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Going Widdershins
Set in the year 1958, Going Widdershins is the bittersweet tale of mystery, love, yearning and transformation. When Emilena Lamb, having no prior history of medical or mental problems, arrives at a psychiatric hospital in a catatonic stupor, her condition defies diagnosis. What catastrophe could have provoked this sudden crisis? And how can it be treated when its cause remains unknown?
With this opening gambit, Sherrye Cohn hooks the reader and then chases its resolution by going backward in time, allowing us to see Emilena through the eyes of those who knew her before that fateful day. When she does not improve during her first month in hospital, she is transferred to Summerland, a residential facility for female hysterics run by the sexy, older and eccentric May Manley. Here the law of gravity does not apply, as May employs such unorthodox therapies as lunar observation, sacred drumming, herbal elixirs and skipping, said to be "better than any anti-depressant." Problems arise when the in-house psychiatrist, despite being attracted to May, ridicules her therapies as "voodoo" and the visiting chaplain scorns the nature religion on which they are based. As time goes by, Summerland works its magic in unexpected ways, touching the lives of all those who come under its spell.
A delightful and thought-provoking read, Going Widdershins spotlights one of life's big questions: Who are we really and how do we become who we really are?
With this opening gambit, Sherrye Cohn hooks the reader and then chases its resolution by going backward in time, allowing us to see Emilena through the eyes of those who knew her before that fateful day. When she does not improve during her first month in hospital, she is transferred to Summerland, a residential facility for female hysterics run by the sexy, older and eccentric May Manley. Here the law of gravity does not apply, as May employs such unorthodox therapies as lunar observation, sacred drumming, herbal elixirs and skipping, said to be "better than any anti-depressant." Problems arise when the in-house psychiatrist, despite being attracted to May, ridicules her therapies as "voodoo" and the visiting chaplain scorns the nature religion on which they are based. As time goes by, Summerland works its magic in unexpected ways, touching the lives of all those who come under its spell.
A delightful and thought-provoking read, Going Widdershins spotlights one of life's big questions: Who are we really and how do we become who we really are?
257 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2018
About the author
Sherrye Cohn
3 books2 followersSherrye Cohn holds a Ph.D. in art history. She has written two books about art and a novel about the restorative powers of nature. She lives in Tucson, Arizona
www.sherryecohn.com
www.sherryecohn.com
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 18, 2018
Going Widdershins
was recommended to me by a friend whose opinions I trust. And still, what I expected from the blurb was a whimsical, maybe upbeat tale of living differently and finding a safe haven of sincere values in an unsafe world. But what I got was so much more.
What I got was a book I highlighted the living daylights of
(I have never marked so many things in a book to date!) It was a book that almost made me cry with its sad yet true reality, its incredible depth and painful accurateness of the collective feminine condition of life described so well and with such feeling. Going Widdershins could be one of my most sincere reads of the year, and it went straight into the “to definitely reread” shelf. I'll try to tell you what moved me so much, but I also don't know if I can – because if I start talking, I might never stop. You can read my full review here too, but you can find the post with better formatting on my blog here.
Emilena Lamb is frantically admitted to the hospital by her worried husband – she is highly catatonic, unresponsive, mute and deaf, but not because of any physical reasons. She is soon whisked off into the psychiatric ward and ascribed the condition of hysteria – an ailment known to be suffered by only women, at the time (it's 1958). Emilena's husband seems genuinely worried and can't understand what has happened. Meanwhile, even though she regains consciousness, all she can do is growl and act like a frightened animal. It is clear she will not be able to return to normal life and must stay in the ward for quite a while longer. But with no changes forthcoming, the hospital can't keep her and must assign her to the out of town facility of Summerland, led by an eccentric lady who isn't your traditional psychiatrist. Sam, Emilena’s doctor, follows along to take care of her and we slowly develop a better sense of what happened and why, and, most importantly – what could be done about it.
