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Gilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free
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Based on a true incident, this moving novel tells the story of a production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance”—as performed by the inmates of a women’s prison in 1914! Infused with music, beautifully researched and filled with fascinating characters, this is great teen listening.
240 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2003
73 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Karr
38 books21 followersKathleen Karr was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and grew up on a chicken farm in Dorothy, New Jersey. After escaping to college, she worked in the film industry, and also taught in high school and college. She seriously began writing fiction on a dare from her husband. After honing her skills in women’s fiction, her children asked her to write a book for them, (It Ain’t Always Easy, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1990), and she discovered she loved writing for young readers.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 26, 2024
Well, after locating, after finding (on Open Library) Kathleen Karr's 2003 young adult novelGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free (and in my humble opinion suitable for readers from about the age of twelve or so onwards, although yes,Gilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free does take place in a women's penitentiary and that there will therefore and of course be thieves, arsonists, prostitutes and even murderers textually encountered, as well as some of their backstories, feelings, attitudes and the like and wardens, and prison officials both nasty and nice), I kind of thought post my vey much enjoyable and delightfully uplifting perusal that Karr's featured narrative forGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free (very much optimistically, positively and even quite verbally ecstatically celebrating how music, how the theatre and inGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free specifically a prison production ofThe Pirates of Penzance is reformative and hugely rehabilitating for the inmates taking part, including sixteen year old main protagonist Libby Dodge) has the tendency to feel a bit unbelievable and overly fantastical (and in particular the ending, which basically means discovery, a full music scholarship and likely future stardom for Libby).
But no, after finishing withGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free, Kathleen Karr's author's note (and which I also verified through online research) clearly points out and shows that her presented story is in fact based on events that actually did occur in a Massachusetts women’s prison in 1914, that there really was a Sherborn Prison for Women and that Mrs. Wilkinson, that the chaplain who insisted on bringing music and musical theatre into Sherborn (as a tool for rehabilitation) indeed was a real person, and that Libby Dodge, that the 16-year-old protagonist whose life is most deeply affected by her involvement in Gilbert and Sullivan'sThe Pirates of Penzance is also partially based on an actual Sherborn inmate. And while I do think that the ending ofGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free is and remains a bit overly saccharine and too much pie in the proverbial sky for in particular Libby, I most certainly have majorly enjoyed the textual positiveness and the optimism ofGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free, that Kathleen Karr's themes and contents are not based on some theatre-themed fairy tale concept but on reality (and thatGilbert and Sullivan Set Me Free certainly to and for me very clearly and wonderfully demonstrates that music and that the theatre are or can be rehabilitative, cleansing and provide hope and optimism).
A fun, hugely delightfully engaging and textually sweetly rewarding reading experienceGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free has been for me, with not only the main protagonist, with not only first person narrator Libby Dodge being likeable, relatable and approachable (and this even considering that Kathleen Karr is writing about a women's prison and about the inmates of said prison). Thus and with Karr offering inGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free an immensely appealing and textually pleasurable blend of comedy, drama, history and politics (and with the latter, with the political questions being played out in the conversations among the Sharborn inmates and whose takes on women’s rights in 1914 are indeed and also a bit sadly and unfortunately massively relevant even today), yes, for my inner teenaged reader (and who admittedly also totally adores the overly positive and happily ever after ending for the main protagonist),Gilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free rates with solidly and delightfully five stars (and that I will even as a generally much more critical older adult reader be following my inner teenager regardingGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free concerning a five star rating and to also both warmly and very much enthusiastically be recommendingGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free).
But no, after finishing withGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free, Kathleen Karr's author's note (and which I also verified through online research) clearly points out and shows that her presented story is in fact based on events that actually did occur in a Massachusetts women’s prison in 1914, that there really was a Sherborn Prison for Women and that Mrs. Wilkinson, that the chaplain who insisted on bringing music and musical theatre into Sherborn (as a tool for rehabilitation) indeed was a real person, and that Libby Dodge, that the 16-year-old protagonist whose life is most deeply affected by her involvement in Gilbert and Sullivan'sThe Pirates of Penzance is also partially based on an actual Sherborn inmate. And while I do think that the ending ofGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free is and remains a bit overly saccharine and too much pie in the proverbial sky for in particular Libby, I most certainly have majorly enjoyed the textual positiveness and the optimism ofGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free, that Kathleen Karr's themes and contents are not based on some theatre-themed fairy tale concept but on reality (and thatGilbert and Sullivan Set Me Free certainly to and for me very clearly and wonderfully demonstrates that music and that the theatre are or can be rehabilitative, cleansing and provide hope and optimism).
