My Name Is Mary Sutter

Historical, entertaining and passionate.

Mary Sutter is not your typical, strikingly beautiful, heroine, however, she is truly a beautiful person, full of strength and grace that you will admire and love. This is a compelling story of the young men who fought during the Civil War without leadership, food, medicine or proper weapons and the surgeons and nurses who tried, against unsurmountable odds, to help and comfort them. My Name Is Mary Sutter is a beautiful story of love and survival in the richly historical setting of the Civil War. Robin Oliveira's writing style and characters will stay with you long after the story ends. This was her first novel, hopefully she's working on her second.

9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

ya gotta read it!!

I learned so much about the Civil War and the practice of medicine during that time ~ how far we have come. The book held my attention from first to last ~ a terrific historical, and love, story. I highly recommend it

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Loved this book!

This book was so informative of the Civil War events that took place during the time period, but was so personable on a woman's level with the trials and tribulations of a midwife who wanted to pursue a medical occupation during the time. My husband has always been a civil war buff, but as a woman it was a bore. This book brings it all together from another point of view... Can't wait for Ms. Oliveira's next book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Sure-handed Account of a fascinating topic

Bravo to Oliveira for so brilliantly illuminating a fascinating but rarely told aspect of the American Civil War-namely the challenges faced by women who had the calling to heal, but faced a masculine tradition-bound war machine. The author presents involved and detailed medical procedures in a masterful yet completely understandable manner! I never once doubted the authority of this writer. I was particularly fascinated by how she is able to frame the tension between human savagery and the crude but idealistic human drive to heal as a major conflict in the book. It's always a delight to find a book that is exciting to read and at the same time educates, filling in the blanks of the traditional accounting of history.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great Historical Novel

An unbelievable amount of research has gone into this novel, including some little known details of events that took place during the Civil War. Wonderful character development of Mary Sutter that makes one urge her on in her unrelenting quest to become a physician & surgeon at a time when there were prejudices against women in medicine. There are explicit descriptions of the deplorable sanitary conditions during this period as well as gruesome amputations that were performed on wounded soldiers...not for the faint of heart. But it also has its tender moments. An historical novel at it's best. Highly recommended!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

My Name Is Mary Sutter

A book that caught me in the first chapter. Anyone interested in the history of the Civil War or medicine in early America will love this book. Parts are heartbreaking as the few doctors available then struggle with the lack of hygiene and medicine during the war, parts are incredible in the bravery and selflessness shown by those who tried to save young lives and keep supplies coming through enemy lines. Mary Sutter breaks all the rules in her deep desire to be a surgeon and I rooted for her the entire book. Details of life during that time are well documented and the writer kept the story moving and interesting.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

an unforgettable book

Oh. My. Goodness. What an unforgettable book. Author Robin Oliveira has created a heroine unlike any other and a powerful story that captures the despair, horror and agony of one of the bloodiest battles in American history.

The year is 1861. Mary Sutter, a remarkable midwife trained by her mother, dreams of becoming a surgeon but is refused entrance to medical schools or to be apprenticed by a doctor. When the Civil War breaks out between the North and South, Mary Sutter leaves the comforts of her home to escape from a recent heartbreak and to help take care of the injured soldiers in Washington and eventually right in the battlefield.

What ensues is a riveting tale that pulled at my heartstrings for the loss and despair that the characters lived through. I admired Mary's perseverance and self-sacrifice when faced with heart-wrenching decisions, and I shook my head in stupefied disbelief and sorrow at the carnage and futility the soldiers and surgeons faced on the battlefields. And apart from being severely prejudiced, it was brainless of the institutions to initially keep the women from nursing or doctoring the men. After all, women experience childbirth and are used to the sight of blood.

Oliveira's writing is brutally honest and she doesn't spare details of the amputations performed in the crudest environments, but I never felt it was gratuitous or glorified. The scenes were from a medical point of view, and I marvelled at how doctors worked bone-tiring endless hours day and night with limited medical knowledge and few supplies and still saved lives. The imagery was vivid and I was transported to that time in history. I could smell the acrid smoke of the gunfire, feel the misery and hopelessness, see the deplorable hospital conditions and hear the desperate cry of the dying young men. The author weaved historical details beautifully into the story including scenes with President Lincoln and General McClellan.

But ultimately, My Name is Mary Sutter is not a book about war, but one about choosing to be the person you think you could be. It's about a young woman who pursued her medical career in the face of great obstacles, proving she was a doctor at heart. It made me appreciate the countless doctors who strive to improve the medical profession and perform amazing feats to save and preserve lives. An excellent read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Interesting

As a lover of the Civil War era, I was intrigued by the premise of the book. I found it interesting and an enjoyable read. It takes a look at a part of the war that is often overlooked by writers due to the nature of the topic, the inadequacies of war time medical practices. I found it quite historically accurate with the descriptions of wartime medicine and the surrounding events and people of the time. It was a good story about the challenges women faced in the 1800's if they tried to break out of their 'wifely' role. The main character faces not only physical challenges, but internal ones as well that make her a strong female character to read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

MOVE OVER GONE WITH THE WIND...

For those who thought that Gone with the Wind epitomized a fictional authoritative chronicle before and during the Civil War, in this tumultuous period of our own current history, it is clear that My Name is Mary Sutter, has commendably garnered a pinnacle in what this voracious generation desires to know.

In a magnificent debut novel, Robin Oliveria offers an unsurpassed entre into one woman's unrelenting quest to ascend from mere acceptable midwifery to a 19th century avant-garde physician and surgeon.