Hysteria is… more of a term of convenience than an actual illness, and it was very commonly used up to probably the mid-late 20th century (but I'm no specialist) to describe basically ‘anything wrong with a woman’, especially if that 'anything' was of a mental origin. Actually, the name originates from the medical naming of the womb, implying that this only happens to women because they have one (actually, in the early days it was thought ladies go nuts because their wombs start moving about and rise up basically up to their heads… yeah.) Hysteria was most commonly thought of as a mentally-sexual problem – because obviously that's all a woman is – your baby factory and your pleasure factory. The actual causes of psychosis, depression and many other ailments not being considered at all while 'treating' the patients, it's no wonder that the conclusions mostly led to them staying in the asylums for most of their lives afterwards. So you might now know that where Emilena stands is not a good place with a lot of good options.
The Repercussions Of Living 'Like An Angel'
This is discussed so much in the book. Part of why hysteria was mostly found only in women, and later diminished as a phenomenon wasn't because our brains suddenly evolved and stopped having the problem – obviously. The roots of hysteria as an ailment stem in the oppression of women and quite literally not giving them any other choice but to basically go off their rocker to be able to change their situation. Saying goodbye to your ambitions and your education once you get married; Having no say in when, how or even if you have your sexual needs met (or rather, how you are butchering your body and soul to meet someone else's because it's apparently your duty); Not being allowed to express any anger, because 'it's not Christian and it's not befitting a good wife'; Not being allowed to get a divorce or even be defended when your husband beats the living daylights out of you. That was a woman's life largely up to the late 20th century, and for some women, it still is this way. Quite frankly, I'm surprised there were so 'few' cases of hysteria – I would expect at least half the female population to flip in these conditions.
Anyway, the bottled up rage and pain never goes away. And neither does the guilt. This book does such a great job of explaining the reasons of why and how oppression kills a person inside and squashes any light that they might possess. It also lets one understand how bad it is for a society to do this to its members. It's not just about the women – it's also about the men. By hurting a part of what makes their world, they don't realize they're hurting themselves. And this goes bigger. There's a Mother Earth theme to the book as well. Disconnecting from the female, we disconnect from the whole system and that's how our culture has led to the destruction of our environment.
But Back To Emilena's Situation
Sam, Emilena’s doctor, is a good psychiatrist. He's always wondered if he chose right in choosing the profession his father wanted for him. Which is why he is able to see outside of the conservative way of psychiatric logic, and he doesn't harbor close minded ideas about what ‘hysteria’ is, unlike the rest of Sam's colleagues. And it's exactly what Emilena needs her doctor to do.
Sam slowly works through what information is available to learn why this has happened to Emilena. And it's no easy task, because she can't hear or talk anymore, and everyone else is incredibly unreliable. Sam slowly learns that her husband might not be completely truthful about their marriage and how it was doing. He learns that while she was incredibly forthcoming in her good deeds in the church, Emilena never fit in and was even often mocked, excluded. She could never express her feelings because nobody wanted to hear about her true self. And while she was already trying to find her own beliefs, her own self, it was slightly too late.
What's more, Sam stars regarding Emilena’s wild reaction not as a threat, but as a coping and defending mechanism, rather than something that needs fixing. It's Emilena’s own way to fix herself and be happy – although she might never come back to how life was before for her. An outlook like Sam’s might be considered ground-breaking in the psychiatry of the day and would have never been accepted among his colleagues. It’s no wonder that his colleagues are now trying to set him up for failure in front of his superiors.
