Reviews

This story will leave readers torn between rushing to the next page and pausing to savor the author's distinct descriptions and vivid imagery. As a historian, author Sylvia Shults knows how to set the scene, and as an accomplished author, she executes this tale with shocking accuracy and true-to-life realism. This is a fantastic book. Tamara Thorne & Alistair Cross 44 Years in Darkness is a look back at Rhoda Derry's life, one of the patients at the Peoria State Hospital in Illinois. This book is intended to give the reader a look into the life of one ordinary woman, and how society affected that one life. The author does a brilliant job in detailing the past history of the facility, faculty and history of the times. Shults does a caring and detailed historical job in unearthing the true story of one woman's struggle in a day and age where mental illness was misunderstood and treated. A must read for those interested in history, mental illness and the paranormal as the story continues from beyond the grave."" Alexandra Holzer Masterful ...I've never read anything that magnetic. The research is top notch. I loved it! (The) writing just flows! Jerry Ayres, co-host of The Calling Central Illinois folklorist and author Sylvia Shults has achieved something quite rare in her gripping new historical narrative, 44 YEARS IN DARKNESS -- a terrifying true story rendered with all the heartbreaking emotion of a novel but also steeped in fascinating historical minutiae. The tragic figure of Rhoda Derry is destined to take her place beside all the great mythic martyrs from Lizzy Borden to Joan of Arc. Highly recommended! Jay Bonansinga "What a wonderful book! A riveting account of a young woman's descent in to heart-breaking madness that confined her to almshouse hell. Does Rhoda Derry's ghost still drift around her former grounds? Sylvia Shults provides exhaustive historical research and analysis woven into deft storytelling, and lays bare some of her own family secrets as well. There are twists, turns, and surprises in this story from beginning to end. Rosemary Ellen Guiley