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The Edinburgh Seven: The Story of the First Women to Study Medicine
Women have healed since the beginning of time, but accessing a formal degree in medicine was impossible for them in Britain until the late 19th century. In 1869, a group of women began arriving in Edinburgh to study at the medical faculty, led by the indomitable Sophia Jex Blake. They would eventually be known around the world as The Edinburgh Seven. They were delighted to become students of medicine and as Sophia said, they simply wanted 'a fair field and no favour'.
But some of the traditional professors at the university did not approve of women becoming practicing doctors. The medical women would soon discover that they were welcome as hobbyists but not as competitors with male students. There were legal wrangles, court cases, personal attacks and even a full blown riot - all because some male medics wanted rid of the women. And the women did leave Edinburgh - without degrees. But they finished their studies in mainland Europe and came back as fully fledged doctors.
In 2019, the University of Edinburgh awarded the Seven their degrees posthumously via current day medical students. At last, the right thing was done, but the struggles of the original Seven should never be forgotten. This is their story.
But some of the traditional professors at the university did not approve of women becoming practicing doctors. The medical women would soon discover that they were welcome as hobbyists but not as competitors with male students. There were legal wrangles, court cases, personal attacks and even a full blown riot - all because some male medics wanted rid of the women. And the women did leave Edinburgh - without degrees. But they finished their studies in mainland Europe and came back as fully fledged doctors.
In 2019, the University of Edinburgh awarded the Seven their degrees posthumously via current day medical students. At last, the right thing was done, but the struggles of the original Seven should never be forgotten. This is their story.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
177 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2023
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March 26, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up.
Despite living in Scotland and having studied history until the end of high school I had never heard of the Edinburgh Seven before reading this book. The Edinburgh Seven were the first women to study for medical degrees (at the University of Edinburgh hence their name). They were a varied group of women, some married, some with informal medical experience and others who had spent time living in different parts of the world. All however faced many and varied barriers to study medicine, not only had it not been done in the U.K. before but they faced a lot hostility in trying to make it possible. This book is mainly about the seven women and their challenges but also provides a brief background overview to rights, especially those of women, up until the 20th century, and also less formal roles of women in medicine prior to the first entering university.
This book is written in a chatty, informal and easy to read manner, rather like listening to someone give a talk on the subject. This makes it a great starting point to learn more and select what areas might make for further research and discovery after finishing this book. I feel this book is especially suited to a young adult audience as well as anyone who would like an informative yet fairly light read.
I did at times feel the book was disjointed as it moved between the Edinburgh seven, to discussing challenges, back to the seven before looking at women in medicine in other forms (nurses, informal midwives, herbalists, many of those who were accused and trialled as witches). While all the information given was in some way relevant, I felt that the argument could have been better made if instead of going between time periods, the book had begun with the background to the seven to show the history, challenges and what they were up against and then introduced them. This would have emphasised what a courageous decision they had made and the challenging environment they were up against.
Overall an interesting book about something I would like to learn more about.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Despite living in Scotland and having studied history until the end of high school I had never heard of the Edinburgh Seven before reading this book. The Edinburgh Seven were the first women to study for medical degrees (at the University of Edinburgh hence their name). They were a varied group of women, some married, some with informal medical experience and others who had spent time living in different parts of the world. All however faced many and varied barriers to study medicine, not only had it not been done in the U.K. before but they faced a lot hostility in trying to make it possible. This book is mainly about the seven women and their challenges but also provides a brief background overview to rights, especially those of women, up until the 20th century, and also less formal roles of women in medicine prior to the first entering university.
This book is written in a chatty, informal and easy to read manner, rather like listening to someone give a talk on the subject. This makes it a great starting point to learn more and select what areas might make for further research and discovery after finishing this book. I feel this book is especially suited to a young adult audience as well as anyone who would like an informative yet fairly light read.
I did at times feel the book was disjointed as it moved between the Edinburgh seven, to discussing challenges, back to the seven before looking at women in medicine in other forms (nurses, informal midwives, herbalists, many of those who were accused and trialled as witches). While all the information given was in some way relevant, I felt that the argument could have been better made if instead of going between time periods, the book had begun with the background to the seven to show the history, challenges and what they were up against and then introduced them. This would have emphasised what a courageous decision they had made and the challenging environment they were up against.