A fun, hugely delightfully engaging and textually sweetly rewarding reading experienceGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free has been for me, with not only the main protagonist, with not only first person narrator Libby Dodge being likeable, relatable and approachable (and this even considering that Kathleen Karr is writing about a women's prison and about the inmates of said prison). Thus and with Karr offering inGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free an immensely appealing and textually pleasurable blend of comedy, drama, history and politics (and with the latter, with the political questions being played out in the conversations among the Sharborn inmates and whose takes on women’s rights in 1914 are indeed and also a bit sadly and unfortunately massively relevant even today), yes, for my inner teenaged reader (and who admittedly also totally adores the overly positive and happily ever after ending for the main protagonist),Gilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free rates with solidly and delightfully five stars (and that I will even as a generally much more critical older adult reader be following my inner teenager regardingGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free concerning a five star rating and to also both warmly and very much enthusiastically be recommendingGilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free).
March 17, 2024
This novel about a 1914 all female production of The Pirates of Penzance put on by the inmates of a women's penitentiary, loosely based on a true story, was a charmer. The full cast audio production, complete with snatches of the numbers accompanied by a tinny piano was lots of fun. There's some pathos to the story, but at heart it's really a fairytale. Not all of the dialogue was true to the period, but I enjoyed the production enough to overlook that. Thanks to my goodreads friend Manybooks for reviewing, as otherwise I'd never have heard of this little gem.
March 6, 2024
This was ridiculous, and not in a good, G&S-type way. Modern sentiments and sensibilities are anachronistically imported into this world—so much so that credibility is stretched beyond the breaking point. Add a lot of mawkishness and sentimentality and schmaltz and the mixture is far too much to bear.
February 6, 2008
I picked this up because, I admit it, I'm a sucker for theSister Act genre. Come on, who is immune to the power of music triumphing over the worst circumstances? Especially when it's based on a true story of a 1914 women's prison. And it didn't disappoint. It turned out to be a really rich coming of age tale full of the laughs and drama of prison life, an underlying mystery, and a cast of strong women. And the feminist social commentary wasn't even too heavy handed.
And the music! Anyone who claims audiobooks are somehow automatically inferior to the printed word (I'm looking at you,pretentious New York Times...)has never listened to this amazing recording. It actually integrates full musical performances!
You can listen to excerptshere.
And the music! Anyone who claims audiobooks are somehow automatically inferior to the printed word (I'm looking at you,pretentious New York Times...)has never listened to this amazing recording. It actually integrates full musical performances!
You can listen to excerptshere.
August 9, 2019
I wouldn't have known about this one had one of the narrators not spoken at a meeting I attended last year. It includes piano and singing in small doses while set against a 1910s women's prison backdrop. Funny, interesting, and well performed. If you like music and women's issues, you might appreciate the audio version of this, which was produced by a Syracuesm NY firm headed by the beloved Bruce Coville.
March 1, 2020
When I was a sophomore in high school I played Ruth in a production of The Pirates of Penzance and to this day I still really love singing along to it.
This is an exceptionally produced audiobook full of beautiful singing and great voice acting from a full cast. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories of all the women in the prison and how collectively the power of music and theatre uplifts them all and brings them joy. As a theatre professional, nothing makes me happier than seeing the happiness theatre and music bring to other people, and it felt really good to see that in a story. I just thoroughly enjoyed this story.
This is an exceptionally produced audiobook full of beautiful singing and great voice acting from a full cast. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories of all the women in the prison and how collectively the power of music and theatre uplifts them all and brings them joy. As a theatre professional, nothing makes me happier than seeing the happiness theatre and music bring to other people, and it felt really good to see that in a story. I just thoroughly enjoyed this story.
March 25, 2013
Life in prison is miserable until the new Chaplain hears Libby sing. Then life changes for not only Libby, but the whole prison. Based on true events, Kathleen Karr weaves a marvelous tale of life in prison in the early 20th Century. I highly recommend it!
July 16, 2022
Loved this. Charming story, staying true to period though the ending has some contrived moments. The audiobook made it truly superb, however, with great narration and music. A pleasure.
January 23, 2023
Delightful characters based on a true story. The Full Cast Audio version is wonderful.
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September 23, 2011Gilbert and Sullivan Set Me Free is a novel about a sixteen-year-old girl named Libby Dodge. The book takes place in 1914. Libby is serving a prison sentence in a women's prison called Sherborn Women's Prison. The new chaplain, Mrs. Wilkenson, decides to have a musical called The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and sullivan. Libby is very excited and she thinks that she is a natural performer.
