WHAT GIRLS ARE GOOD FOR

Blixt offers a narrative of the rise of pioneering investigative reporter Nellie Bly.

All heroes have origin stories, and this novel tells the tale of Elizabeth Cochrane, who was later known to the world as the determined journalist Nellie Bly. The book takes readers from her first published work, a rebuttal to a newspaper editorial entitled “What Girls Are Good For,” to her exposé of the mistreatment of women inmates in an asylum on New York City’s Blackwell’s Island (now Roosevelt Island). Bly is shown to challenge social norms with a gentle courage that will inspire readers. Along the way, Blixt is careful to address the complexities of the society in which she lived. She was both tutored and tut-tutted by the men in her life, one of whom created her pen name without her consent. However, the book also notes how she experienced egregious forms of cruelty from women, as when she went undercover at the asylum and was roughly handled by the matrons there. In addition, the author adeptly explores the economic conflict inherent in the social justice movement, showing how voices of working-class women and minorities went unheard, suppressed by those who professed to speak on their behalf. These nuances highlight the timelessness of Bly’s tale, reminding readers that the spirit of the reporter’s work remains relevant. Although it’s fiction, Blixt’s work is so thoroughly researched that audiences may well forget that they’re not reading Bly’s own words. Moreover, his choice to focus on a chronological telling of his protagonist’s early life lends depth and clarity to her decision to undertake a career in investigative journalism. Blixt provides readers with a glimpse beneath Bly’s persona while acknowledging that there’s still much of her life and legacy to explore.

A well-crafted and thoughtful work of historical fiction.