Healing Can Come In Many Forms
So through this outlook of Sam, we are introduced to the idea that there is not just one mode of living, and there are many ways to heal and be at peace. This is a very revolutionary idea for 1958 – and in some ways, it still is even now. This isn’t even about womanhood anymore ��� it’s about the fact that we are all different and we might choose different ways of living. That for some, being mute and living in a place with other patients might be preferable than living 'the proper life', because that life crushes your soul. It’s a New Agey kind of thought, and it appeals to me very much – and I think it works very well in today’s growing movement of diversity. In this regard, I'm not talking about racial or sexual diversity, but rather neurologic diversity, mental condition diversity – that all the members of society should be accepted for who they are and it should be okay to be the way you were born – removing the stigma of being 'special' and making it just about members of society that come in many forms and shapes, as well as many neurotypes and internal builds.
So This Is Not Just A Book About Emilena, It’s One About Sam
Or in other words, it’s not just about the female, it’s about the male, and about how they intertwine. It’s not just about finding peace and healing – it’s also about finding your new self, saying goodbye – to your old self, as well as to those who were dear to you. Moving on involves letting go, and Sam learns that it wasn’t just Emilena who was a patient of Summerland – so was he. Change comes at times when you don't expect it, and when you don't even think you needed it.
Overall, it should be plain obvious by now that I simply adore this book and think it’s perfect. I have not said even close to enough of what I wanted to say in this review, but can we really do a wonderful book justice, ever? Or at least feel like we did? I can only urge you to read Going Widdershins and find out for yourself why I loved it so much. It’s a perfect companion to books such as Freshwater, Heart Berries and An Unkindness of Ghosts:
Triggers
Of course, when we are speaking of such difficult topics, you can't really expect not to have any triggers. However, they're not open situations – they're mostly just things in Emilena's past that are talked about with empathy and understanding. So even if it's a trigger for you, it might be easier to deal with it being mentioned than just reading about it out of the blue. That said, the triggers are
I thank the author and publicist for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.
Read Post On My Blog | My Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
Emilena Lamb is frantically admitted to the hospital by her worried husband – she is highly catatonic, unresponsive, mute and deaf, but not because of any physical reasons. She is soon whisked off into the psychiatric ward and ascribed the condition of hysteria – an ailment known to be suffered by only women, at the time (it's 1958). Emilena's husband seems genuinely worried and can't understand what has happened. Meanwhile, even though she regains consciousness, all she can do is growl and act like a frightened animal. It is clear she will not be able to return to normal life and must stay in the ward for quite a while longer. But with no changes forthcoming, the hospital can't keep her and must assign her to the out of town facility of Summerland, led by an eccentric lady who isn't your traditional psychiatrist. Sam, Emilena’s doctor, follows along to take care of her and we slowly develop a better sense of what happened and why, and, most importantly – what could be done about it.
Hysteria is… more of a term of convenience than an actual illness, and it was very commonly used up to probably the mid-late 20th century (but I'm no specialist) to describe basically ‘anything wrong with a woman’, especially if that 'anything' was of a mental origin. Actually, the name originates from the medical naming of the womb, implying that this only happens to women because they have one (actually, in the early days it was thought ladies go nuts because their wombs start moving about and rise up basically up to their heads… yeah.) Hysteria was most commonly thought of as a mentally-sexual problem – because obviously that's all a woman is – your baby factory and your pleasure factory. The actual causes of psychosis, depression and many other ailments not being considered at all while 'treating' the patients, it's no wonder that the conclusions mostly led to them staying in the asylums for most of their lives afterwards. So you might now know that where Emilena stands is not a good place with a lot of good options.
The Repercussions Of Living 'Like An Angel'
This is discussed so much in the book. Part of why hysteria was mostly found only in women, and later diminished as a phenomenon wasn't because our brains suddenly evolved and stopped having the problem – obviously. The roots of hysteria as an ailment stem in the oppression of women and quite literally not giving them any other choice but to basically go off their rocker to be able to change their situation. Saying goodbye to your ambitions and your education once you get married; Having no say in when, how or even if you have your sexual needs met (or rather, how you are butchering your body and soul to meet someone else's because it's apparently your duty); Not being allowed to express any anger, because 'it's not Christian and it's not befitting a good wife'; Not being allowed to get a divorce or even be defended when your husband beats the living daylights out of you. That was a woman's life largely up to the late 20th century, and for some women, it still is this way. Quite frankly, I'm surprised there were so 'few' cases of hysteria – I would expect at least half the female population to flip in these conditions.
