MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER

MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER by Robin Oliveira

From the book jacket:

In this stunning historical novel, which opens on the eve of the Civil War, 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 recent heartbreak - Mary 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 unwittingly fall 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 Chaarles 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 details (including marvelous depictions of Lincoln, Dorothea Dix, General McClellan, and John Hay, among others), 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.

This book didn't live up to my expectations.  The descriptions of the carnage of war, the destruction of life, and the horrible medical conditions were brilliantly written.  But I never really got a feel for Mary.  She wasn't a character I could like or dislike.  She hid her feelings well and because of that - the way the character was written - I could never connect with her.  And after about the first half of the book, I gave up trying.  I continued to read because I was interested in the medical aspects of the book, the way the war-wounded were handled.

An interesting book, but not one of my favorites.