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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a “she don’t know she’s beautiful and that’s what makes her beautiful” kind of book. The author made sure to constantly emphasize the ways that Mary was not like other women. She did not act like them. She did not think like them. That’s what made her better than them. Mary is noteworthy because she acts like a man and not like her fragile sister or mother. Although that doesn’t stop her from ultimately having to be coupled off by the end. That type of character building does not sit well with me. There were also some offhand lines about the South not understanding that they were fighting to enslave people, which is a dangerous rewriting of history. Other than these issues, which were big issues for me, the storytelling was generally compelling.
It's a good story if you are looking for a strong female character. Takes place during the civil war. Mary Sutter wants to be a doctor. The only way she can make her dreams come true is to abscond from home to the war front. She remains determined despite the tragedies that surround her.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Inspiring story of a woman trying to become a doctor during the civil war. Definitely recommend
I am so glad that doctors have learned how to wash their hands.
I received this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review
My Name is Mary Sutter offered many things I look for in a book: great writing, strong emotions, kickass female protagonists, and an intriguing bonus lesson on midwifery. My main problem was the love rhombus and waves of inaction. How does bossy Mary Sutter amass three gentleman callers when I'm bossy in the twenty-first century with zero? Mary reminded me of Jennifer Worth from my ultra-fave series, Call the Midwife. They were both experienced midwives, no-nonsense ladies, and had their heart pulled in different directions. Mary Sutter was a total badass but my ultimate complaint is that I was not happy with the bachelor she chose behind the proverbial door number three. These men weren't the most ideal doors, but they all offered a different path in Mary's life.
Mary Sutter's Love Rhombus (In No Particular Order)
Thomas Fall
Handsome young orchard owner. Tender heart and even gentler apples. Looking for a shoulder to lean on and a family to start. Husband material to either Sutter twin. Possible suitor to Mary in the first 1/3 and last 1/3 of the book. New York's most eligible bachelor of the 1860's.
Dr. Stipp
Wise doctor with enough ghosts in his past to take up residency in Luigi's Mansion. Taught Dr. Blevens and shares Mary's love of medicine. Teaches her how to amputate legs (yuck) and loves her. The age difference is significant but it wasn't an issue during the Civil War. Cantankerous at times, but he has a soft spot for the midwife. Better suited as a father figure rather than a love interest. Beginning to lose his memory, but is willing to teach Mary and fulfill her dream of becoming a surgeon.
Dr. James Blevens
Ooh, boy! My personal favorite and draft pick to become Mr. Mary Sutter. Handsome doctor with enough baggage to fill a Greyhound bus. He's emotionally unavailable but shows character growth throughout the novel. He's constantly evolving chapter by chapter and has great depth. His romantic past is tricky but he could rip a few pages from Jane Eyre if he really needed. He's introduced on the first page of the book and that's fate, people.
The romance was not the main feature of the novel but it still drew me in. I was mesmerized by the midwifery aspect and I appreciated the details, albeit gruesome, of childbirth. The writing was very well done and I ensnared by all the drama and heartbreak. This was a fantastic novel and I am thankful to have won it in a giveaway. I only wish it would have picked up the pace at times and that Mary would have chosen a different suitor in the end. I did not like the epilogue but I'm just nitpicking at this point. Civil War literature have a duty to educate us about the past as well as entertain us with a great story that is "delivered" by the author. It's a girl, and her name is Mary Sutter! There's a generation of midwives in the next century with a lot to learn from her.
My Name is Mary Sutter offered many things I look for in a book: great writing, strong emotions, kickass female protagonists, and an intriguing bonus lesson on midwifery. My main problem was the love rhombus and waves of inaction. How does bossy Mary Sutter amass three gentleman callers when I'm bossy in the twenty-first century with zero? Mary reminded me of Jennifer Worth from my ultra-fave series, Call the Midwife. They were both experienced midwives, no-nonsense ladies, and had their heart pulled in different directions. Mary Sutter was a total badass but my ultimate complaint is that I was not happy with the bachelor she chose behind the proverbial door number three. These men weren't the most ideal doors, but they all offered a different path in Mary's life.
Mary Sutter's Love Rhombus (In No Particular Order)
Thomas Fall
Handsome young orchard owner. Tender heart and even gentler apples. Looking for a shoulder to lean on and a family to start. Husband material to either Sutter twin. Possible suitor to Mary in the first 1/3 and last 1/3 of the book. New York's most eligible bachelor of the 1860's.
Dr. Stipp
Wise doctor with enough ghosts in his past to take up residency in Luigi's Mansion. Taught Dr. Blevens and shares Mary's love of medicine. Teaches her how to amputate legs (yuck) and loves her. The age difference is significant but it wasn't an issue during the Civil War. Cantankerous at times, but he has a soft spot for the midwife. Better suited as a father figure rather than a love interest. Beginning to lose his memory, but is willing to teach Mary and fulfill her dream of becoming a surgeon.
Dr. James Blevens
Ooh, boy! My personal favorite and draft pick to become Mr. Mary Sutter. Handsome doctor with enough baggage to fill a Greyhound bus. He's emotionally unavailable but shows character growth throughout the novel. He's constantly evolving chapter by chapter and has great depth. His romantic past is tricky but he could rip a few pages from Jane Eyre if he really needed. He's introduced on the first page of the book and that's fate, people.
The romance was not the main feature of the novel but it still drew me in. I was mesmerized by the midwifery aspect and I appreciated the details, albeit gruesome, of childbirth. The writing was very well done and I ensnared by all the drama and heartbreak. This was a fantastic novel and I am thankful to have won it in a giveaway. I only wish it would have picked up the pace at times and that Mary would have chosen a different suitor in the end. I did not like the epilogue but I'm just nitpicking at this point. Civil War literature have a duty to educate us about the past as well as entertain us with a great story that is "delivered" by the author. It's a girl, and her name is Mary Sutter! There's a generation of midwives in the next century with a lot to learn from her.
3.5 stars. I rarely read Civil War historical fiction (if ever?), so this was eye opening. I think I’ll look for more. The main character embodied Louisa May Alcott who did serve briefly as a Civil War nurse in the hospital featured.
This is a solidly good book, not great but good. A woman's struggle to be taken seriously as a surgeon in the Civil War era of course harkens to my feminist sentiments. Her time attending the wounded during the War reminds me that though things are politically difficult these days in America, is has been far worse and we've survived.
I also liked the discussion of medical practices of the time and the lack of respect for research.
I found the interludes with Lincoln unnecessary and unbelievable. The author should've just stuck with Hay a lesser known, easier utilized historical figure. The idea that Mary would (unawares of course) march into a Presidential meeting and Lincoln would instantly admire and grant her all she wants was a stretch for me.
I also found that she had these three male admirers somewhat unbelievable.
I did think it rather clever of the author to plummet Mary's feelings of guilt over family deaths during the war, and longing for intellectual growth but the reader kept guessing until the very end who it was that Mary truly cared for--the young doctor who refused to initially help her; the older doctor who taught her everything he knew or the brother-in-law whose marriage to her sister drove Mary to the battlefield?
I also liked the discussion of medical practices of the time and the lack of respect for research.
I found the interludes with Lincoln unnecessary and unbelievable. The author should've just stuck with Hay a lesser known, easier utilized historical figure. The idea that Mary would (unawares of course) march into a Presidential meeting and Lincoln would instantly admire and grant her all she wants was a stretch for me.
I also found that she had these three male admirers somewhat unbelievable.
I did think it rather clever of the author to plummet Mary's feelings of guilt over family deaths during the war, and longing for intellectual growth but the reader kept guessing until the very end who it was that Mary truly cared for--the young doctor who refused to initially help her; the older doctor who taught her everything he knew or the brother-in-law whose marriage to her sister drove Mary to the battlefield?
I enjoyed this book. I like books with a strong woman character. Mary Sutter was just that. She set her sights on the end goal and didn't give up, no matter what. She was determined and never let obstacles stop her. This is one of the first historical fiction books I have read, outside of P. Gregory. But overall, I really liked this book.
Very interesting view of women's roles as well as the lack of public health infrastructure during the Civil War.