Anyway, the bottled up rage and pain never goes away. And neither does the guilt. This book does such a great job of explaining the reasons of why and how oppression kills a person inside and squashes any light that they might possess. It also lets one understand how bad it is for a society to do this to its members. It's not just about the women – it's also about the men. By hurting a part of what makes their world, they don't realize they're hurting themselves. And this goes bigger. There's a Mother Earth theme to the book as well. Disconnecting from the female, we disconnect from the whole system and that's how our culture has led to the destruction of our environment.
But Back To Emilena's Situation
Sam, Emilena’s doctor, is a good psychiatrist. He's always wondered if he chose right in choosing the profession his father wanted for him. Which is why he is able to see outside of the conservative way of psychiatric logic, and he doesn't harbor close minded ideas about what ‘hysteria’ is, unlike the rest of Sam's colleagues. And it's exactly what Emilena needs her doctor to do.
Sam slowly works through what information is available to learn why this has happened to Emilena. And it's no easy task, because she can't hear or talk anymore, and everyone else is incredibly unreliable. Sam slowly learns that her husband might not be completely truthful about their marriage and how it was doing. He learns that while she was incredibly forthcoming in her good deeds in the church, Emilena never fit in and was even often mocked, excluded. She could never express her feelings because nobody wanted to hear about her true self. And while she was already trying to find her own beliefs, her own self, it was slightly too late.
What's more, Sam stars regarding Emilena’s wild reaction not as a threat, but as a coping and defending mechanism, rather than something that needs fixing. It's Emilena’s own way to fix herself and be happy – although she might never come back to how life was before for her. An outlook like Sam’s might be considered ground-breaking in the psychiatry of the day and would have never been accepted among his colleagues. It’s no wonder that his colleagues are now trying to set him up for failure in front of his superiors.
Healing Can Come In Many Forms
So through this outlook of Sam, we are introduced to the idea that there is not just one mode of living, and there are many ways to heal and be at peace. This is a very revolutionary idea for 1958 – and in some ways, it still is even now. This isn’t even about womanhood anymore ��� it’s about the fact that we are all different and we might choose different ways of living. That for some, being mute and living in a place with other patients might be preferable than living 'the proper life', because that life crushes your soul. It’s a New Agey kind of thought, and it appeals to me very much – and I think it works very well in today’s growing movement of diversity. In this regard, I'm not talking about racial or sexual diversity, but rather neurologic diversity, mental condition diversity – that all the members of society should be accepted for who they are and it should be okay to be the way you were born – removing the stigma of being 'special' and making it just about members of society that come in many forms and shapes, as well as many neurotypes and internal builds.
So This Is Not Just A Book About Emilena, It’s One About Sam
Or in other words, it’s not just about the female, it’s about the male, and about how they intertwine. It’s not just about finding peace and healing – it’s also about finding your new self, saying goodbye – to your old self, as well as to those who were dear to you. Moving on involves letting go, and Sam learns that it wasn’t just Emilena who was a patient of Summerland – so was he. Change comes at times when you don't expect it, and when you don't even think you needed it.
Overall, it should be plain obvious by now that I simply adore this book and think it’s perfect. I have not said even close to enough of what I wanted to say in this review, but can we really do a wonderful book justice, ever? Or at least feel like we did? I can only urge you to read Going Widdershins and find out for yourself why I loved it so much. It’s a perfect companion to books such as Freshwater, Heart Berries and An Unkindness of Ghosts:
Triggers
Of course, when we are speaking of such difficult topics, you can't really expect not to have any triggers. However, they're not open situations – they're mostly just things in Emilena's past that are talked about with empathy and understanding. So even if it's a trigger for you, it might be easier to deal with it being mentioned than just reading about it out of the blue. That said, the triggers are
I thank the author and publicist for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.
