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Informative,
Dramatic,
Interesting

30 reviews

My Name Is Mary Sutter: A Novel
by Robin Oliveira

Published: 2010-05-13
Hardcover : 384 pages
53 members reading this now
66 clubs reading this now
30 members have read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 29 of 30 members
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 ...
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Introduction

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.

Editorial Review

Ten Books That Helped Me to Write My Name Is Mary Sutter

The following is by no means an exhaustive accounting of the myriad books that helped me to understand not only the Civil War and its effect on its participants, but also the 19th century and its transportation systems, cities, and values. If I were to inventory my bibliography it its entirety, the list would go on for pages and pages. Numerous rare books, diaries, surgeonsâ?? manuals and government documents aided my research, including, for example, Hermann Hauptâ??s excellent memoirs and the surgery manual mentioned in My Name Is Mary Sutter. To compose this suggested reading list, I sampled my bookshelf. Some of these are reference books, some memoir, some great narratives of history. The books are readily available, with the exception of The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, which, however, is obtainable either through inter-library loan or in many librariesâ?? rare books collections. And finally, I would consider myself remiss if I did not include one very special work of fiction that influenced me tremendously as a writer, which I have listed first.

--Robin Oliveira

1) The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard

2) The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, all six volumes (Now available as The Medical and Surgical History of the Civil War, but I used the original volumes to do my research)

3) Too Afraid to Cry: Maryland Civilians in the Antietam Campaign by Kathleen A. Ernst

4) Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (The History of New York City) by Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace

5) An Albany Girlhood by Huybertie Pruyn Hamlin

6) Our Army Nurses by Mary Gardner Holland

7) Revelle in Washington, 1860-1865 by Margaret Leech

8) The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865 by E. B. Long and Barbara Long

9) Mr. Lincolnâ??s City: An Illustrated Guide to the Civil War Sites of Washington by Richard M. Lee

10) Doctors in Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War by George Worthington Adams

(Photo of Robin Oliveira © Fred Milkie, Jr.)

Excerpt

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Discussion Questions

Suggested by Members

Do you think Mary was a feminist, or an individual determined to achieve her goals?
In an interview, Oliveira stated: “The Civil War played the role that most wars play: they have a tendency to liberate women.” Explain this statement
Is the ending too tidy, bringing Mary and Stipp together after years of separation? If they wed, will they be happy? Do you think that Mary wants to be a mother?
by mrphyann4 (see profile) 03/24/17

How, if any, have doctors roles changed since Civil War times?
Was Mary's mother fair to her when she blamed Mary for Jenny's death? Particularly since she is a midwife herself.
by zacharyasz (see profile) 06/21/11

Notes From the Author to the Bookclub

No notes at this time.

Book Club Recommendations

Member Reviews

Overall rating:
 
 
by Deborah F. (see profile) 03/24/22

 
by Eve L. (see profile) 03/23/20

 
  "detail"by Valerie V. (see profile) 09/15/17

Lots of great historical detail.

 
  "Mixed Reaction"by Anne M. (see profile) 03/24/17

Our group had mixed opinions on the book. Most of us enjoyed it, but a couple of people thought the history was boring and overdone.

 
by Select H. (see profile) 09/26/16

 
  "Informative but just ok"by Allison R. (see profile) 05/25/16

Some in our bookclub liked it better than others overall rated it 3.6 out of 5. All agreed interesting time period but characters could have been better developed

 
by Melissa H. (see profile) 05/16/16

 
by JoAnn L. (see profile) 03/10/16

Interesting and graphic details about the Civil War around a fictitious character Mary Sutter who is a midwife with a desire to become a surgeon.

 
  "My Name is Mary Sutter: A Novel"by Valerie S. (see profile) 03/05/16

An easy read. I liked the setting of the Civil War era with a woman as the main character.

 
  "My Name is Mary Sutter"by Marie V. (see profile) 08/04/15

This book gave a graphic description of medical treatment during the civil war. It was well researched. It was also a book about women's rights. Mary was unable to get into medical school because she... (read more)

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