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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Dumb name, pretty decent book, about a woman in Civil War New York who wants desperately to be a surgeon, and the two doctors who take her under their wing (and fall in love).
This would have been a wonderful book if it could have made up its mind what it was. As it is, the story of Mary Sutter, a woman trying to become more than just a midwife, becomes lost in vast tangents into war memoirs, partially-told love stories, and a good deal of patriot bashing. In the end we even lose track of Mary for long chapters as we follow other barely-developed sub-characters. I'm left really wanting to have read the story of Mary and her journey to medical training.
All Mary Sutter wants in life is to be a surgeon, too bad she was living in the 1861. A midwife, Mary tried multiple avenues to learn to be a surgeon. Tired of rejections Mary left home to volunteer as a nurse for the Union Army.
The book was fairly entertaining. Though from a prominent family she is still bound by expectations from society and her family that she has to negotiate. It was interesting to see Mary's view as she struggles to get out of the box that she has been placed in.
The book was fairly entertaining. Though from a prominent family she is still bound by expectations from society and her family that she has to negotiate. It was interesting to see Mary's view as she struggles to get out of the box that she has been placed in.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really liked this. Thank you Mindy for the recommendation. The writing was well done and evocative. She used period words as though you should automatically know what they are (I like that!)and sucked you into the story with her characters and settings. Well done.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
It is obvious that Robin Oliveira did a ton of research for this deeply engaging tale of a young girl, Mary Sutter, who wants to become a surgeon.
The beginning of the book took me some time to get into just because of the historical nature of the writing which is much more narrative than what I’ve been reading recently.
The characters of this book do come alive in such vivid ways that once I got into the story, it was hard to pull myself away. It became easy to lose myself.
This story deals heavily with the medical side of the Civil War, and all the gore and lack of knowledge and materials inherent during that time period. It paints a stark picture of the reality of war.
It is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart.
I ended up giving this 4 stars instead of five mostly because of one scene involving Jake Miles. It was truly unnecessary and was pretty disturbing. Also, I felt as if the final thread of his character was lost.
Mary’s character was passionate about medicine, and this book highlights how difficult it was for a woman to be taken seriously.
Overall, this was a very good depiction of the time period, the war, and the historical figures of the time.
The beginning of the book took me some time to get into just because of the historical nature of the writing which is much more narrative than what I’ve been reading recently.
The characters of this book do come alive in such vivid ways that once I got into the story, it was hard to pull myself away. It became easy to lose myself.
This story deals heavily with the medical side of the Civil War, and all the gore and lack of knowledge and materials inherent during that time period. It paints a stark picture of the reality of war.
It is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart.
I ended up giving this 4 stars instead of five mostly because of one scene involving Jake Miles. It was truly unnecessary and was pretty disturbing. Also, I felt as if the final thread of his character was lost.
Mary’s character was passionate about medicine, and this book highlights how difficult it was for a woman to be taken seriously.
Overall, this was a very good depiction of the time period, the war, and the historical figures of the time.
3.5 The romance needed some work and most chapters involving Lincoln were a snooze fest. I enjoyed the beginning very much... but had to force myself to finish. The audiobook was far better than reading it physically. I probably won't be reading the sequel.
This was a good story of a woman with dreams of becoming a surgeon during the Civil War and making that happen. She faced many problems and trials and overcame. It is also a story about falling in love during these times.