During Libby's time spent in prison she makes friend with Ma McCreary. Libby and Ma do laundry together. Ma McCreary is in the prison for killing her abusive husband. He also beat her children. They sing in the choir together. The book tells about Libby's life in prison and how she changed by the music and how life can get better for her.
I enjoyed reading this book because it was interesting to see this girl not let her past ruin her life and make her a bad person. Also, it was interesting to see how she didn't let prison life get her down and drag her down and how she survived. The book made me feel like you must never give up hope no matter what bad things happen to you. It also taught me that you can't let things in the past that are bad affect who your going to be in the future. I liked the book because it was based on true facts.
During Libby's time spent in prison she makes friend with Ma McCreary. Libby and Ma do laundry together. Ma McCreary is in the prison for killing her abusive husband. He also beat her children. They sing in the choir together. The book tells about Libby's life in prison and how she changed by the music and how life can get better for her.
I enjoyed reading this book because it was interesting to see this girl not let her past ruin her life and make her a bad person. Also, it was interesting to see how she didn't let prison life get her down and drag her down and how she survived. The book made me feel like you must never give up hope no matter what bad things happen to you. It also taught me that you can't let things in the past that are bad affect who your going to be in the future. I liked the book because it was based on true facts.
December 4, 2015
Gilbert & Sullivan Set Me Free is not a book I’d send a kid off with alone, and actually, it’s not a book I’d do as a read-aloud either. It did make a great audio book, because it’s augmented by pieces of music and singing, and is pretty dramatically rendered with different voices. The book is a fictional representation of a time of prison reform around World War I, and particularly addresses the plight of women prisoners. The kids loved the music and the story, but I did have to fast forward through a couple of spots where there was too much dialogue about WHY the women were in prison (hazard of audio books: you can’t see mentions of prostitution and abortionists and avoid them ahead of time). Overall, while I didn’t love this book, I thought it was a well done audio book, with the aforementioned caveats.
Read more of my reviews of books and read-alouds for kids onA Spirited Mind.
Read more of my reviews of books and read-alouds for kids onA Spirited Mind.
August 20, 2011
I wasn't expecting much as I snagged this read for 50 cents. Some days I want a quick entertaining read and this book is only 266 pages. I am surprised how much I like the book. Author Kathleen Karr has a very clean writing style and the relationships between the characters developed nicely. In the author's note she states that the book is fiction based on fact. Her inspiration was an article in the New York Times of June 21, 1914, "Women 'Doing Time' Give The Pirates of Penzance". The prison is real as well as the basis for several characters. I encourage you to give it a try.
October 7, 2011
This book is best listened to so you get the whole effect. This is a wonderful story of friendship, survival, and the courage to make the best of a bad situation. Based on a true life story. The author did a wonderful job or re-telling this story of a womans penintentuary and the aweome job they did with the performance of Pirates of Penzance.
Music has a power to change us. This book brought that to life for me again.
a Must read/listen to for every person!
Music has a power to change us. This book brought that to life for me again.
a Must read/listen to for every person!
April 4, 2010
The Full Cast Audio production of this book is well worth searching out. I totally enjoyed the story -- there were some stock characters and a couple cringe-worthy plot devices -- but Libby's growth from victim to thinking person was believable and inspiring, and the audio book has plenty of music to add to the book's charms.
November 13, 2008
Greatful to my local public library for having the audio version of this book available for download. Imay not have found it otherwise.
Very interesting bit of historical fiction. Loved the use of music in the production. Narrator had a pleasing voice and all the performances were strong.
Very interesting bit of historical fiction. Loved the use of music in the production. Narrator had a pleasing voice and all the performances were strong.
October 6, 2013
Playaway. I really liked this book, and recommend that it is listened on CD or playaway. The full cast audio totally made this a top notch read. The end made me cry, mostly because of the full cast audio. So good!!
March 8, 2010
What a treat this book is. I am listening to it on an Audio CD which is a wonderful way to listen to a book featuring Gilbert & Sullivan's work.
August 25, 2010
I listened to this book which was dramatized. Reading the book probably would have not been as enjoyable. I found it in a search of audio historical fiction.
July 15, 2013
This was an interesting read about life in a MA women's prison in the early 20th century. I really enjoyed the Gilbert & Sullivan storyline. A quick, fun read.
February 15, 2015
This is one of those rare times when I would recommend the audio version as the best way to experience this book. Good story and a wonderful production from Full Cast audio books.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews