Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I wish that we could give half-stars, because this book was one of those cases. I really wanted to love it, but it never captured my attention the way I wanted it to. I had to read it since my husband, Matthew Bartlett, author of the Gettysburg Chronicles, is running a book discussion at a library and I plan on attending. It took me forever to finish it and it was something I could easily put down. I was not anticipating the sometimes graphic depictions of medical life, amputations, and war, even though I'm married to a Civil War writer and read that stuff all the time! At times, those scenes made me sick to my stomach- I'm not sure that was the author's intention. I appreciate Oliveira's way of making it all very real- I could see myself at Antietam, with Mary, performing those surgeries. This is not a fluffy, historical romance- this is a real life depiction of the horrors of the Civil War. I wish there had been more romance, since I would assume that Oliveira's target market is women.
Loved this story and the baffling medical treatments that were used back in the day.
A very good read with a strong female character. Mary Sutter is headstrong, ambitious, stubborn and a woman before her time. It's a story about a woman wanting to work in a male profession and not letting anything get in her way whether it's love, family, ignorance or a war. I like that Mary isn't perfect, she makes mistakes, and lives to regret them. The book setting is the Civil War and another aspect is presented, those of the medical professionals and their role and plight during this time. Mary is a modern woman living in a time when women were considered fragile and delicate. I must say that Mary Sutter has been added to the list of favorite female literary characters.
Historical fiction is a tough genre to tackle. When done well, it requires as much research as a biography and the imagination to weave a story that takes the reader into each of the settings. ...
Please read my full review here: http://cineastesbookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-my-name-is-mary-sutter.html
Please read my full review here: http://cineastesbookshelf.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-my-name-is-mary-sutter.html
3.5 stars
I thought this would be a book about a young woman attempting to become a surgeon during the civil war. That's why I chose to read it. And it was about that, partly. I really enjoyed those parts of the book. The author did a great job depicting the horrific circumstances of the war for both surgeons and wounded soldiers. Shocking! And to think there probably actually were women like Mary is just awesome.
However, there was another part of the book that diminished my enjoyment. It was almost as if the author learned so much about the war during her research that she decided to incorporate all those facts too. And it really slowed down the story to suddenly read about general this who took an x amount of men to that place on the 5th of September even though general y did not agree. There were just too many names, places and dates that felt like a boring history lesson and that were really not necessary for Mary's story. Don't get me wrong, I love actually learning something from a historical fiction book, just not when it's dry facts. I guess it just didn't work for me in this one.
I thought this would be a book about a young woman attempting to become a surgeon during the civil war. That's why I chose to read it. And it was about that, partly. I really enjoyed those parts of the book. The author did a great job depicting the horrific circumstances of the war for both surgeons and wounded soldiers. Shocking! And to think there probably actually were women like Mary is just awesome.
However, there was another part of the book that diminished my enjoyment. It was almost as if the author learned so much about the war during her research that she decided to incorporate all those facts too. And it really slowed down the story to suddenly read about general this who took an x amount of men to that place on the 5th of September even though general y did not agree. There were just too many names, places and dates that felt like a boring history lesson and that were really not necessary for Mary's story. Don't get me wrong, I love actually learning something from a historical fiction book, just not when it's dry facts. I guess it just didn't work for me in this one.
I read this book several years ago and forgot to mark it down but picked it up again at the library recently. Overall I loved the writing and the plot- nursing during the civil war, a woman's place, etc. However some parts were too medically gruesome for my taste and I didn't connect with as many characters as I would Ike to. However it is a very well written and researched book so it's worth the read!
This was a really good book. It is set during the Civil War and Mary Sutter is determined to become a Surgeon. She is a renowned midwife in Albany NY but wants to learn more. Her struggle intensifies when war breaks out and she finds herself working as a nurse in Washington DC with waves of wounded coming in. It’s a grisly time and she learns through her experiences in spite of women not being allowed to become surgeons.
I had read book #2 (Winter Sisters) before this one and I really enjoyed it as well.
I had read book #2 (Winter Sisters) before this one and I really enjoyed it as well.
This book spent way too much time on descriptions to the point where I skim read which I never do. Idea was interesting and I really should have loved it, but it fell majorly flat for me.
I'm always a fan of badass women protagonists following their dreams.
There were parts I had to skim for being graphic, but that's part of the setting for sure.
There were parts I had to skim for being graphic, but that's part of the setting for sure.
I think this is my new favorite Civil War book. A great story with lots of historical detail, though much of that detail is not easy to read about.