My own personal curiosity developed from the introduction of Albany, New York as Mary's birthplace and pivotal foundation for her initial unremitting quest to Albany Medical College in pursuit of her befitting profession as a female physician and surgeon.

Immediately with excitement, the unforgettable locales presented an Albany I knew from early childhood, and the impeccable descriptive narrative tendered Mary Oliveria's impermeable research not only to locales but also to characters imbedded in this superbly written narrative.

The haunting depiction of young warriors, whose only knowledge of war was the initial exuberance of proclaiming victory yet to be won, the vivid portrayal of unrelenting suffering in needless battles, the laudable women who sacrificed decorum for indefatigable efforts to save the wounded without adequate medical supplies, and Mary Sutter, unforgettable in her unwavering courage and undoubting determination to risk all.

This year is less than six months old, but I venture to say this book will be a valiant tribute to the women who willingly forfeited a conventional life to advance women in the medical profession fully as physicians and surgeons.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Great Read

Loved it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great story

I enjoyed this very much. The author had facts interwoven into the story.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing Historical Fiction

In the early 1860's, Mary Sutter, a young midwife, wants more. Known locally as the most talented midwife, she wants to learn the entire body and become a doctor. She approaches a medical school and is turned away. She then asks a local doctor to teach her and again is denied.

But events are about to overtake everyone's life in America. The War Between the States is beginning, and families are torn asunder and cultural conventions are changed forever. Mary leaves her family and moves to Washington where she hopes to achieve her goal. Her brother, her brother-in-law and the local doctor that denied her all enlist. Mary becomes a nurse in a hospital in Washington.

As time goes on, the doctor in charge of the hospital realises that Mary is different from the other nurses, and that she has the ability to do more. Hospitals and doctors are overwhelmed with soldiers, both wounded in battle or taken ill with one of the epidemics that swept Army camps. With so much need, throwing away the talents of anyone willing to help is not possible. As the war progresses, Mary gets her chance to learn medicine and become a surgeon.

Robin Oliveira has created a book that will remain in readers' minds long after the last page is read. Neither war nor early medicine is glorified or simplified. The butual cruelty and waste is laid bare. Readers learn the history of President Lincoln's decisions and his inability to get talented generals. It is difficult to imagine how different war was with the limited medical knowledge available. This was the first war with mass amputations. Doctors learned from these about keeping wounded individuals alive. Sanitation's role was unknown, as were most medicines and procedures. The breaking apart of families by war is also portrayed realistically. There was no ability to communicate easily; letters could take weeks to arrive. Transportation and getting from one city to another took days if not weeks. A soldier might be dead for weeks or months before the news got back home to his family.

This book is recommended for historical fiction readers, and well as those interested in how women fought the bonds that kept them from the professions. Many historical fiction books are written in medieval times. While those are interesting, this look at our own country a century or so ago is breaktaking. This is Robin Oliveira's first novel. I know I'll be anxiously awaiting her next one.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Bridget's Review

Mary is determined to make her dream a reality, no matter what other people think. For generations the women in her family have served as midwives. Not Mary, she wants to be the first woman to change all that. She wants to be a surgeon. When her aspirations as a surgeon didn't quite pan out, she went for the next best thing and became a nurse. The Civil War is bringing in too many patients and Mary tries her best to tend to every one of them.

It's impossible not to be touched by this book. There are moments where I literally just wanted to burst into tears. Whenever you are in the mood for a moving story that will tug at your very soul, pick up this book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I really enjoy historical fiction and this book didn't disappoin

I really enjoy historical fiction and this book didn't disappoint. My Name is Mary Sutter takes place during the Civil War and is written from a female perspective. Not only was Mary Sutter female, she also wanted to be a surgeon. That was something completely unheard of at the time. Mary Sutter was a twenty years old, an excellent midwife and also wealthy, not someone you'd expect to end up in the Civil War.

This book isn't pretty and at times it isn't easy to read, but it really puts you in the action, makes you feel a part of the grittiness of what happened. Some of it is rather graphic, describing just how conditions were during the Civil War. If you have a weak stomach, I'd think twice about reading this book.

Very Enjoyable

I enjoyed this story but could have done with a little less of the civil war itself. The war plays a large part of the storyline but there could have been less history without taking away from the main story.

Engrossing novel and unique romance

Beautiful and compelling novel that is fascinating blend of romance and history. Author creates a multi faceted character in Mary and interesting men who surround her. Sometimes choppy and abrupt but also lyrical and instructive. This is a novel that garners respect and even fascination. A very worthwhile read.

Great read!

Really shows the struggle for equality during the civil war. Paints a gruesome picture of just how terrible war is.

Beautifully written!

Oliveira uses beautifully descriptive language to tell this Civil War tale. Mary Sutter dreams of becoming a doctor, and receives most of her training in battle field "hospitals". Be prepared for the horrors of war, but don't avoid this story. I loved it and can't wait to read Oliveira's next novel!

Wonderful

This book was written with great insite by the author. I highly recommend. I could smell the battle fields and the battle hospitals.

Educational

I truly enjoyed this book. I also learned a lot about history as well as the war between the states. Most impressive was the revelation of the ignorance of man. The book is well written and hard to put down. A wonderful triumph of one woman's journey into a world forbidden to her simply because of her gender. However, Mary Sutter's purpose was only surpassed by her Herodotus of self thereby affording her to reach her goal. Very detailed historical facts mixed with thee author's imagination to make a fine story.