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Sensational: The Hidden History of America’s “Girl Stunt Reporters” – Nellie Bly and the Women Who Changed Journalism Forever
A vivid social history that brings to light the “girl stunt reporters” of the Gilded Age who went undercover to expose corruption and abuse in America, and redefined what it meant to be a woman and a journalist — pioneers whose influence continues to be felt today.
In the waning years of the nineteenth century, women journalists across the United States risked reputation and their own safety to expose the hazardous conditions under which many Americans lived and worked. In various disguises, they stole into sewing factories to report on child labor, fainted in the streets to test public hospital treatment, posed as lobbyists to reveal corrupt politicians. Inventive writers whose in-depth narratives made headlines for weeks at a stretch, these "girl stunt reporters" changed laws, helped launch a labor movement, championed women’s rights, and redefined journalism for the modern age.
The 1880s and 1890s witnessed a revolution in journalism as publisher titans like Hearst and Pulitzer used weapons of innovation and scandal to battle it out for market share. As they sought new ways to draw readers in, they found their answer in young women flooding into cities to seek their fortunes. When Nellie Bly went undercover into Blackwell’s Insane Asylum for Women and emerged with a scathing indictment of what she found there, the resulting sensation created opportunity for a whole new wave of writers. In a time of few jobs and few rights for women, here was a path to lives of excitement and meaning.
After only a decade of headlines and fame, though, these trailblazers faced a vicious public backlash. Accused of practicing "yellow journalism," their popularity waned until "stunt reporter" became a badge of shame. But their influence on the field of journalism would arc across a century, from the Progressive Era "muckraking" of the 1900s to the personal "New Journalism" of the 1960s and ’70s, to the "immersion journalism" and "creative nonfiction" of today. Bold and unconventional, these writers changed how people would tell stories forever.
In the waning years of the nineteenth century, women journalists across the United States risked reputation and their own safety to expose the hazardous conditions under which many Americans lived and worked. In various disguises, they stole into sewing factories to report on child labor, fainted in the streets to test public hospital treatment, posed as lobbyists to reveal corrupt politicians. Inventive writers whose in-depth narratives made headlines for weeks at a stretch, these "girl stunt reporters" changed laws, helped launch a labor movement, championed women’s rights, and redefined journalism for the modern age.
The 1880s and 1890s witnessed a revolution in journalism as publisher titans like Hearst and Pulitzer used weapons of innovation and scandal to battle it out for market share. As they sought new ways to draw readers in, they found their answer in young women flooding into cities to seek their fortunes. When Nellie Bly went undercover into Blackwell’s Insane Asylum for Women and emerged with a scathing indictment of what she found there, the resulting sensation created opportunity for a whole new wave of writers. In a time of few jobs and few rights for women, here was a path to lives of excitement and meaning.
After only a decade of headlines and fame, though, these trailblazers faced a vicious public backlash. Accused of practicing "yellow journalism," their popularity waned until "stunt reporter" became a badge of shame. But their influence on the field of journalism would arc across a century, from the Progressive Era "muckraking" of the 1900s to the personal "New Journalism" of the 1960s and ’70s, to the "immersion journalism" and "creative nonfiction" of today. Bold and unconventional, these writers changed how people would tell stories forever.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 13, 2021
105 people are currently reading
6160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
April 22, 2021
Won this book through Goodreads giveaway program - thanks so much!
Fascinating read not only into the 'girl stunt reporters' of the 1880's up into the early 1900's, but of the turbulent history of that time as well.
The 'girls' - and that's what they were called regardless of their age, though most were in their 20's - were young women driven by ambition, frustration, anger and a willingness to test their own limits while advancing causes they believed in. This was often mixed with a desire to get a chance to just write and work as journalists, doing anything to get a foothold in. Often living on a less-than-decent living wage, in poor or risky circumstances, they did things like pretend insanity to check out the conditions in an 'insane asylum,' or going undercover among prostitutes, or pretending to need/want an abortion to ferret out doctors doing the same, or who were giving illegal advice (at the time) to women seeking one. Sometimes this worked, and conditions or laws were changed; other times the women (not girls) were branded as attention-seekers, or unwomanly, or ugly, or agents of 'yellow journalism,' which in many cases today would be hailed as 'investigative reporting.'
The environment/times they lived in was well-covered, too, serving as both backdrop and cause for their efforts. Women had few recourses at this time: domestic labor, maybe teaching or other poorly-paid jobs, such as factory work, and/or marriage. (And one can see the emphasis in literature at this time of women 'needing' to be married. Yes, if you were willing to give up a host of rights in many states such as owning property, or keeping any money you earned. Yikes!)
This was also an era of extreme oversight, IMO, even though many say today is the era of no-privacy. In the late 1800's and up into the 1900's, a woman had to actually dress a certain way to be considered anything other than loose, a prostitute, or worse. How one dressed, acted, spoke and moved about the world were in constant scrutiny - not just by men, but by everyone, including other women. To raise a scandal, be publicly talked about or chastised - well, your life was just about over.
(Yes, in some ways it's not a lot better today, but the constant need to fit into a very rigid, highly-stratified society must have been chilling. I even saw remnants of this as a child and teenager when listening to how older women talked about others. I don't move in a circle that does this anymore, but I remember the discussion about clothes, behavior, even how one 'kept a house.' More than chilling. A few words said in a certain direction could damage you for life.)
So these 'girl' reporters had a lot going against them. Constant harassment at work, often in an office of all men, and no recourse whatsoever against it other than to leave - or get married! Often publicly belittled - entire editorials were written about this, mocking and deriding at the same time. But the girls (women) went on, persevered, did their work, as well as speak out against many of the social problems of their day: Anti-unionism, fair wages, racism, sexism and sexual harassment, child labor, workplace safety, treatment of mental illness, worker exploitation, voting rights and so on.
In some of these issues, we still have a ways to go. In many cases the recognition of and changes involved are and were due to these young women.
(Damn, I hate the way they were all called girls! Wonder how men would like to be called 'boys' in every aspect of their lives.)
Fascinating read not only into the 'girl stunt reporters' of the 1880's up into the early 1900's, but of the turbulent history of that time as well.
The 'girls' - and that's what they were called regardless of their age, though most were in their 20's - were young women driven by ambition, frustration, anger and a willingness to test their own limits while advancing causes they believed in. This was often mixed with a desire to get a chance to just write and work as journalists, doing anything to get a foothold in. Often living on a less-than-decent living wage, in poor or risky circumstances, they did things like pretend insanity to check out the conditions in an 'insane asylum,' or going undercover among prostitutes, or pretending to need/want an abortion to ferret out doctors doing the same, or who were giving illegal advice (at the time) to women seeking one. Sometimes this worked, and conditions or laws were changed; other times the women (not girls) were branded as attention-seekers, or unwomanly, or ugly, or agents of 'yellow journalism,' which in many cases today would be hailed as 'investigative reporting.'
The environment/times they lived in was well-covered, too, serving as both backdrop and cause for their efforts. Women had few recourses at this time: domestic labor, maybe teaching or other poorly-paid jobs, such as factory work, and/or marriage. (And one can see the emphasis in literature at this time of women 'needing' to be married. Yes, if you were willing to give up a host of rights in many states such as owning property, or keeping any money you earned. Yikes!)
This was also an era of extreme oversight, IMO, even though many say today is the era of no-privacy. In the late 1800's and up into the 1900's, a woman had to actually dress a certain way to be considered anything other than loose, a prostitute, or worse. How one dressed, acted, spoke and moved about the world were in constant scrutiny - not just by men, but by everyone, including other women. To raise a scandal, be publicly talked about or chastised - well, your life was just about over.
(Yes, in some ways it's not a lot better today, but the constant need to fit into a very rigid, highly-stratified society must have been chilling. I even saw remnants of this as a child and teenager when listening to how older women talked about others. I don't move in a circle that does this anymore, but I remember the discussion about clothes, behavior, even how one 'kept a house.' More than chilling. A few words said in a certain direction could damage you for life.)
So these 'girl' reporters had a lot going against them. Constant harassment at work, often in an office of all men, and no recourse whatsoever against it other than to leave - or get married! Often publicly belittled - entire editorials were written about this, mocking and deriding at the same time. But the girls (women) went on, persevered, did their work, as well as speak out against many of the social problems of their day: Anti-unionism, fair wages, racism, sexism and sexual harassment, child labor, workplace safety, treatment of mental illness, worker exploitation, voting rights and so on.
In some of these issues, we still have a ways to go. In many cases the recognition of and changes involved are and were due to these young women.
(Damn, I hate the way they were all called girls! Wonder how men would like to be called 'boys' in every aspect of their lives.)
May 12, 2021
Very fascinating.
February 26, 2021
I don't know exactly how to review this book. I was excited by learning that this would be a book about female reporters of the Gilded Age, like Nelly Bly. (I loved her exposé on mental institutions that I had read previously!) This book is filled with "stunts" like this and showcases the bias women reporters were shown. I have to admit that I was amazed at how many women wanted to do such things...but there you have it! This book also shows how investigative reporting started, and it seems that it all started with women newspaper reporters!