Read Post On My Blog | My Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
July 24, 2018
What a fabulous read! Cohn has woven science, folklore, quirky characters, and masterful story-telling into a bona fide page turner. It may sound trite, but I couldn’t put it down as the plot built toward the climax. Add to all that the author’s impeccable craftsmanship and the result is a truly satisfying novel.
August 8, 2018
This is a very engaging novel that questions the ways we subordinate ourselves, women in particular, and the ways we can reclaim a sense of self, particularly through nature. The characters were interesting and at the end you'll definitely be page turning to see how it all turns out.
October 14, 2020
A Quality Piece of Literature
Going Widdershins is a nice piece of literature that tells the story of a young woman by the name of Emilena Lamb, who was admitted into a psychiatric hospital even though she was fully healthy. As we read through the pages of this book, the author gives us an insight into some of the reasons why Emilena lamb was brought into the hospital and later transferred to the facility at Summerland, which was under the supervision of the May Manley. I absolutely loved reading this book by Sherrye Cohn for the well-written suspense that makes the book a page-turner.
There is quite a lot to learn from this book ranging from psychiatric knowledge to the ideas in natural religion. There is no better title for this book than going widdershins because the book both describes the practice of the time in Summerland as well as the idea of someone going crazy.
The novel is a very thought-provoking one that allows us to walk through the life of Doctor Atkins as he grows older. The author put us directly into the mind of the doctor, allowing us to see things from the doctor’s point of view.
Going Widdershins is a nice piece of literature that tells the story of a young woman by the name of Emilena Lamb, who was admitted into a psychiatric hospital even though she was fully healthy. As we read through the pages of this book, the author gives us an insight into some of the reasons why Emilena lamb was brought into the hospital and later transferred to the facility at Summerland, which was under the supervision of the May Manley. I absolutely loved reading this book by Sherrye Cohn for the well-written suspense that makes the book a page-turner.
There is quite a lot to learn from this book ranging from psychiatric knowledge to the ideas in natural religion. There is no better title for this book than going widdershins because the book both describes the practice of the time in Summerland as well as the idea of someone going crazy.
The novel is a very thought-provoking one that allows us to walk through the life of Doctor Atkins as he grows older. The author put us directly into the mind of the doctor, allowing us to see things from the doctor’s point of view.
August 29, 2018
Going Widdershins is a very interesting read. It delves into the oppression of women that frequently occurred (occurs?) in strict religious beliefs. The heroine of the story, Emilena Lamb, has endured such oppression under the guise of being a good Christian wife and servant in her church and as a result has had a nervous breakdown, or went into hysterics, as the term used to be applied. This is a fascinating story of outdated psychiatric practices in our not-so-distant past, and how one practitioner dared to upset the apple cart of his colleagues in order to defend his patient, a woman whom he had actually encountered in his past.
As a Christian wife, mother and Sunday School teacher myself, it saddens me to know that there were, and still today are, those who use the Bible and religious beliefs to oppress others, especially women, into submission. Christianity is not a religion of oppression, but one of freedom. It is also comforting to know that the accepted practices of psychiatry mentioned in this book are also no longer the norm. While I don't necessarily subscribe to the spiritual beliefs of the character May, there are some good values in what she teaches.
All-in-all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
As a Christian wife, mother and Sunday School teacher myself, it saddens me to know that there were, and still today are, those who use the Bible and religious beliefs to oppress others, especially women, into submission. Christianity is not a religion of oppression, but one of freedom. It is also comforting to know that the accepted practices of psychiatry mentioned in this book are also no longer the norm. While I don't necessarily subscribe to the spiritual beliefs of the character May, there are some good values in what she teaches.
