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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Fantastic book looking at the beginning of the Civil War and the chaos of the union army. This book also did an amazing job of reflecting the advances in medicine that occur because of war. Mary Sutter was a great character and I enjoyed following her story. One of the best books I've read this year.
Eh. The story was somewhat interesting but the writing wasn't.
I listened to this on audio, and had a tough time finishing it. Lots and lots of gore, which makes sense given the context, but I also had trouble believing the characters.
I had higher hopes for this book. I was more interested in the character developement and it started off with vivid descriptions of Mary's point of view as well as Blevens. But once the war started the style changed from more character driven to plot driven and the I thought Mary's story got lost in that of the war. The Civil War aspect of the story was obviously well researched and vividly described, but personally I wanted more details about the personalities and relationships between Mary and Stipp, Blevens, Thomas, Jenny and her mother.
Really well written book. The language was beautifully descriptive and really conveyed a sense of time and place. Having toured Antietam myself a year or two ago I had a pretty good idea of how that battle went, down to troop formations and the Sunken Road and Burnside's Bridge, etc. But the author brought the battle to life with her descriptions of the scene and the men and the carnage that occurred. I could vividly see the death and destruction in my mind. And then from the POV of the surgeons and specifically what the aftermath of the battles were like - it was haunting and heartbreaking for its grim reality. For me the author brought the civil war to life in all its wonderful horror.
The ending did leave me slightly unsatisfied I have to say, but being more realistic than say a typical romance, I was probably destined to feel that way.
The ending did leave me slightly unsatisfied I have to say, but being more realistic than say a typical romance, I was probably destined to feel that way.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
More than anything, young Mary Sutter wants to be a surgeon, for which she’s eminently qualified. Like her mother, Mary’s a gifted midwife, known throughout the Albany, New York, region for her skill, tenderness to her patients, and success rate. But the year is 1861, and mainstream medicine belongs entirely to men, who dismiss Mary’s attempts to apprentice herself–the typical path to medical practice–with contempt, puzzlement, or both. Even Amelia, her sole surviving parent, sometimes wonders why her daughter doesn’t simply accept the barrier, unfair as it is, and continue to do what she does best. Maybe she could also find a husband–not that Amelia’s was a paragon, but Mary locks many feelings inside her, including a yearning for love, hidden beneath a superior mien.
However, the outbreak of war between North and South changes everything. Mary figures, correctly, that medical practitioners will be in great demand, so she bolts for Washington to look for a posting without telling anyone at home. With typical deftness, Oliveira handles her bold action in its implied feminism: Mary’s flight raises consternation and moral censure, whereas her brother and brother-in-law may go to war without anyone batting an eyelash. Unfortunately for Mary–and the soldiers who don’t know what’s coming-nobody has counted on the complete lack of preparation to care for the sick or wounded. To call the effort disorganized would be a compliment; Oliveira captures this negligence with shudderingly vivid detail.
I like how the author reveals the inner lives of Mary and two doctors with whom she works closely, and how the relationships with her mother, sister, and brother-in-law have dangerously sharp edges. Oliveira also captures the suffering of wounded men, the incompetent army leadership, and what it takes to tend the maimed and dying despite insuperable odds. The hospital scenes are heart-breakingly raw–be warned–but I, who am squeamish, had to read every word. Meanwhile, the narrative retains an impressive grasp of the historical background, as battles unfold and the confusion and rumor become ever more blinding.
Mostly, Oliveira gets away with several predictable occurrences through vivid storytelling. But she falls short, I think, in two or three character portraits, maybe no big deal, in the scheme of the novel. What’s less forgivable, I think, is how quickly certain characters reconcile their differences. When there’s that much fury and hatred between people who love one another, the author owes the reader a fuller, and perhaps not entirely complete, peacemaking process.
Nevertheless, My Name Is Mary Sutter is a fine book, especially for a first novel.