The first part of this book (and it dragged) was about abortionists, abortion drugs, and the exposés the women reporters managed on the Doctor's and Pharmacists.
The years never seem to change, just some of the reporters. 400 pages (or thereabouts) to cover what should have been 10 or more years but concentrated on about 4 years. Now we add racial bigotry and women's rights into the mix. This takes a large part of the book and is well covered.
We also have long discussions of the feud between newspaper owners such as William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer.
Finally, we get to the turn of the century, and even some modern authors, though there isn't a huge coverage on them-one chapter.
These are very long chapters -that is a particular complaint of mine but not anyone else, so just ignore that I said that! LOL!
There are drawings, newspaper excerpts, photos, and plenty of the author's research.
*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and Edelweiss.
The first part of this book (and it dragged) was about abortionists, abortion drugs, and the exposés the women reporters managed on the Doctor's and Pharmacists.
The years never seem to change, just some of the reporters. 400 pages (or thereabouts) to cover what should have been 10 or more years but concentrated on about 4 years. Now we add racial bigotry and women's rights into the mix. This takes a large part of the book and is well covered.
We also have long discussions of the feud between newspaper owners such as William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer.
Finally, we get to the turn of the century, and even some modern authors, though there isn't a huge coverage on them-one chapter.
These are very long chapters -that is a particular complaint of mine but not anyone else, so just ignore that I said that! LOL!
There are drawings, newspaper excerpts, photos, and plenty of the author's research.
*ARC supplied by the publisher, author, and Edelweiss.
December 30, 2020
In Sensational, Kim Todd explores the role of female journalists, beginning with “girl stunt reporters” in the late 1800’s through investigate journalists working today. Todd focuses on the details of several stunt reporters’ lives, weaving their stories through the larger history of the role of women in journalism.
First of all, the topic is fascinating. The ways in which these women went undercover to get their stories was incredibly brave (and occasionally reckless). I did not know much, if anything, about this topic, and I really enjoyed learning from Todd’s research. Her comparisons between some instances of the label “yellow journalism” with today’s “fake news” label were especially thought-provoking.
At times, I did find it difficult to immerse myself within the writing because the book’s structure felt a bit disconnected. Todd narrowly focuses on one reporter, then quickly shifts to another. I did struggle a bit at the beginning to keep up with which journalist was doing what. Overall, however, the information was interesting, and I appreciated learning about these women’s roles in history.
If you’re interested in stories about women overcoming obstacles to succeed in male-dominated fields, check this one out!
February 21, 2021
Having always been interested in larger than life Nellie Bly I knew that there had to be many more women journalists who were pioneers in a world dominated by men. So, how do you get out of writing snippets in the society pages and do some real journalism when you can't even vote, sit on a jury and are not taken seriously? You work for free, work under an assumed male name or become a "girl reporter". These brave women put themselves in dangerous situations that even their male counterparts would not have done to expose scandals , dangerous situations and deplorable social conditions. They searched out women like themselves and became advocates for women's rights.
Some, like Nellie Bly, would achieve fame but most had their best efforts go unnoticed by the public.
Not only is this an in depth look at the "girl stunt reporters" but it is also an interesting look at the high jinx between the two biggest publishers - Heart and Pulitzer in their endless feud and quest for being crowned king of the publishing world. Kim Todd shares her research at the end of the book which tied up loose ends and I found very interesting. For any reader who enjoys learning more about the unsung female heroes. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
Some, like Nellie Bly, would achieve fame but most had their best efforts go unnoticed by the public.
Not only is this an in depth look at the "girl stunt reporters" but it is also an interesting look at the high jinx between the two biggest publishers - Heart and Pulitzer in their endless feud and quest for being crowned king of the publishing world. Kim Todd shares her research at the end of the book which tied up loose ends and I found very interesting. For any reader who enjoys learning more about the unsung female heroes. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
April 13, 2024
Not sure if I hyped this book up for myself, or had too high of expectations, but by the middle of the novel I had lost a lot of interest and was waiting for the repetition to decrease. Wasn’t bad, I did enjoy a decent chunk.
Read
May 30, 2021An absorbing history of the "girl stunt reporters" -- aka, investigative reporters -- of the late 19th century. What begins with Nellie Bly opens up a whole history of other (white) women who were hired to do investigative reporting but who were never seen as hard-hitting journalists. Todd offers such fascinating insight and critique of how these women were doing incredible work and being seen not as doing real, impactful work, but were used to bolster a newspaper's sales for what would be done next (not what the reporting revealed). The bulk of these reporters were white women, but Todd talks about how women of color were doing good work but it wasn't seen in the same "stunt reporter" manner.
