Suppose you nurtured a passion for your future and studied for years to prepare for it, only to have your father veto your choice!
What would you do?
In 1865, Vita, the teen daughter of a Massachusetts physician, dreams of following in her father’s footsteps, but he adamantly opposes her plan because of her gender.
The Physician’s Daughter, by Martha Conway, skillfully navigates this drama and the creative ways Vita pursues her ambition in an era when women have limited control over their destinies.
After Vita learns of women who have succeeded in becoming physicians, she devotes herself to joining their ranks.
In addition to external challenges, she confronts self-doubt as she realizes her ability to memorize medical facts is only one element in the skillset of a successful physician.
Vita must also deal with her family’s expectations that she will marry and settle into a traditional lifestyle. Her plan to marry but still pursue a career in medicine runs into problems, and the story reveals how she deals with them.
Characters:
- Vita, the protagonist – elicits my sympathy for her plight and her smarts, even if her emotional intelligence develops slowly.
- Jacob – a damaged veteran of the Civil War, he’s an interesting blend of old-fashioned and modern ideas (for his era), which makes him a challenge for Vita to understand.
- Mitty – Vita’s mother, wife of Dar – I sympathized with her position in life, but I found her lacking as a support for Vita’s aspirations
- Dar/ Dr. Tenney – Vita’s father, an old-school physician, dubious of women’s capabilities, he’s deeply affected by his son’s death near the end of the Civil War. When Vita brings up her desire to attend medical school, he responds with, “You think you can replace your brother? You hope to profit from our loss, like a turkey vulture? No one can take the place of my son.”
- Freddy – Vita’s beloved brother, he dies at the end of the Civil War
- Amelia – Vita’s younger sister, she’s very traditional and doesn’t support Vita’s dreams.
Strengths:
The Physician’s Daughter is an engaging portrait of life and women’s struggles in the Civil War era.
Weakness:
The portrayal of Dr. Tenney, Vita’s father, showed no sympathy for Vita; even before his son’s death, he never showed humanity or love toward Vita.
Content review:
The Physician’s Daughter includes descriptions of war wounds and intimacy within marriage.
If you enjoy reading about the Civil War era and how women in bygone times have struggled to overcome discrimination, this novel will inspire and appeal to you.
Reader, what novels about women have inspired you?