Reviews with content warning for Medical content - The Surgeon's Daughter

We follow along as she navigates a world where women were not expected to be more than a housewife. How she fights to make a name for herself to try become what she is most passionate about, a surgeon.

The medical procedures were fascinating and it’s so mind blowing to think how medicine has evolved over the years. How procedures that are so common these days were once an anamoly centuries ago.

I just adored being back with these characters and truly hope this is not the last time we get to spend time with them.

Once again the writing just flowed so beautifully and was so perfectly descriptive that you felt like you were right there. And Nora is such a strong, beautiful character.

I highly recommend picking this one up if you’re a fan of historical fiction, woman’s rights and medicine.

Please be forewarned that there are quite graphic descriptions of medical procedures many related to births and cesarean sections.

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halkid2's review

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emotional informative inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

THE SURGEON’S DAUGHTER is the second historical novel in the Nora Beady series by Audrey Blake and it continues the story of the talented but home schooled healthcare provider Eleanor Beady.

Despite the fact that it is illegal for women to be practicing surgeons in 1840s London, Nora is desperate to further her studies. She is offered the opportunity to study at the prestigious University of Bologna in Italy, where women CAN earn a medical degree. Of course, that doesn’t mean there is no discrimination against female students. But Nora, already well trained by her quirky but brilliant adoptive father Dr. Horace Croft, feels she will be able to keep up, even as she struggles to understand a new language.

Meanwhile Dr. Daniel Gibson remains in London, expanding his own knowledge and helping Dr. Croft expand and advance their joint practice, though that expansion is getting Dr. Croft deeper and deeper into debt.

As I watched Nora navigate her medical school studies I found I was getting angrier and angrier. As expected, there are male students who ignore and gossip about her, predatory professors who refuse to give her opportunities to learn and discount the knowledge and experience she already has, and quite a few who believe Nora is there only because of undeserved favoritism. (Many of the same issues smart and successful women still face.) Fortunately Nora does find one prominent woman to mentor her and one fellow medical student to befriend her.

Will Nora be able to complete her studies in this hostile environment? If she does, what good will a medical degree do her in England? Can she and Daniel maintain their long distance attachment while she’s away? And what about aging Dr. Croft’s state of health and mounting debt? Will the jealous Dr. Vickery sabotage Dr. Croft again? There’s a lot to resolve.

THE SURGEON’S DAUGHTER is full of emotion (I cried twice) and suspense and a worthy sequel to THE GIRL IN HIS SHADOW. I loved continuing the stories of Nora and Daniel, Dr. Croft and Harry Trimble as they navigate the rapidly expanding medical world of 1840s. I’m hoping there will soon be a third novel in this series.

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writteninmagic's review against another edition

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challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Continuing where the first book left off, this story starts with Nora's studies abroad. She meets an accomplished female surgeon who becomes Nora's mentor in cesarean section surgery. In the university, Nora faces similar discrimination from her professors and fellow students as she experienced while in England in the first book. Despite all this, Nora learns through her experiences and becomes a better surgeon. I thought the story was well-written and wrapped up with a fitting ending for Nora's story.

Content Warnings