The last section of the book was especially good, as it explores how men have been the "leaders" in so many arenas of writing and yet . . . they're only able to be seen that way because of how women's work doing the same thing has always been called something lesser. There's a fascinating and infuriating moment, too, wherein it's clear other women have played this role, too, in hopes of being seen as the woman who does it differently/better/breaks the barriers.
This isn't the best on audiobook, and I wish I'd picked up the hard copy. The performance is fine until the end where it becomes stilted with some strange pacing issues, but because there's so much information and so many people discussed, I would have absorbed more in print.
The last section of the book was especially good, as it explores how men have been the "leaders" in so many arenas of writing and yet . . . they're only able to be seen that way because of how women's work doing the same thing has always been called something lesser. There's a fascinating and infuriating moment, too, wherein it's clear other women have played this role, too, in hopes of being seen as the woman who does it differently/better/breaks the barriers.
This isn't the best on audiobook, and I wish I'd picked up the hard copy. The performance is fine until the end where it becomes stilted with some strange pacing issues, but because there's so much information and so many people discussed, I would have absorbed more in print.
April 27, 2021
I won this from a Goodreads Giveaway
Let me tell you the good points first. This is set mainly from the 1880's to 1910. So it is historical, which I like. I learned that these stunt reporters actually started what we now call Investigated Reporting. The women it covers did a lot for future reporters. It was researched a lot, maybe too much.
Now, what I didn't care for. It drug on and on and on. The chapters were long. There were grammatical errors, that will hopefully be fixed before it hits the bookshelves. It went off on tangents about abortion, racial issues, and woman suffrage. It, to me, got off track some. It only had one chapter about present reporters and not a whole lot of them making the present section really weak.
Of course, this is just my opinion and you may love the book, which a lot have. It hit bookshelves on April 21, 2021.
Thanks to Goodreads, Harper Publishing and Todd for the book.
Let me tell you the good points first. This is set mainly from the 1880's to 1910. So it is historical, which I like. I learned that these stunt reporters actually started what we now call Investigated Reporting. The women it covers did a lot for future reporters. It was researched a lot, maybe too much.
Now, what I didn't care for. It drug on and on and on. The chapters were long. There were grammatical errors, that will hopefully be fixed before it hits the bookshelves. It went off on tangents about abortion, racial issues, and woman suffrage. It, to me, got off track some. It only had one chapter about present reporters and not a whole lot of them making the present section really weak.
Of course, this is just my opinion and you may love the book, which a lot have. It hit bookshelves on April 21, 2021.
Thanks to Goodreads, Harper Publishing and Todd for the book.
December 10, 2020
Thanks Goodreads for my copy of Sensational:The Hidden History of America's "Girl Stunt Reporters" by Kim Todd. This book reads more like a history book than a non fiction paperback. This book did illuminate the era of girl reporters for those of us who were unaware of these early women reporters. However it got a bit tedious in the second half of the book. More stunts, more women going to rival papers; just more of the same reexamining this time period.
September 8, 2021
Phenomenally researched and firmly feminist, this look at the women who helped pioneer journalism as we know it today (even if they're rarely given the credit for it) is a must-read for writers of nonfiction. Todd is unflinching but also not preachy, making this very readable, and if at least a few chapters don't make you seethe, I'd be very much surprised.
March 16, 2022
I picked this up on impulse because the ebook was on sale for $2 and because as a child I was obsessed with Nellie Bly, and I'm really glad I did because this is one of the best nonfiction books I have read in a while.
I had no idea, until I read this book, that "girl stunt reporters" were a thing in the Gilded Age and, furthermore, that there were others besides Nellie Bly. But apparently a lot of women saw what she did and decided that they wanted to do that too.
This is a really, really solidly-constructed book; it sets out as an opening hook (and closes with it) the tale of a woman pretending to be pregnant and trying to find out whether she would be able to get an abortion, and then writing an article about it. And this was, what, the 1880s? It definitely had me interested. From there the book makes connections to the beginnings of feminism, politics, labor, the rise of investigative reporting, racism in America, yellow journalism -- every topic felt like it made sense, wasn't repetitive, didn't drag on too long, and felt necessary to the structure of the book. Which, yeah, should be the bare minimum in a book like this, but there's some terrible nonfiction in the world. It does spend a bit of time on Nellie Bly but I think the author probably concluded we all knew who she was and just wanted to be reminded of the basic facts, which worked for me.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter about female reporters interviewing Lizzie Borden (yes, that Lizzie Borden) and deliberately trying to paint a sympathetic and humanizing picture of her -- e.g., to refute the idea that "she never cried" by making a list of the times that she did, in fact, cry about her situation -- and then going the extra step to draw comparisons between that and the inability at the time of women to sit on a jury meaning that no woman would ever have been in the place of judging her guilt or innocence, and framing the Lizzie Borden journalism as a feminist attempt to be involved in the case by proxy.