All-in-all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
September 13, 2018
This was an excellent book. The author captured the era when women were still considered 'chattel' yet there were a few enlightened souls trying to make a difference. The story is told from the pov of the psychiatrist looking back. He probably goes through the most growth and transformation in the course of the story. I found this book to be magical.
October 5, 2020
I absolutely loved this novel. “Going Widdershins” written by Sherrye Cohn is an insightful, thought-provoking book that hooked my attention from the very beginning. I was first attracted by its beautiful cover and I must say that in this particular case you should judge the book by its cover as the interior is as fascinating as the exterior.
The writer portrays an accurate and harsh, at times, view of mental illnesses, medical treatment and institutions, religion, and nature. The book makes us reconsider our opinions about these topics and leaves us wondering about them long after we finish it. Going widdershins is living and behaving differently from what it is expected.
The story, set in 1958, starts when Emilena Lamb, an apparently healthy woman, arrives at a psychiatric hospital in a catatonic state which the doctors fail to explain. When she doesn’t improve, she is sent to Summerland, a residential facility run by May Manley. Employing unorthodox methods, she will change the lives of the people around her.
Don’t miss this wonderful tale of mystery, love and transformation. I strongly recommend it.
The writer portrays an accurate and harsh, at times, view of mental illnesses, medical treatment and institutions, religion, and nature. The book makes us reconsider our opinions about these topics and leaves us wondering about them long after we finish it. Going widdershins is living and behaving differently from what it is expected.
The story, set in 1958, starts when Emilena Lamb, an apparently healthy woman, arrives at a psychiatric hospital in a catatonic state which the doctors fail to explain. When she doesn’t improve, she is sent to Summerland, a residential facility run by May Manley. Employing unorthodox methods, she will change the lives of the people around her.
Don’t miss this wonderful tale of mystery, love and transformation. I strongly recommend it.
October 7, 2020
Sherrye Cohn is the woman behind “Going Widdershins”, an action packed, fast paced and really absorbing science-fiction novel that will leave you on the edge of your seat with excitement. I absolutely loved the writing style of this promising author.
As a reader, I chose this novel to pass time, to lose myself in a different world. Through an incredible form of narration, I could feel Emilena’s strength, courage, guilt and pain because all that comes from the pages as clear as day. The author masterfully conveys empathy for the characters, it’s an emotional roller coaster. You know a book is good when it makes you feel ALL the feelings on the emotional spectrum from shock to disbelief to frustrated rage and back, and it was the case!
As a fantasy novel writer, Sherrye seems to have such a talented mind and imagination that she is able to create incredible stories that arouse readers’ curiosity, like this one. She weaves a unique and fascinating novel, set in 1958, with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning.
While it is a long book (264 pages), mystery lovers should definitely check it out.
As a reader, I chose this novel to pass time, to lose myself in a different world. Through an incredible form of narration, I could feel Emilena’s strength, courage, guilt and pain because all that comes from the pages as clear as day. The author masterfully conveys empathy for the characters, it’s an emotional roller coaster. You know a book is good when it makes you feel ALL the feelings on the emotional spectrum from shock to disbelief to frustrated rage and back, and it was the case!
As a fantasy novel writer, Sherrye seems to have such a talented mind and imagination that she is able to create incredible stories that arouse readers’ curiosity, like this one. She weaves a unique and fascinating novel, set in 1958, with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning.
While it is a long book (264 pages), mystery lovers should definitely check it out.
October 2, 2020
The cover of the book caught my attention at first glance. The beautiful drawing on it perfectly reflects the title (and the background message) of the novel. Going Widdershins. Going further than shins. What seems to be crazy and sick for most of the people, can simply be doing things differently.
This is the story of Emilena Lamb, a woman suffering from hysteria, although she has no prior history of mental problems; and Dr. Sam Atkins, her psychiatrist, who works under the ministrations of the eccentric May Manley, at Summerland. This is a residential facility for female hysterics, with unorthodox therapies to take care of them. Ranging from traditional psychiatry to nature religion, and from modern medicine to folklore. This is a tale delving different ways to face mental health challenges.
