The Mad Women’s Ball is one of my favorite reads of the year. This book was engaging and devastating right from its opening pages. Centering on the lives of women institutionalized at the Salpetriere Asylum in Paris, in the late 19th century. the book mainly follows Eugenie, a young woman who can see spirits, and the head nurse of the asylum, Genevieve. Mas’ writing is powerful. I found myself highlighting passage after passage. It resonates eerily in 2021. The world-building and level of detail Mas provides throughout her debut is fantastic. 19th century Paris is a world I know little about. The setting, characters, and plot are all engrossing. I highly recommend it for fans of women’s fiction, historical fiction, and dystopian works.

Thank you very much to Abrams and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the e-arc. I can’t wait to see what Victoria Mas writes next.