Overall an interesting book about something I would like to learn more about.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2023
CONTAINS SPOILERS
Fascinating read about the first women to study medicine in Scotland. Well researched and v readable. Lots we can still learn from the tenacity of these women and their allies who sadly still had to go overseas to use their skills. They faced fierce opposition from a number of men in the university administration and male students who opposed women studying medicine. Only posthumously awarded their degrees from Edinburgh in 2019. Bloody outrageous and highly predictable, sadly.
Fascinating read about the first women to study medicine in Scotland. Well researched and v readable. Lots we can still learn from the tenacity of these women and their allies who sadly still had to go overseas to use their skills. They faced fierce opposition from a number of men in the university administration and male students who opposed women studying medicine. Only posthumously awarded their degrees from Edinburgh in 2019. Bloody outrageous and highly predictable, sadly.
November 29, 2024
Every second of the writing style in this book actively pissed me off and I did everything in my power to avoid reading it. The only saving grace was that the topic was inherently interesting (no bias, ofc).
July 26, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. As a female physician, I was very interested to read this story of the Edinburgh Seven. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time getting through the book due to the structuring of the narrative as well as the prose. It made the historical nature of this story hard to follow. This is an important history and I wish that I could have finished the story, but I ultimately gave up.
April 7, 2023
I want to thank Netgalley and Pen & Sword for an uncorrected copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: This book explores the life and times of seven women attempting to obtain medical degrees from the University of Edinburgh in the late Victorian period.
Thoughts:
Things I loved about this book:
Jones clearly has a great deal of admiration for the subjects of this book and it is always lovely to read something you can tell the author is passionate about, particularly in nonfiction.
Things that I liked about this book:
A wide array of figures to which I was introduced throughout the book that I look forward to learning more about.
Things I did not like about this book:
There were really great snippets of information about The Edinburgh Seven and their contemporaries throughout the book, but I really wanted more of a focused narrative. The last fourteen chapters really focused more on the history that led to the sociocultural environment The Edinburgh Seven were raised and attempted in which to make medical careers. Context is great, but it just felt so disconnected from one chapter to the next and the way these events impacted the central characters of this book was not well integrated. For instance, why in the chapter "Women, Marriage, [and] Society" did Jones not use Isabel Thorne's narrative to frame the information? She was a woman who due to familial obligations was not able to move as freely as some of her colleagues.
I also did not walk away from this book with any real sense of the seven women as a group or as individuals, except maybe Sophia Jex-Blake. I felt that a vast majority of this book was focused on events and people around The Seven rather than the women themselves. For instance, James Young Simpson's section, which the author describes as a "note" is longer than the biographical section of two of the women who are part of The Seven. Also, Helen Evans, Emily Bovell, and Mary Anderson really are not presented with any great detail in this book. Although, Jones does cite primary sources including letters or comments made by some of the women these feel very few and far between and often focus on Jex-Blake. As I was reading I had hoped that there would be a further expansion on the other women, but that was not the case.
Furthermore, there were several important events in the story of these women that I really felt did not get enough attention a fact that I was frustrated by especially later when it was mentioned that newspapers at the time were keeping records of the events. Why were there no more citations or references to contemporary sources? There was a riot and a court case and after reading the entire book I feel that there was way more to those two events than was discussed in the book.
In addition to the narrative issues in this book, one of my greatest complaints was that there was no sense of time or structure. The early chapters of the book introduce the eponymous seven but give brief descriptions of these women's whole lives. While later chapters reiterate information about their lives. For example, in one section of the book, one of the seven gets married and in the next paragraph her husband is dead, but he reappears in later chapters. As I was reading I was not at all sure when in time I was. This was not helped by the fact that sometimes we were moving from the 19th century back to the 16th century. Again, I have no problem with historical context, but in a lot of chapters, it felt more like random facts than something that tied together cohesively.
Another major complaint I had while reading this book is that there were so many times when Jones said things along the lines of what great feminists The Seven were. However, I remain unconvinced of this argument. I am not arguing one way or the other about the feminism of these women, but simply because they pursued an education does not in and of itself indicate feministic tendencies. In fact, one of their contemporaries is described by Jones as being criticized because she simply sought advancement for herself and given that Jex-Blake needed a group of women to start her courses I am not entirely sure given the evidence that she was motivated to open doors either. Jones does detail how Jones worked hard for reforms later in life, but I was also a little unclear if this was a motivation based on a desire for female advancement or because events had not necessarily turned out how she would have liked. And even if Jex-Blake could be described as a feminist no evidence was given for the other women.