However, the outbreak of war between North and South changes everything. Mary figures, correctly, that medical practitioners will be in great demand, so she bolts for Washington to look for a posting without telling anyone at home. With typical deftness, Oliveira handles her bold action in its implied feminism: Mary’s flight raises consternation and moral censure, whereas her brother and brother-in-law may go to war without anyone batting an eyelash. Unfortunately for Mary–and the soldiers who don’t know what’s coming-nobody has counted on the complete lack of preparation to care for the sick or wounded. To call the effort disorganized would be a compliment; Oliveira captures this negligence with shudderingly vivid detail.
I like how the author reveals the inner lives of Mary and two doctors with whom she works closely, and how the relationships with her mother, sister, and brother-in-law have dangerously sharp edges. Oliveira also captures the suffering of wounded men, the incompetent army leadership, and what it takes to tend the maimed and dying despite insuperable odds. The hospital scenes are heart-breakingly raw–be warned–but I, who am squeamish, had to read every word. Meanwhile, the narrative retains an impressive grasp of the historical background, as battles unfold and the confusion and rumor become ever more blinding.
Mostly, Oliveira gets away with several predictable occurrences through vivid storytelling. But she falls short, I think, in two or three character portraits, maybe no big deal, in the scheme of the novel. What’s less forgivable, I think, is how quickly certain characters reconcile their differences. When there’s that much fury and hatred between people who love one another, the author owes the reader a fuller, and perhaps not entirely complete, peacemaking process.
Nevertheless, My Name Is Mary Sutter is a fine book, especially for a first novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
This is a wonderful historical novel set during the war between the States. Mary Sutter, just like her mother, is a very competent midwife. Mary, fiery, determined and realistic, wants to become a surgeon in a time when female surgeons do not exist. She goes to war in order to work with a surgeon in hopes of becoming his apprentice.
The novel is compelling and very well written.
The only downside is that for my taste there is too much about the war and Abraham Lincoln's advisers, their war strategies, etc.
The novel is compelling and very well written.
The only downside is that for my taste there is too much about the war and Abraham Lincoln's advisers, their war strategies, etc.
This was a great novel to understand some of the more gritty parts of mid 19th century and war life, including what it was like for women. I think it’s important every now and then to reflect on how far we’ve come. A female character traveling alone in this novel was refused a train ticket, let alone entrance to medical school. There were some gross parts (mostly medical) that I skipped over- the medical explanations are rather graphic in a few scenes.
I thought the personal drama blended well with the war drama and I really liked the ending. Mary was a good, well rounded character. The books gives the reader a great education about the early days of the war.
I liked this book but I’m really wavering between 3 and 4 stars. I’m just comparing it in my head to other novels I have read in the recent past that feature a strong female character in a historical setting and this one doesn’t quite measure up- but I think that’s just personal- the other books were real people who’s stories I was familiar with and already attached to while Mary Sutter is a fictional character.
I thought the personal drama blended well with the war drama and I really liked the ending. Mary was a good, well rounded character. The books gives the reader a great education about the early days of the war.
I liked this book but I’m really wavering between 3 and 4 stars. I’m just comparing it in my head to other novels I have read in the recent past that feature a strong female character in a historical setting and this one doesn’t quite measure up- but I think that’s just personal- the other books were real people who’s stories I was familiar with and already attached to while Mary Sutter is a fictional character.
Fantastic novel! I read this for a book club and might not have picked it up on my own. I don't know why but books about the Civil War era have never interested me much. Now I want to find some more. The characters were well drawn and the details of life at that time were pretty vivid. I highly recommend this one.
Ultimately, this book is forgettable. The story is set during the Civil War, involves a woman trying to be accepted in a man's world, unrequited love, and lots of death and limb loss. This is as mainstream as a novel gets. The author worked so hard at describing Mary as strong, fearless, etc. that she forgot to actually show that. I didn't care a bit about her, her love for her twin sister's husband, her relationship with her mother, or her persistence in elbowing her way into the surgery tents for the Union. Oliveira did nothing to make me understand *why* Mary wanted to help people.