It was all just really, really well done. If any of this sounds like it might be your thing, you should pick it up, because I thought it was great.
I had no idea, until I read this book, that "girl stunt reporters" were a thing in the Gilded Age and, furthermore, that there were others besides Nellie Bly. But apparently a lot of women saw what she did and decided that they wanted to do that too.
This is a really, really solidly-constructed book; it sets out as an opening hook (and closes with it) the tale of a woman pretending to be pregnant and trying to find out whether she would be able to get an abortion, and then writing an article about it. And this was, what, the 1880s? It definitely had me interested. From there the book makes connections to the beginnings of feminism, politics, labor, the rise of investigative reporting, racism in America, yellow journalism -- every topic felt like it made sense, wasn't repetitive, didn't drag on too long, and felt necessary to the structure of the book. Which, yeah, should be the bare minimum in a book like this, but there's some terrible nonfiction in the world. It does spend a bit of time on Nellie Bly but I think the author probably concluded we all knew who she was and just wanted to be reminded of the basic facts, which worked for me.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter about female reporters interviewing Lizzie Borden (yes, that Lizzie Borden) and deliberately trying to paint a sympathetic and humanizing picture of her -- e.g., to refute the idea that "she never cried" by making a list of the times that she did, in fact, cry about her situation -- and then going the extra step to draw comparisons between that and the inability at the time of women to sit on a jury meaning that no woman would ever have been in the place of judging her guilt or innocence, and framing the Lizzie Borden journalism as a feminist attempt to be involved in the case by proxy.
It was all just really, really well done. If any of this sounds like it might be your thing, you should pick it up, because I thought it was great.
January 27, 2023
There’s biographies of several 19th-Century female newspaper reporters, and summaries of their more interesting “stunts” and articles. But it is the exploration of their impact and the display of their influence on journalism and non-fiction writing, as well as gender roles and history, that makes this book really worthwhile. This is both entertaining and analytical - a fun, smart read.
April 8, 2025
I found myself wanting to put this book down more than pick it up. The stories within the book were interesting, but the writing style was off-putting for me. In the end I think this would make a better “car-book” for me than a primary book… the type of book you leave in your car and grab before you head into a doctor’s office or any place you’re likely to wait for a bit. Each chapter is self-contained and broken down into smaller sections and you can easily put this book down and pick it up weeks later without missing a beat. Perhaps if I had this as my “car-book” I would have given it a higher rating.
April 30, 2022
Read for Scripps Book Club
Sorry but I found this book very dull and poorly written.
Sorry but I found this book very dull and poorly written.
May 10, 2022
Fascinating look at journalism and the impact of "girl stunt reporters" in the late 1880's - 1930's. At a time when women had few job options beyond teaching and factory work, the women who went undercover to break cases of shocking mistreatment inside asylums, hospitals, factories, and more made huge impacts on policy! Patient rights, healthcare access, child labor laws - all of them were changed for the better because of the in depth reporting these women did.
Later, the shift in journalism created more actual "stunt" reporting and the woman adventurer became both a sensation and a bit of a gimmick. Still, the overall impact and changes in how newspapers are still organized today is very reflective of history and the book led for great discussion on the importance of accurate and non-biased journalism today.
Later, the shift in journalism created more actual "stunt" reporting and the woman adventurer became both a sensation and a bit of a gimmick. Still, the overall impact and changes in how newspapers are still organized today is very reflective of history and the book led for great discussion on the importance of accurate and non-biased journalism today.
June 5, 2021
A look back to the origins of investigative reporting. During the Gilded Age, a number of women eager to ply their writing skills, were hired by newspapers to go “undercover” or often to fake an incident to gather reportable information. The most famous was Nellie Bly who faked her way into a women’s asylum to reveal the horrendous treatment that was meted out to the inmates. There were so many others who made their mark at this time. One undercover reporter presented herself to a number of doctors requesting an abortion, thus exposing doctors who were treating women underground with questionable techniques and devastating results. Her true identity has never been found. Unfortunately, most of these reporters were not held in high regard and suffered all the inequities of their time in terms of pay, job assignments, and general respect. I found the author’s last several chapters the most interesting as she described her research process and brought the topic up to date.
June 2, 2021
This book was so interesting.
I’ve checked out more books about the women reporters that are discussed in this book.
I suggest reading the paper copy instead of listening to the audiobook, which is what I did. I wish I had to book to reference while I listened because it felt like the data referenced and shared was constant and difficult to remember and keep straight.
