Bold Women of Medicine: 21 Stories of Astounding Discoveries, Daring Surgeries, and Healing Breakthroughs

by Susan M. Latta

Overview

CBC - NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Students K-12 2017

Meet 21 determined women who have dedicated their lives to healing others.

These courageous women from the 1800s to the present focused on finding cures, tending the sick and wounded, and healing with science and compassion. Readers meet groundbreakers such as Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States; Mary Carson Breckinridge, the “nurse on horseback” who delivered babies in the Appalachian Mountains; and heart surgeon Kathy Magliato, one of the few women trained in heart transplant surgeries. Packed with photos, informative sidebars, and including source notes and a bibliography, this collection is an invaluable addition to any reader’s bookshelf.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641605700
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	11/02/2021
Series:	Women of Action Series , #20
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	683,999
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1060L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Susan M. Latta holds an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Hamline University. She has written on history, biography, and geography topics for Appleseeds and Faces magazines and contributed freelance projects to Heinemann Leveled Books and ABDO Publishing. She is the recipient of the Loft Literary Center’s Shabo Award for Children’s Picture Book Writers. She lives in Edina, Minnesota.

Table of Contents

Foreword Gina Routh, DO: Shaped by Experiences v

Introduction: "Go Tomorrow to the Hospital to See the She Doctors!" 1

Part I The Bold Pioneers

Florence Nightingale: Victorian Rule Breaker 9

Elizabeth Blackwell: Medical Pioneer 19

Clara Barton: Bold Angel 28

Marie Zakrzewska: Woman's Spirited Ally 36

Rebecca Lee Crumpler and Rebecca Cole: The First African American Women Physicians 44

Mary Edwards Walker: Gutsy Surgeon in Pants 55

Part II Medical Women Making Headway

Bertha Van Hoosen: Unstoppable Petticoat Surgeon 67

Susan La Flesche Picotte: A Bridge Between Worlds 76

Elizabeth Kenny: Dogged Nurse from the Outback 86

Mary Carson Breckinridge: Mountaineer Nurse on Horseback 95

Helen Taussig: From Blue to a Lovely Shade of Pink 104

Virginia Apgar: The Apgar Score 115

Part III And Today Still Fighting

Catherine Hamlin: The Fistula Pilgrims 128

Edna Adan Ismail: The Dump That Became a Hospital 137

Anne Brooks: Sister Doctor with Attitude 145

Jerri Nielsen: Icy Courage 155

Kathy Magliato: A Persistent Heart 164

Bonnie Simpson Mason: Taking It to the Nth Dimension 172

Adele Levine: A Leap of Faith 180

Sherrie Ballantine-Talmadge: Back on the Field! 189

Acknowledgments 199

Notes 202

Bibliography 213

Index 221

Editorial Reviews

"This volume provides an impressive overview of women in medicine…” —VOYA Magazine



"The paths to the profession are myriad, and readers with an interest in helping and healing will find plenty of inspiration." —Booklist Online


“In the book Bold Women of Medicine I found inspiring careers and a way to share with students many amazing directions for their own future.” —NSTA Recommends


"In this fascinating new title from the Women of Action series, young adult readers get to meet some of the daring and trailblazing women of the past two hundred years of medicine."—A Mighty Girl


“Likely to appeal mostly to readers who have a strong interest in the medical field.” —Kirkus Reviews


“A read packed with brief yet thought-provoking stories of fearless women in medicine.” —School Library Journal


"An interesting, thorough look at the lives, careers, and achievements of these inspirational women."—Teen Librarian Toolbox, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2017
Gr 7 Up—Latta makes adventurous women relatable by sharing their triumphs and challenges, such as illnesses, sexism, depression, or frustrations over politics. Latta's focus is global, highlighting Somaliland Republic's Edna Adan Ismail, who educated individuals against female genital mutilation; Jeri Nelson, who operated on herself while working in Antarctica; and physical therapist Adele Levine's work with traumatic brain injuries and amputees. Certain patterns emerge as motivating factors in these individual's stories: a personal connection to health care, a drive to do more, or a desire to create social or political change. At the end of each entry, there are a few websites listed where readers can find more information. Some may wonder why certain figures, such as Margaret Sanger, were omitted, but the text only covers accredited physicians, not nurses or health care advocates. This could be used as a stand-alone collected biography, but each chapter does build on the one before. The book could be utilized within a larger context in social studies or history units, illustrating how factors such as the rise of the middle class, the Industrial Revolution, and societal reforms impacted women in medicine. VERDICT A read packed with brief yet thought-provoking stories of fearless women in medicine. Ideal for high school students or those interested in a similar career path.—Laura Dooley-Taylor, Lake Zurich Middle School North, IL

School Library Journal

2017-07-02
Latta has gathered together brief biographies of 21 "bold women of medicine."Among the subjects are the expected, such as white medical pioneers Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Clara Barton. But there are many who are less well-known, including America's first two African-American female physicians, Rebecca Lee Crumpler and Rebecca Cole (covered jointly in one chapter), and a determined white Australian physician, Catherine Hamlin, who spent years treating women in Ethiopia who were crippled by obstetrical injuries. White nurse Mary Carson Breckinridge brought modern obstetrical service and nursing care to rural Kentucky and founded the Frontier Nursing Service. The chapter covering black Somaliland nurse midwife Edna Adan Ismail describes her efforts to combat female genital mutilation. Each chapter concludes with a few sources to provide more information. Sidebars provide additional detail on a variety of related topics. A foreword by a recently minted osteopathic physician contributes little. The uninspired narrative style features a tedious, mostly subject/predicate sentence structure that seems intended for a much younger audience than teens. It stands in sharp contrast to the inspirational subject matter. Many of the women defied the cultural expectations of their time to perform valuable work. Photographs of most are included. Endnotes are meticulous, but the index was not available for review. An extensive bibliography rounds out this uneven effort. Likely to appeal mostly to readers who have a strong interest in the medical field. (Collective biography. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews