A Life Without Permission

She refused to follow the rules; so she rewrote them.

In a time when women were expected to remain silent, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker chose a different path. Raised to think independently and act boldly, she pursued a medical career when few believed a woman belonged in the field at all. What followed was a life marked by courage, controversy, and an unshakable refusal to accept limits.

From the battlefields of the American Civil War to the harsh conditions of a Confederate prison, Mary served a...