With interesting characters and a captivating and well-paced plot, this suspense story is really enjoyable for all kind of readers. It is a delightful combination of emotions, mystery, yearning and love.
This is the story of Emilena Lamb, a woman suffering from hysteria, although she has no prior history of mental problems; and Dr. Sam Atkins, her psychiatrist, who works under the ministrations of the eccentric May Manley, at Summerland. This is a residential facility for female hysterics, with unorthodox therapies to take care of them. Ranging from traditional psychiatry to nature religion, and from modern medicine to folklore. This is a tale delving different ways to face mental health challenges.
With interesting characters and a captivating and well-paced plot, this suspense story is really enjoyable for all kind of readers. It is a delightful combination of emotions, mystery, yearning and love.
October 4, 2020
American author Sherrye Cohn takes us back to the 1950, where she narrates this incredible mystery story.
“Going Widdershins” is the story of a young woman, Emilena Lamb, who arrives at a psychiatric hospital after suffering a crisis. Accompanied by her husband, Emilena arrived with her eyes shut, mouth open and with an acute paralysis. After being hospitalized for one month and without having changes or improvements, she is transferred to a residency, Summerland. Unorthodox therapies are employed in this residency. Are these therapies going to help Emilena?
I think Sherrye Cohn created a wonderful story, of overcoming and transformation, where the events of the past are brought to the present. Cohn´s prose is superb. The book has 50 short chapters, narrated in a simple and concise way.
I also think you will enjoy this book in the tranquility of your home and it will keep you turning the page. I highly recommend this incredible novel.
“Going Widdershins” is the story of a young woman, Emilena Lamb, who arrives at a psychiatric hospital after suffering a crisis. Accompanied by her husband, Emilena arrived with her eyes shut, mouth open and with an acute paralysis. After being hospitalized for one month and without having changes or improvements, she is transferred to a residency, Summerland. Unorthodox therapies are employed in this residency. Are these therapies going to help Emilena?
I think Sherrye Cohn created a wonderful story, of overcoming and transformation, where the events of the past are brought to the present. Cohn´s prose is superb. The book has 50 short chapters, narrated in a simple and concise way.
I also think you will enjoy this book in the tranquility of your home and it will keep you turning the page. I highly recommend this incredible novel.
October 6, 2020
To be completely honest, I started this read by searching the word “widdershins”, and I have to say that it fits perfectly with this story. The meaning of the word refers to “going in a direction opposite to the usual”, apart from the fact that I love what this word represents, Sherrye Cohns did an outstanding job portraying this concept in the story, not only with the main character.
This psychological fiction goes about the story of Emilena Lamb, a woman suffering from hysteria. It is a story of transformation and discovery. The author surpassed my expectations with the very captivating plot, I also enjoyed the various points of view we get in some parts of the story.
All in all, I would recommend this novel to any reader in search for a worthy read. The mix of emotions I experienced while reading this book is definitely what makes this so appealing. It’s five stars for me.
This psychological fiction goes about the story of Emilena Lamb, a woman suffering from hysteria. It is a story of transformation and discovery. The author surpassed my expectations with the very captivating plot, I also enjoyed the various points of view we get in some parts of the story.
All in all, I would recommend this novel to any reader in search for a worthy read. The mix of emotions I experienced while reading this book is definitely what makes this so appealing. It’s five stars for me.
October 5, 2020
“Going Widdershins” is a novel written by author Sherrye Cohn. It is a tale that has a bit of everything, love, mystery, yearning and transformation. It is set in the past, in the year 1958 and its main character is a woman called Emilena Lamb, a woman who arrives at a psychiatric hospital in a catatonic state. The reasons why she ended up this way are unknown. After some time there and not improving she is then sent to another clinic called Summerland a place where unorthodox practices are carried out.
