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My Name Is Mary Sutter

by Robin Oliveira

My Name Is Mary Sutter Cover

ISBN13: 9780670021673
ISBN10: 0670021679
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

An enthralling historical novel about a young woman's struggle to become a doctor during the Civil War

In this stunning first novel, Mary Sutter is a brilliant, head­strong midwife from Albany, New York, who dreams of becoming a surgeon. Determined to overcome the prejudices against women in medicine-and eager to run away from her recent heartbreak- Mary leaves home and travels to Washington, D.C. to help tend the legions of Civil War wounded. Under the guidance of William Stipp and James Blevens-two surgeons who fall unwittingly in love with Mary's courage, will, and stubbornness in the face of suffering-and resisting her mother's pleas to return home to help with the birth of her twin sister's baby, Mary pursues her medical career in the desperately overwhelmed hospitals of the capital.

Like Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain and Robert Hicks's The Widow of the South, My Name Is Mary Sutter powerfully evokes the atmosphere of the period. Rich with historical detail (including marvelous depictions of Lincoln, Dorothea Dix, General McClellan, and John Hay among others), and full of the tragedies and challenges of wartime, My Name Is Mary Sutter is an exceptional novel. And in Mary herself, Robin Oliveira has created a truly unforgettable heroine whose unwavering determination and vulnerability will resonate with readers everywhere.

Review:

"The Civil War offers a 20-year-old midwife who dreams of becoming a doctor the medical experience she craves, plus hard work and heartbreak, in this rich debut that takes readers from a small upstate New York doctor's office to a Union hospital overflowing with the wounded and dying. Though she's too young for the nursing corps, Mary Sutter goes to Washington, anyway, and, after a chance meeting with a presidential secretary, is led to the Union Hotel Hospital, where she assists chief surgeon William Stipp and becomes so integral to Stipp's work she ignores her mother's pleas to return home to deliver her sister's baby. From a variety of perspectives — Mary, Stipp, their families, and social, political, and military leaders — the novel offers readers a picture of a time of medical hardship, crisis, and opportunity. Oliveira depicts the amputation of a leg, the delivery of a baby, and soldierly life; these are among the fine details that set this novel above the gauzier variety of Civil War fiction. The focus on often horrific medicine and the women who practiced it against all odds makes for compelling reading." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Synopsis:

Mary Sutter is a brilliant, headstrong midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon in 19th-century America. Determined to overcome the prejudices against women in medicine, Mary leaves home and travels to Washington, D.C., to pursue her medical career.

About the Author

Robin Oliveria received an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and was awarded the James Jones First Novel Fellowship for a work-in-progress for My Name Is Mary Sutter. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and two children.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 3 comments:

FleurDeMar, February 21, 2011 (view all comments by FleurDeMar)
My Name is Mary Sutter is set during the Civil War and tells the story of a strong willed woman who wants to be a surgeon in a time women aren’t allowed near the profession. She works as a midwife, along with her mother, but it’s just not enough. Mary isn’t like other heroines you read about in books – she’s not beautiful, can’t get any man she wants and has to work hard to achieve her goals. I found it refreshing for a change.

As always, when I read Historical Fiction, I look for the actual history and am pleased that this book had it. Lincoln is someone I haven’t read a lot about, so I’m not sure of the accuracy of his character, but I liked him anyway. Reading about the hospitals, wounded, dying and lack of supplies was heartbreaking.

One thing I will say is that the book is very graphic. From Mary delivering a child to her amputating limbs, Robin Oliveira goes into great detail and it can sometimes get gory. In that aspect, the book may not be for the faint at heart. However, if you can skim over those parts, I think you’ll still enjoy the book.
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47Rah1980, January 17, 2011 (view all comments by 47Rah1980)
A masterful, wonderful, enriching read. The setting and characters all come alive in Robin Oliveira's debut novel. I was transported in time, thrown into the battlefields and onto the streets of Washington City. I traveled the trains to Albany and was frozen by the daunting task of "choosing" with Mary. The parallel with Lincoln and his decision-making along with Mary and hers, added depth to an already complex story.

As a physician, I appreciated the accuracy of the medical care of the time and the attention to detail. Mary was a very believable character as were her desires and journey. I remember being just as focused 30 years ago trying to get into medical school - and like Mary, family and friends came a distant second to the goal. I would say this book should be "required reading" in medical schools across the country so that we physicians learn about our past and how we take current "knowledge" as truth.

What I appreciate about this novel is that months after reading it, I continue to think about the characters, the history of the time and just want more. The dozen or so novels I have read since do not compare in terms of "staying with me". Some novels I forget upon closing the cover yet I still think of Mary Sutter.

I love a complex read with real characters & multiple subplots that knows what it is about and carries the reader through to a satisfying end. I certainly cannot wait for the next such novel by this wonderfully gifted author.
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LuKay, November 28, 2010 (view all comments by LuKay)
A young midwife from Albany, New York, is desperate to become a medical doctor during the years of the Civil War. The War Between the States becomes a time we can see, feel and smell between the covers of this research-based, well-written tale. Sentences like “They were still, like him, only half a moment past innocence” will take your breath away like a minie ball zinging past your miraculously untouched ear. Historical characters, including Abraham Lincoln and Clara Barton, have roles in the book’s believable and carefully crafted action. Each chapter is rich with facts, description and pathos. If you are reader with interests in medical history, woman's history or the Civil War, this is the book for you - and - you will want to share it with your friends.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780670021673
Subtitle:
A Novel
Author:
Oliveira, Robin
Publisher:
Viking Adult
Subject:
Historical fiction
Subject:
United States - History - Civil War, 1861-
Subject:
General
Subject:
Historical - General
Subject:
Historical
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Edition Description:
B-Hardcover
Publication Date:
20100513
Binding:
Hardback
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
384
Dimensions:
9.30x6.32x1.20 in. 1.34 lbs.
Age Level:
17-17

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My Name Is Mary Sutter Used Hardcover
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Product details 384 pages Viking Books - English 9780670021673 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "The Civil War offers a 20-year-old midwife who dreams of becoming a doctor the medical experience she craves, plus hard work and heartbreak, in this rich debut that takes readers from a small upstate New York doctor's office to a Union hospital overflowing with the wounded and dying. Though she's too young for the nursing corps, Mary Sutter goes to Washington, anyway, and, after a chance meeting with a presidential secretary, is led to the Union Hotel Hospital, where she assists chief surgeon William Stipp and becomes so integral to Stipp's work she ignores her mother's pleas to return home to deliver her sister's baby. From a variety of perspectives — Mary, Stipp, their families, and social, political, and military leaders — the novel offers readers a picture of a time of medical hardship, crisis, and opportunity. Oliveira depicts the amputation of a leg, the delivery of a baby, and soldierly life; these are among the fine details that set this novel above the gauzier variety of Civil War fiction. The focus on often horrific medicine and the women who practiced it against all odds makes for compelling reading." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Synopsis" by , Mary Sutter is a brilliant, headstrong midwife who dreams of becoming a surgeon in 19th-century America. Determined to overcome the prejudices against women in medicine, Mary leaves home and travels to Washington, D.C., to pursue her medical career.
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