A good jumping off point for more research in a period of history of which I was not aware. Women are strong, resilient, and brave- all qualities perfect for stunt reporting.
I’ve checked out more books about the women reporters that are discussed in this book.
I suggest reading the paper copy instead of listening to the audiobook, which is what I did. I wish I had to book to reference while I listened because it felt like the data referenced and shared was constant and difficult to remember and keep straight.
A good jumping off point for more research in a period of history of which I was not aware. Women are strong, resilient, and brave- all qualities perfect for stunt reporting.
January 27, 2022
Very interesting book, enjoyed getting to learn about early reporters such as Bly, Banks, Wells and more. Found it very interesting how the movement of stunt reporters gained so much momentum and then fell apart from the Spanish American War when reporting became dominated by male correspondents. Also enjoyed the parallels to more modern day writers. I have such a disdain for the modern press and do find it full of "fake" or "sensational" news, this book confirmed though the concept is nothing new and sensationalism and yellow journalism were just as prominent in the early 1900's.
July 14, 2025
My Library Book Club pick for the month, very interesting, not just the stories of these young adventuresome female reporters, who were sent on all sorts of underground investigative journalistic assignments, but also chronicling the evolution of the newspaper business at the end of the 19th century, fierce competitionbetween William Randolph hurst and Joseph Pulitzer and others.
Read
October 1, 2025This was so fun! It made me want to get out there and write. Cool look into the history and evolution of journalism through the work of women. Also cool how different the lives people live are than mine. Made me want to be better at lying to strangers.
It's wild how seriously people take sex and gender, and the axis of respect and oppression that applying these labels operates on. The book doesn't really go into that, but it is insane to hear about how women are treated as completely different, alien life forms from men, when they're even allowed to be considered "women" at all
It's wild how seriously people take sex and gender, and the axis of respect and oppression that applying these labels operates on. The book doesn't really go into that, but it is insane to hear about how women are treated as completely different, alien life forms from men, when they're even allowed to be considered "women" at all
Read
June 22, 2023SENSATIONAL: THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA’S “GIRL STUNT REPORTERS” by Kim Todd is an inspiring, meticulously researched work of #nonfiction that shines the spotlight on America’s trailblazing female journalists.
Read the full review on BookTrib.com
Read the full review on BookTrib.com
September 5, 2025
a forgotten piece of history
Good content- enjoyed learning about stunt reporters. At times, presented with so much detail that it distracted from the point. Feel like it could have been 50-75 pages shorter and still gotten point across.
Good content- enjoyed learning about stunt reporters. At times, presented with so much detail that it distracted from the point. Feel like it could have been 50-75 pages shorter and still gotten point across.
May 31, 2023
Informative, researched, although the narrative is disjointed, making it difficult to follow the stories of the reporters.
May 27, 2024
This book should be mandatory reading for student journalists. Can’t believe I didn’t know so much of the history of journalism.
March 30, 2021
Sensational delves into the stories often forgotten, or ignored, of women contributing to the literary and journalistic world in the late 1800s and after. These experiences and histories were told in such a way that blended fact with a stronger narration, elevating the text from a mere retelling of what happened through engaging story telling. This book excited and inspired me. It showed me the differences that women have made and the challenges that they have faced in an honest light. I particularly appreciated the accompanying commentary that did not let black women get lost despite history trying to bury their voices. Todd lets us interpret the larger relevance of "stunt" reporters for ourselves, but also makes sure to remind us of the larger structures at play, tying the treatment of women reporters in the past to treatment in more recent history, as with memoirs. This makes a larger commentary on the value of women's stories and voices in the face of a society that diminishes their worth and tries to silence or mock them. I loved it and fully recommend it.
April 7, 2021
Captivating! These women had moxie, and Todd deftly captures their triumphs and tragedies.
This was an ARC.
This was an ARC.
February 15, 2024
When I was in college I took a world history class in which we learned to find and study primary resources. It was invaluable to my research skills, but as the topic was one i knew basically nothing about, WWI, I needed more of a macro understanding to interpret the primary resources I found. However, learning about primary resources helped me learn to identify and appreciate original research. This grew to a love of obscure histories.