There is a difference between the patriarchal society in which these women lived and being a person who was enslaved. It is true that women did not have equal rights but I do not agree nor think it is accurate to equate gender disparity with the horrors of enslavement.
Although this book introduced me to several new historical figures I had never heard of, in my opinion it only serves as a brief introduction to these women and does not provide enough information to satisfy a curious, newcomer to the subject.
Synopsis: This book explores the life and times of seven women attempting to obtain medical degrees from the University of Edinburgh in the late Victorian period.
Thoughts:
Things I loved about this book:
Jones clearly has a great deal of admiration for the subjects of this book and it is always lovely to read something you can tell the author is passionate about, particularly in nonfiction.
Things that I liked about this book:
A wide array of figures to which I was introduced throughout the book that I look forward to learning more about.
Things I did not like about this book:
There were really great snippets of information about The Edinburgh Seven and their contemporaries throughout the book, but I really wanted more of a focused narrative. The last fourteen chapters really focused more on the history that led to the sociocultural environment The Edinburgh Seven were raised and attempted in which to make medical careers. Context is great, but it just felt so disconnected from one chapter to the next and the way these events impacted the central characters of this book was not well integrated. For instance, why in the chapter "Women, Marriage, [and] Society" did Jones not use Isabel Thorne's narrative to frame the information? She was a woman who due to familial obligations was not able to move as freely as some of her colleagues.
I also did not walk away from this book with any real sense of the seven women as a group or as individuals, except maybe Sophia Jex-Blake. I felt that a vast majority of this book was focused on events and people around The Seven rather than the women themselves. For instance, James Young Simpson's section, which the author describes as a "note" is longer than the biographical section of two of the women who are part of The Seven. Also, Helen Evans, Emily Bovell, and Mary Anderson really are not presented with any great detail in this book. Although, Jones does cite primary sources including letters or comments made by some of the women these feel very few and far between and often focus on Jex-Blake. As I was reading I had hoped that there would be a further expansion on the other women, but that was not the case.
Furthermore, there were several important events in the story of these women that I really felt did not get enough attention a fact that I was frustrated by especially later when it was mentioned that newspapers at the time were keeping records of the events. Why were there no more citations or references to contemporary sources? There was a riot and a court case and after reading the entire book I feel that there was way more to those two events than was discussed in the book.
In addition to the narrative issues in this book, one of my greatest complaints was that there was no sense of time or structure. The early chapters of the book introduce the eponymous seven but give brief descriptions of these women's whole lives. While later chapters reiterate information about their lives. For example, in one section of the book, one of the seven gets married and in the next paragraph her husband is dead, but he reappears in later chapters. As I was reading I was not at all sure when in time I was. This was not helped by the fact that sometimes we were moving from the 19th century back to the 16th century. Again, I have no problem with historical context, but in a lot of chapters, it felt more like random facts than something that tied together cohesively.
Another major complaint I had while reading this book is that there were so many times when Jones said things along the lines of what great feminists The Seven were. However, I remain unconvinced of this argument. I am not arguing one way or the other about the feminism of these women, but simply because they pursued an education does not in and of itself indicate feministic tendencies. In fact, one of their contemporaries is described by Jones as being criticized because she simply sought advancement for herself and given that Jex-Blake needed a group of women to start her courses I am not entirely sure given the evidence that she was motivated to open doors either. Jones does detail how Jones worked hard for reforms later in life, but I was also a little unclear if this was a motivation based on a desire for female advancement or because events had not necessarily turned out how she would have liked. And even if Jex-Blake could be described as a feminist no evidence was given for the other women.
There is a difference between the patriarchal society in which these women lived and being a person who was enslaved. It is true that women did not have equal rights but I do not agree nor think it is accurate to equate gender disparity with the horrors of enslavement.
Although this book introduced me to several new historical figures I had never heard of, in my opinion it only serves as a brief introduction to these women and does not provide enough information to satisfy a curious, newcomer to the subject.
April 23, 2023
Janey Jones’s The Edinburgh Seven: The Story of the First Women to Study Medicine is about seven trailblazers. Sophia Jex-Blake wanted to be a doctor and applied to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh in March 1869. Although the medical faculty and the university Senatus approved her application, the university court did not, on the grounds that it was, effectively, too difficult to make all the arrangements “in the interest of one lady”. Sophia promptly put adverts in national newspapers, inviting other women to apply too. The university reluctantly accepted Sophia, Mary Anderson, Emily Bovell, Matilda Chapman, Helen Evans, Edith Pechey and Isabel Thorne onto the relevant courses.
