Set during the Civil War, Mary is determined to be a female surgeon, no matter how much she's turned away from apprenticeship or medical school. Quite a bit set in DC and northern Virginia, and interesting to me because of the locales that I knew - such as why there are no old trees in Alexandria - they were all clear cut to make the union forts to protect DC. Very gory accounts of what she and Dr. Stipp had to do for amputations, and how far away antibiotics and other healing methods were. It's a miracle that anyone survived any injury. ( )

A great tale of strong women, medicine and the Civil War.

Mary Sutter lives in Albany with her family, her mother being a sought after mid-wife in the community. As Mary grows-up she begins to follow her mother to appointments and births and begins to love the work. Her twin sister Jenny, not so much. But Mary had higher aspirations and searched for a Surgeon to apprentice with, or a Medical School that will admit her. Neither materializes and with the the outbreak of the Civil War, Mary eyes Washington as the place she may be able to follow her calling.

Robin Oliveira writes with passion and color. This book won the James Joyce First Novel Fellowship for a work-in-progress. She mixed fictional characters with real people(among those in this novel, Lincoln, Clara Barton, Dorthea Dix and of course all those names of Generals we know from that time period).

There is a sequel to this book Winter Sisters, which I read last year, before I knew it was # 2 in the series. Both can be read as stand-alone, but I am glad I went back to learn about the younger Mary. ( )

An excellent captivating read capturing the struggle women who wanted to serve faced. Plus all the characters come alive and add dimension to the plot. The author did her research, even if Mary Sutter was not a real person but a composition of 11 women who did become doctors during this time period.

At nineteen Mary Sutter, the daughter of a midwife, is a knowledgeable midwife herself. She wants to become a surgeon but living in the mid 19th century no medical school will accept her nor can she find a surgeon who will train her. The best she can do to further her medical education is to acquire and study all of the most recent medical publications including Grey's Anatomy.

When her brother and brother-in-law enlist in the Union Army in 1861, she goes to Washington City to offer her services as a nurse. Sutter is thrown into the most grossly overcrowded, understaffed and least equipped hospital in the city, initially doing the most menial work. She eventually catches the attention of two doctors who recognize her ability and out of desperation begin to train her. Strong will and more knowledge will lead Mary to carnage on the battlefields, personal heartbreak, and deep friendships.

In Mary, Oliveira has created a strong character who recognizes and stoically faces all of the prejudices against women at the time. She has also written a realistic history of Civil War battles and the experiences of those involved. ( )

Descriptive, emotional novel of Civil War midwife wanting to be surgeon. Beautiful love story, too. Not sex, but true deep love. Gore, proximity to DC, best practices for surgeries not yet known, true to life characters. ( )