The story develops smoothly and the plot is very good and fully developed. Characters are well described and portrayed. It is a novel which is fascinating and full of surprises apart from being well paced. It is a very good read that caught my attention from the very first pages to the last. I recommend reading it.
The story develops smoothly and the plot is very good and fully developed. Characters are well described and portrayed. It is a novel which is fascinating and full of surprises apart from being well paced. It is a very good read that caught my attention from the very first pages to the last. I recommend reading it.
October 9, 2020
In 1958, a healthy young woman named Emilena Lamb is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, completely catatonic, although there is no discernable reason. As the staff works to understand what is going on with her, we are treated to a rewinding of time (of sorts) where we see Emilena through others eyes, as a vibrant and energetic woman. Eventually transferred to the facility at Summerland, run by eccentric May Manley, the story shifts to May and one of the principal doctor’s in charge of treatments.
While there was plenty of mystery, and the description of treatments were well fleshed out and highly interesting, I found the ending lacking. After all the buildup on Emilena’s story, to have no real closure to her story was disappointing. I think that the focus on the doctor was interesting, but unexpected as the synopsis leaves no clues thereto. Overall, it was an ok book.
While there was plenty of mystery, and the description of treatments were well fleshed out and highly interesting, I found the ending lacking. After all the buildup on Emilena’s story, to have no real closure to her story was disappointing. I think that the focus on the doctor was interesting, but unexpected as the synopsis leaves no clues thereto. Overall, it was an ok book.
October 17, 2020
A bittersweet tale of love and mystery, Going Widdershins by Sherrye Cohn is a story that completely tugged my heart. The charm of this book took me to an emotional journey that I didn't expect to experience. I loved how it was very well written. The writing style of the author was a real art! Emilena Lamb, the main heroine, also made my heart swell because of the things that happened to her from the beginning up to the end.
I don't often encounter books that make me feel emotional so after reading Going Widdershins, I felt so many emotions. It was also nice to read a book that was written in the 1950's as it enriches your mind with what was going on in those years. The psychological aspect of this book, in addition, was also well-done. As a whole, I loved this novel!
I don't often encounter books that make me feel emotional so after reading Going Widdershins, I felt so many emotions. It was also nice to read a book that was written in the 1950's as it enriches your mind with what was going on in those years. The psychological aspect of this book, in addition, was also well-done. As a whole, I loved this novel!
September 6, 2018
I received this book as an ARC for my honest review.
The way the description read I was going to be reading about Emilena and why she ended up the way she did and how she overcame this. Instead it was all about her Dr. and there was no ending on Emilena. Very disappointed and skimmed a bunch of pages as they were so trite and boring.
The way the description read I was going to be reading about Emilena and why she ended up the way she did and how she overcame this. Instead it was all about her Dr. and there was no ending on Emilena. Very disappointed and skimmed a bunch of pages as they were so trite and boring.
January 2, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. As a social worker, I can imagine women being treated the way the psychiatrists seemed to think was beneficial at the time. Hopefully treatment has come a long way since then. Ms. Cohen’s solution for Emilina, one of the main characters, was heartwarming and ingenious. The book was an easy read, and well written.
August 24, 2018
I was a bit underwhelmed by the mystery of Emilena. The story revolves more around her doctor and his frustrations when being challenged a bit. Frankly I found him hard to like. He does redeem himself somewhat as the story goes on by losing some of his arrogance. Still, not quite the page turning mystery I thought I signed up for. I won't say that mental health doesn't still have a long way to go, but thankfully it's nowhere as it used to be.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Shelved as 'definitive-tbr'
December 31, 2018LISTS & POSTS I'VE MENTIONED THIS BOOK IN:
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Shelved as 'maybe-read'
May 8, 2019Recommended by Evelina @ Avalinah's Books.
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