Although the seven did very well, with Pechey getting first place in the Chemistry exam, entitling her to the Hope Scholarship, the professor awarded the prize to the man who came second instead. Although many men supported the Seven, a few were vehement in their antagonism, with Professor Robert Christison leading the mob. And “mob” is the word: when the seven arrived at Surgeons’ Hall on 18 November 1870, around 200 people were gathered. They shouted abuse and threw rotten vegetables and mud at the women – a terrifying experience for anybody. A janitor eventually managed to open a door for them to enter, although what they were capable of doing productively after that ordeal is anyone’s guess. Newspapers and journals such as the BMJ and the Spectator universally condemned the University of Edinburgh, appalled at the way the great and the good allowed women to be treated.
Eventually, despite the seven passing all the exams they sat, the university eventually refused further tuition and would not allow them to graduate. The university eventually tried to make amends by awarding posthumous honorary medical degrees upon the seven in 2019. Yes, that’s right – about 150 years too late.
This book gives brief biographies of each of the seven as well as copious notes on various other parties such as Christison. I’m truly delighted that Janey Jones has raised the profile of the seven women – the ability of a vociferous minority of bigots to influence so many intelligent people who should have known better should have a higher profile. I was really pleased that, although Sophia Jex-Blake was the instigator and was generally the spokesperson for the group, the author covers the other six women in detail too. I did like the short chapters (there are 35 in this 165-page book) – the punchy, bite-size chunks work well.
However, I do have a few gripes. I felt the book jumped forwards and backwards too much and a more chronological narrative might have worked better for this subject matter. The author sometimes states “As we know…” and I wondered “Do we know? Has this book told us yet or is the author presuming prior knowledge?”. If I read this book without any knowledge of the subject at all, I think I would have been confused. The flow of succession (for want of a better word!) from their predecessors such as Dr Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Dr Elizabeth Blackwell and Dr “James Barry”, via the seven, to their successors such as Sophia’s nieces; and how progress was achieved in each generation, isn’t obvious from the narrative. The episodic nature of the book, with its many “Notes on…” doesn’t lay bare how the world did improve vastly in only 2-3 generations. I also felt there was some repetition of how lucky the seven were to have enlightened, supportive (often wealthy) fathers.
I primarily regret the lack of references. The author suggests that Jex-Blake placed adverts in the Scotsman, although my understanding is that she simply wrote an article, following which some women wrote to her. I would love to see that article but there is no footnote giving us the reference.
Overall, though, I do commend this book to anyone who wants to know more about women’s education.
#TheEdinburghSeven #NetGalley
Although the seven did very well, with Pechey getting first place in the Chemistry exam, entitling her to the Hope Scholarship, the professor awarded the prize to the man who came second instead. Although many men supported the Seven, a few were vehement in their antagonism, with Professor Robert Christison leading the mob. And “mob” is the word: when the seven arrived at Surgeons’ Hall on 18 November 1870, around 200 people were gathered. They shouted abuse and threw rotten vegetables and mud at the women – a terrifying experience for anybody. A janitor eventually managed to open a door for them to enter, although what they were capable of doing productively after that ordeal is anyone’s guess. Newspapers and journals such as the BMJ and the Spectator universally condemned the University of Edinburgh, appalled at the way the great and the good allowed women to be treated.
Eventually, despite the seven passing all the exams they sat, the university eventually refused further tuition and would not allow them to graduate. The university eventually tried to make amends by awarding posthumous honorary medical degrees upon the seven in 2019. Yes, that’s right – about 150 years too late.
This book gives brief biographies of each of the seven as well as copious notes on various other parties such as Christison. I’m truly delighted that Janey Jones has raised the profile of the seven women – the ability of a vociferous minority of bigots to influence so many intelligent people who should have known better should have a higher profile. I was really pleased that, although Sophia Jex-Blake was the instigator and was generally the spokesperson for the group, the author covers the other six women in detail too. I did like the short chapters (there are 35 in this 165-page book) – the punchy, bite-size chunks work well.
