upon women. … Driven toward Madness offers a compelling and heart-wrenching window onto the horrors faced by enslaved women in the United States.” ~Journal of American History

“Taylor vividly portrays the sufferings Garner and her family endured under slavery and in their attempt to escape from it, placing their experiences in the wider context of the antebellum Midwest.… Readers of [Toni Morrison’s Beloved] will … appreciate the ways that Taylor illuminates the gendered experience of enslavement.” ~Publishers Weekly