In writing Woman of Ruinous Face, I found (and had various pub-on-demand services print) numerous great dissertations and unpublished memoirs. Memoirs of My Childhood and Youth in North Denver by Quantrille D. McClung talked about Mother Cabrini, a name I know, but history I did not. Memoirs of Denver: Story of his Boyhood When Denver was Young and Wild 1887-1965 by Jake Schaetzel elucidated every day life in early denver, the similarities to modern childhood as well as the differences. The Metro Denver Water Story by Charles C. Fisk put the politics and millionaires in the context of the history of the place--and is fascinating! The Widening Sphere of Women's Lives: The Literary Study and Philanthropic Work of Six Women's Clubs in Denver 1881-1945 by Gail M. Beaton and Lifting as We Climb: African-American Women's Clubs of Denver, 1890-1925 by Lynda F. Dickson published in Essays in Colorado History Number 13, 1992 brought the larger suffrage movement home and detailed the lives, struggles, and cooperation of Denver women. "Meet Me at the Ballot Box": Women's Innovations in Party and Electoral Politics in Post-Suffrage Colorado, 1893-1898 by Marcia Tremmel Goldstein tells the story of what happened after Colorado men voted for women's suffrage, and clarified the ever-changing nature of party ideals and the roadblocks women faced despite the historic milestone. *Note: Women who sought the vote were suffragists. "Suffragette" was a derogatory name men used to belittle women who fought for their human rights...
Read more at Protect Your Nips
In writing Woman of Ruinous Face, I found (and had various pub-on-demand services print) numerous great dissertations and unpublished memoirs. Memoirs of My Childhood and Youth in North Denver by Quantrille D. McClung talked about Mother Cabrini, a name I know, but history I did not. Memoirs of Denver: Story of his Boyhood When Denver was Young and Wild 1887-1965 by Jake Schaetzel elucidated every day life in early denver, the similarities to modern childhood as well as the differences. The Metro Denver Water Story by Charles C. Fisk put the politics and millionaires in the context of the history of the place--and is fascinating! The Widening Sphere of Women's Lives: The Literary Study and Philanthropic Work of Six Women's Clubs in Denver 1881-1945 by Gail M. Beaton and Lifting as We Climb: African-American Women's Clubs of Denver, 1890-1925 by Lynda F. Dickson published in Essays in Colorado History Number 13, 1992 brought the larger suffrage movement home and detailed the lives, struggles, and cooperation of Denver women. "Meet Me at the Ballot Box": Women's Innovations in Party and Electoral Politics in Post-Suffrage Colorado, 1893-1898 by Marcia Tremmel Goldstein tells the story of what happened after Colorado men voted for women's suffrage, and clarified the ever-changing nature of party ideals and the roadblocks women faced despite the historic milestone. *Note: Women who sought the vote were suffragists. "Suffragette" was a derogatory name men used to belittle women who fought for their human rights...
Read more at Protect Your Nips
July 30, 2021
A book about the stunt reporting craze in the days of Hearst and Pulitzer should be riveting! It has everything! Harrowing situations! Damsels in Distress! Sex! Violence! Madness! Colorfully documented by the very reporters themselves and the journalists reporting on the stunt reporters! Best of all it has largely been forgotten by the general public, so here is a chance to wake readers up with some fresh facts!
Don't get me wrong, this is an okay book, but it is kind of boring in that History is Good for You kind of way. There isn't much excitement in these biographies, and neither does it feel like there is much at stake. We are told how big an impact these women had on society, but the only convincing case study of change that we are given is the undercover investigation into abortion providers, which led to a tightening of laws covering patent medicine abortifacients and a growing reluctance of doctors to refer women to safe locations to have the procedure*.
As did the era of stunt girl reporters end with the round the world sprint by Nellie Bly, this book also seems to have lost its way. There just isn't much left that adds to the story, and the final chapters meander somewhat before the book just ends. So this is an okay book, but not as good as it could have been.
* To all the prudes and single issue ninnyhammers who make the fact that this book actually addresses the reality and importance of abortion in the 19th century a reason to discount this book, what can you say? Except shut up, take your fainting couches into another room, and go back to framing your complete collection of Thomas Kinkade. Let the adults talk for a change.
Don't get me wrong, this is an okay book, but it is kind of boring in that History is Good for You kind of way. There isn't much excitement in these biographies, and neither does it feel like there is much at stake. We are told how big an impact these women had on society, but the only convincing case study of change that we are given is the undercover investigation into abortion providers, which led to a tightening of laws covering patent medicine abortifacients and a growing reluctance of doctors to refer women to safe locations to have the procedure*.
As did the era of stunt girl reporters end with the round the world sprint by Nellie Bly, this book also seems to have lost its way. There just isn't much left that adds to the story, and the final chapters meander somewhat before the book just ends. So this is an okay book, but not as good as it could have been.
* To all the prudes and single issue ninnyhammers who make the fact that this book actually addresses the reality and importance of abortion in the 19th century a reason to discount this book, what can you say? Except shut up, take your fainting couches into another room, and go back to framing your complete collection of Thomas Kinkade. Let the adults talk for a change.