However, I do have a few gripes. I felt the book jumped forwards and backwards too much and a more chronological narrative might have worked better for this subject matter. The author sometimes states “As we know…” and I wondered “Do we know? Has this book told us yet or is the author presuming prior knowledge?”. If I read this book without any knowledge of the subject at all, I think I would have been confused. The flow of succession (for want of a better word!) from their predecessors such as Dr Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Dr Elizabeth Blackwell and Dr “James Barry”, via the seven, to their successors such as Sophia’s nieces; and how progress was achieved in each generation, isn’t obvious from the narrative. The episodic nature of the book, with its many “Notes on…” doesn’t lay bare how the world did improve vastly in only 2-3 generations. I also felt there was some repetition of how lucky the seven were to have enlightened, supportive (often wealthy) fathers.
I primarily regret the lack of references. The author suggests that Jex-Blake placed adverts in the Scotsman, although my understanding is that she simply wrote an article, following which some women wrote to her. I would love to see that article but there is no footnote giving us the reference.
Overall, though, I do commend this book to anyone who wants to know more about women’s education.
#TheEdinburghSeven #NetGalley
March 26, 2023
The Edinburgh Seven
The Story of the First Women to Study Medicine
by Ms Janey Jones
Pub Date 30 Apr 2023
Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History
Biographies & Memoirs | History | Nonfiction (Adult)
I am reviewing a copy of The Edinburgh Seven through Pen & Sword , Pen & Sword History:
Women have been healing since the beginning of time, but accessing a proper medical degree was impossible for them in Britain until the late 19th century. In 1869, a group of women began arriving in Edinburgh to study at the medical faculty, led by the indomitable Sophia Jex Blake. They would come to be know as The Edinburgh Seven. They were delighted to become students of medicine and as Sophia said, they simply wanted 'a fair field and no favor.
Unfortunately not all of the traditional professors of the University approved of women becoming doctors. The medical women would soon discover that they were welcome as hobbyists but not as competitors with male students. There were legal wrangles, court cases, personal attacks and even a full blown riot - all because some male medics wanted rid of the women. And the women did leave Edinburgh - without degrees. But they finished their studies in mainland Europe and came back as fully fledged doctors.
It wasn't until 2019, that all Seven women receive their degrees posthumously via current day medical students. At last, the right thing was done, but the struggles of the original Seven should never be forgotten. This is their story.
I am reviewing a copy of The Edinburgh Seven five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
The Story of the First Women to Study Medicine
by Ms Janey Jones
Pub Date 30 Apr 2023
Pen & Sword, Pen & Sword History
Biographies & Memoirs | History | Nonfiction (Adult)
I am reviewing a copy of The Edinburgh Seven through Pen & Sword , Pen & Sword History:
Women have been healing since the beginning of time, but accessing a proper medical degree was impossible for them in Britain until the late 19th century. In 1869, a group of women began arriving in Edinburgh to study at the medical faculty, led by the indomitable Sophia Jex Blake. They would come to be know as The Edinburgh Seven. They were delighted to become students of medicine and as Sophia said, they simply wanted 'a fair field and no favor.
Unfortunately not all of the traditional professors of the University approved of women becoming doctors. The medical women would soon discover that they were welcome as hobbyists but not as competitors with male students. There were legal wrangles, court cases, personal attacks and even a full blown riot - all because some male medics wanted rid of the women. And the women did leave Edinburgh - without degrees. But they finished their studies in mainland Europe and came back as fully fledged doctors.
It wasn't until 2019, that all Seven women receive their degrees posthumously via current day medical students. At last, the right thing was done, but the struggles of the original Seven should never be forgotten. This is their story.
I am reviewing a copy of The Edinburgh Seven five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
April 13, 2023
Women have been healers and midwives for eons but England didn’t allow them to be doctors or even the privilege to go to medical school until 1869. Even then they would an allowed them to do a resident term and see real patients in the infirmary what’s most ironic is that they claimed women didn’t have the constitution nor intellect due to their fragile and feeble nature to view the gross and disgusting sites they see daily as doctors yet to stop them they called them ugly names threw vegetables at them and got drunk before going with almost 200 people to keep them from entering to take their final exams. The seven women were determined however in splattered with mud and bruises from old vegetables they went in and took the test and although the fight wasn’t over because if they couldn’t work on real patients then they couldn’t have a full doctorate and that is what this book is about their fight to become legitimate doctors from the advertisement asking for women wanting to study medicine to the conclusion of their fight to be legitimate and I found it all so interesting. I thought Janie Jones did a wonderful job telling the story of their plight and it’s all in this book The Edinburgh Seven. I loved the intricate details of all the stories that lead to the books awesome conclusion and it seems like Mrs. Jones has a great grasp on the subject it’s a book I highly recommend. I received this book from NetGalley and The publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
March 26, 2023
The history of the Edinburgh Seven is really interesting - and an important history to know. While Jones is clearly very knowledgeable and researched this topic and time period well, unfortunately the execution didn't work for me. THE EDINBURGH SEVEN reads more like a paper for a college class than a nonfiction book which made it a bit of a slog to get through (the writing didn't flow). I could only read about 30 minutes at a time before my attention wandered.
