Recently Finished: 28. My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira Highly recommended to Civil War and medical history buffs. Mary Sutter is a young midwife who aspires to be a doctor. Rejected by medical schools on the basis of her gender, she volunteers as a nurse during the Civil War and learns the surgeons' art. Accordingly, this is not a book for the squeamish. Some of the best parts include graphic descriptions of Civil War medical procedures, primarily amputations. The author drew on resources from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Maryland, as well as written accounts from doctors and nurses during the war, notably Louisa May Alcott's Civil War Journal and Hospital Sketches. Dorothea Dix features prominently, and Florence Nightingale is an inspiration. I kept waiting and waiting, and Clara Barton, my childhood hero, did finally make an appearance! The male characters, including President Lincoln, are less interesting, and the muted love story ...
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