April 19, 2024
"Sensational" tells the story of the “girl stunt reporters” of the late 19th century, and the print culture that they helped shape. Nellie Bly started the trend by going undercover at a women’s insane asylum to report on the treatment there, but the book doesn’t stop there. We get to hear about the lives and works of many trailblazing women who shaped the conversations in their culture.
During the 1880s and 1890s, having a “girl reporter” was an asset and it provided a place for women at newspapers. Their articles were sensational, revealing, and told in an engaging first-person voice. A personality in writing and guts to do anything outrageous were valued above formal education, although the women eventually felt the pressure of the precedent which demanded that they do dangerous stories. The “girl stunt reporter” often became the heroine of the story she was covering, and readers followed her work as one would a movie star.
It’s sometimes hard to keep track of who is who, but I appreciate that Kim Todd weaves together the major headlines and stories of the years she covers, rather than simply highlighting one woman per chapter. Sensational lived up to its name and it is one of my favorite books of the year.
During the 1880s and 1890s, having a “girl reporter” was an asset and it provided a place for women at newspapers. Their articles were sensational, revealing, and told in an engaging first-person voice. A personality in writing and guts to do anything outrageous were valued above formal education, although the women eventually felt the pressure of the precedent which demanded that they do dangerous stories. The “girl stunt reporter” often became the heroine of the story she was covering, and readers followed her work as one would a movie star.
It’s sometimes hard to keep track of who is who, but I appreciate that Kim Todd weaves together the major headlines and stories of the years she covers, rather than simply highlighting one woman per chapter. Sensational lived up to its name and it is one of my favorite books of the year.
May 2, 2024
2.5 stars, rounded up
This book was well researched and interesting, but a structural mess.
The topic is great. The evolution of stunt reporting, and the unique role women played in that history, is deeply engaging. There’s so much to learn beyond well known names like Nellie Bly - and even her career has more to it than what’s commonly discussed.
Todd clearly dug into the topic with enthusiasm and care. Each of the women who receive focus are thoroughly drawn, and their stories are detailed. Those who are more mysterious, such as the women who are still known only by pseudonyms, are given just as much attention and exposition.
Based on the concept and thorough research, I was ready to give this four stars.
The issue is that - somewhat ironically - this book about journalism feels like it lacks an editor.
While it starts out in an easy to follow manner, setting the stage of one female reporter and then moving onto another, weaving together their situations, it quickly devolves.
The narrative is just so crammed with anecdotes that it feels wildly overstuffed. The story starts jumping from reporter to reporter, with each woman sometimes just getting a throwaway sentence at the end of a paragraph mentioning three others.
There’s also the issue of context. Some historical context is always useful, and can add a level of comprehension and richness that makes a work like this better. But Todd was clearly deeply interested in the feuds between newspapers, to the point where several paragraphs of helpful intel dragged on for chapters.
And then suddenly, at the end, the book switches to first person, and Todd details her experience working to identify Girl Reporter. While that’s also an interesting topic, the shift in tone felt very out of place in a work that was already not cohesive.
As mentioned above, with a heavy handed editor, this could’ve been a great read. As it stands, it was interesting, but didn’t always feel worth trudging through the disorganized pages.
This book was well researched and interesting, but a structural mess.
The topic is great. The evolution of stunt reporting, and the unique role women played in that history, is deeply engaging. There’s so much to learn beyond well known names like Nellie Bly - and even her career has more to it than what’s commonly discussed.
Todd clearly dug into the topic with enthusiasm and care. Each of the women who receive focus are thoroughly drawn, and their stories are detailed. Those who are more mysterious, such as the women who are still known only by pseudonyms, are given just as much attention and exposition.
Based on the concept and thorough research, I was ready to give this four stars.
The issue is that - somewhat ironically - this book about journalism feels like it lacks an editor.
While it starts out in an easy to follow manner, setting the stage of one female reporter and then moving onto another, weaving together their situations, it quickly devolves.
The narrative is just so crammed with anecdotes that it feels wildly overstuffed. The story starts jumping from reporter to reporter, with each woman sometimes just getting a throwaway sentence at the end of a paragraph mentioning three others.
There’s also the issue of context. Some historical context is always useful, and can add a level of comprehension and richness that makes a work like this better. But Todd was clearly deeply interested in the feuds between newspapers, to the point where several paragraphs of helpful intel dragged on for chapters.
And then suddenly, at the end, the book switches to first person, and Todd details her experience working to identify Girl Reporter. While that’s also an interesting topic, the shift in tone felt very out of place in a work that was already not cohesive.
As mentioned above, with a heavy handed editor, this could’ve been a great read. As it stands, it was interesting, but didn’t always feel worth trudging through the disorganized pages.
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