I think this book needs some more editing, there weren't many (if any) transitions to link paragraphs together and sometimes the jump from one topic to a next felt abrupt and slightly confusing. The writing is disjointed so I could never hit a rhythm when reading this. There is a great book here, for me it just needed to be taken a little bit further.
Specifically for the ARC: hopefully someone doublechecks the dates before publishing because a few aren't correct (the introducing two of the Edinburgh Seven their birth years were listed as later than the years they were trying to study medicine in Edinburgh). The formatting was horrible as well but that's something I accept when reading a digital ARC.
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Pen & Sword, and Pen & Sword History in exchange for an honest review.
I think this book needs some more editing, there weren't many (if any) transitions to link paragraphs together and sometimes the jump from one topic to a next felt abrupt and slightly confusing. The writing is disjointed so I could never hit a rhythm when reading this. There is a great book here, for me it just needed to be taken a little bit further.
Specifically for the ARC: hopefully someone doublechecks the dates before publishing because a few aren't correct (the introducing two of the Edinburgh Seven their birth years were listed as later than the years they were trying to study medicine in Edinburgh). The formatting was horrible as well but that's something I accept when reading a digital ARC.
Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Pen & Sword, and Pen & Sword History in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2023
While this is a fascinating book about a subject that needs to be very much told, I felt that I didn't actually get to know any of the Women, apart from Sophia, other than small snippets of information.
They all helped Women succeed in getting an education in medicine and helped paved the way for change, facing a barrage of abuse and hindrances from the 'Gentlemen' of society, yet their stories felt a little like an afterthought as events were described.
What struck me most is that we're living over 150 years later and Women are STILL fighting for equality, for safe spaces and in many Countries are still fighting for an education and freedom from Male oppression.
In some ways we have come a long way, in others it's abundantly clear that NOTHING has changed. The language used against these Women as they were attempting to get to class is the same language used now to shame and humiliate.
That being said, it's a easy to read book and it's given me the names of women and places I shall research and perhaps visit.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this ARC.
They all helped Women succeed in getting an education in medicine and helped paved the way for change, facing a barrage of abuse and hindrances from the 'Gentlemen' of society, yet their stories felt a little like an afterthought as events were described.
What struck me most is that we're living over 150 years later and Women are STILL fighting for equality, for safe spaces and in many Countries are still fighting for an education and freedom from Male oppression.
In some ways we have come a long way, in others it's abundantly clear that NOTHING has changed. The language used against these Women as they were attempting to get to class is the same language used now to shame and humiliate.
That being said, it's a easy to read book and it's given me the names of women and places I shall research and perhaps visit.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this ARC.
April 30, 2023
A very interesting history of the first seven women in Britain who attempted to study at a medical facility, i.e. University of Edinburgh. The amount of abuse these women had to endure and then were refused their degrees was infuriating. If you were so sure of your superiority show it on a even field instead sabotaging those you were so sure were inferior. Though they failed at this university, they went on to get degrees in mainland Europe and many came back to practice medicine in Britain. They also succeeded in opening the way for women in the future.
The flow was a bit disjointed jumping back and forth in history. The difficulties women faced in contemporary (mid-1800s) society and historically in a variety of areas gives context to the obstacles these women faced but it could have been organized a little better.
However, it was a very interesting read and a great introduction to these women I had not heard of before but who were true forerunners.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.
The flow was a bit disjointed jumping back and forth in history. The difficulties women faced in contemporary (mid-1800s) society and historically in a variety of areas gives context to the obstacles these women faced but it could have been organized a little better.
However, it was a very interesting read and a great introduction to these women I had not heard of before but who were true forerunners.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.
May 18, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc!
The Edinburgh Seven tells the stories of seven women who came to Edinburgh to get medical degrees and spent the time fighting against the violent sexism of their peers.
I live in Edinburgh and knew vaguely about the Seven but hadn't ever gotten an in-depth look at their experiences, so this book looked right up my alley.
Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me.
I'll start with the positives. It was really easy to read. Even when Jones brought in the wider context of the time, it was distilled to be easily understood by readers with all levels of knowledge about this time period. I think that wider context was interesting too because you get a sense of how the UK and the rest of the world compare. I liked the introductions of the Seven and the narrative of how they came together.
Unfortunately, this felt like a rather shallow exploration of the Seven's experiences. There weren't many details, and the same episodes (the riot, refusing them the awards) were repeated. It felt almost like they only experienced a few instances of large-scale pushback, but obviously there had to have been more than just those moments. The Seven weren't always given equal attention, and while I understand why Jax-Blake was the main focus, it still could have used more of the others as well.
The context was interesting, but at times, I couldn't always figure out how it connected back to the Seven. It felt like it was more a book about women trying to get medical degrees generally than these Seven women in Edinburgh. Some of it needed to be better integrated into the central narrative. Also there's just no reason to use so many exclamation marks in the narration of a non-fiction book. I know that's a small thing but it pulled me out of it and made me feel like I was reading a grade school book report.
Overall, this wasn't a bad read, and if you're interested in the history of women in medicine, it's a good starting place.
The Edinburgh Seven tells the stories of seven women who came to Edinburgh to get medical degrees and spent the time fighting against the violent sexism of their peers.
I live in Edinburgh and knew vaguely about the Seven but hadn't ever gotten an in-depth look at their experiences, so this book looked right up my alley.
Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me.
I'll start with the positives. It was really easy to read. Even when Jones brought in the wider context of the time, it was distilled to be easily understood by readers with all levels of knowledge about this time period. I think that wider context was interesting too because you get a sense of how the UK and the rest of the world compare. I liked the introductions of the Seven and the narrative of how they came together.
Unfortunately, this felt like a rather shallow exploration of the Seven's experiences. There weren't many details, and the same episodes (the riot, refusing them the awards) were repeated. It felt almost like they only experienced a few instances of large-scale pushback, but obviously there had to have been more than just those moments. The Seven weren't always given equal attention, and while I understand why Jax-Blake was the main focus, it still could have used more of the others as well.
The context was interesting, but at times, I couldn't always figure out how it connected back to the Seven. It felt like it was more a book about women trying to get medical degrees generally than these Seven women in Edinburgh. Some of it needed to be better integrated into the central narrative. Also there's just no reason to use so many exclamation marks in the narration of a non-fiction book. I know that's a small thing but it pulled me out of it and made me feel like I was reading a grade school book report.
Overall, this wasn't a bad read, and if you're interested in the history of women in medicine, it's a good starting place.
February 14, 2025
This should be an interesting account of a story that needs to be told - of the first seven women studying medicine at Edinburgh University and the hostility and discrimination that they faced. Unfortunately, the narrative is poorly executed.
To attempt to cover this story in 166 pages is impossible, the result being a superficial and scattergun approach. Astonishingly, for a book of this brevity, the author has managed to produce 35 chapters, some being only a few paragraphs long. In addition, the text in interspersed with digressions on the social conditions pertaining at that time, producing a disjointed end product. On the stylistic front, a number chapters end with sections entitled 'A note on...' which would have been better contained within the text. The author also seems to be obsessed with exclamation marks, which undermine the gravity of the subject matter.
Sadly, this book is a disappointment - doubly so as it is a story that we should all be made aware of and this could have been achieved by a more accomplished author.
To attempt to cover this story in 166 pages is impossible, the result being a superficial and scattergun approach. Astonishingly, for a book of this brevity, the author has managed to produce 35 chapters, some being only a few paragraphs long. In addition, the text in interspersed with digressions on the social conditions pertaining at that time, producing a disjointed end product. On the stylistic front, a number chapters end with sections entitled 'A note on...' which would have been better contained within the text. The author also seems to be obsessed with exclamation marks, which undermine the gravity of the subject matter.
Sadly, this book is a disappointment - doubly so as it is a story that we should all be made aware of and this could have been achieved by a more accomplished author.
March 30, 2023
‘These resolute medical women would become renowned internationally as the Edinburgh Seven.’
I did not expect to love this as much as I did! It was truly fascinating. I am forever grateful that I was able to go to school and college and learn without being judged, picked on or faced with difficult challenges due to being female.
It was inspiring to read about these ladies especially with it being set in edinburgh (my home town)
‘From the early thirteenth century until 1870, women were, in effect, controlled in every respect by their husbands.’
I’m also graceful for the century I was born in! But even to this day, it is difficult for some women and girls to get an education, work and make their own choices.
‘Such sentiments, namely that women should not lead in society as God had designed them to ‘obey’ were defiantly part of the problem for the Seven.’
Oh my goodness! This boils my blood.
A must read if you want to be inspired.
I did not expect to love this as much as I did! It was truly fascinating. I am forever grateful that I was able to go to school and college and learn without being judged, picked on or faced with difficult challenges due to being female.
It was inspiring to read about these ladies especially with it being set in edinburgh (my home town)
‘From the early thirteenth century until 1870, women were, in effect, controlled in every respect by their husbands.’
I’m also graceful for the century I was born in! But even to this day, it is difficult for some women and girls to get an education, work and make their own choices.
‘Such sentiments, namely that women should not lead in society as God had designed them to ‘obey’ were defiantly part of the problem for the Seven.’
Oh my goodness! This boils my blood.
A must read if you want to be inspired.
February 17, 2024
This is the first I have read by Janey Jones, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I liked her way of drawing the reader and giving the knowledge needed to learn about these women without making it feel like hard work, I felt encouraged to want to learn more - which is always a good sign of an interesting and well-crafted book!
I hadn't heard of the Edinburgh Seven before reading this, but after reading this one I will certainly be eager to learn more about the seven women who are the focus of this book!
I liked how this is written it felt quite informal to how other history books are written, it's incredibly easy to read it never felt heavy or as though you are growing in too many facts and figures the historical information is beautifully woven with opinion, insight and well researched knowledge.
A definite must for anyone interested in the topic!
I hadn't heard of the Edinburgh Seven before reading this, but after reading this one I will certainly be eager to learn more about the seven women who are the focus of this book!
I liked how this is written it felt quite informal to how other history books are written, it's incredibly easy to read it never felt heavy or as though you are growing in too many facts and figures the historical information is beautifully woven with opinion, insight and well researched knowledge.
A definite must for anyone interested in the topic!
May 30, 2023
Writing this review while on the train to Edinburgh!
The Good- I had never heard of the Edinburgh Seven and I love getting to find new historymakers, particularly those who played a big role in paving the way for women. This book is also incredibly well researched.
The Bad - it’s so well researched but that is basically all it is. There is no driving narrative, it feels like a collection of research notes. The author takes you down every research rabbit hole with her as “a note on…” I felt no connections with these impressive women just bogged down in details and minutiae.
The Good- I had never heard of the Edinburgh Seven and I love getting to find new historymakers, particularly those who played a big role in paving the way for women. This book is also incredibly well researched.
The Bad - it’s so well researched but that is basically all it is. There is no driving narrative, it feels like a collection of research notes. The author takes you down every research rabbit hole with her as “a note on…” I felt no connections with these impressive women just bogged down in details and minutiae.
April 27, 2023
I'd never heard of the Edinburgh Seven before, so this was a very interesting find! It's sad that the stories of these trailblazing women have been somewhat lost to history, but I hope this book and others like it help to change it.
Recommended if you like reading about awesome historical women, particularly if you have interest in the medical field.
3.5
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Recommended if you like reading about awesome historical women, particularly if you have interest in the medical field.
3.5
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
May 16, 2023
Jones's work is clearly well-researched and full of informative content. I learned a bit more about the time period and what women faced in respect to the topic. What I didn't get was more about the actual Edinburgh seven. The writing also feels heavy and at times a little difficult to get through.
Readers wanting more general information about the time period will find that this is a great book to fit that role.
Readers wanting more general information about the time period will find that this is a great book to fit that role.
April 4, 2024
Its not a bad book but I think the bottom line is that there isn't much info about the lives of these women. For this reason the book as been bulked out with a lot of additional detail about mid Victorian lives and Edinburgh that, unless you know nothing about the era and the location, is just surplus to requirements. Additionally these are often stuffed in the middle of a chapter breaking the narrative flow.
June 2, 2025
Interesting
An interesting book but a bit uneven and I felt it needed an editor. The end was very heavy on woman's rights and legislation that was nothing to do with the Edinburgh Seven. Spotted one mistake reading the kindle edition that a proof reader would have found.
An interesting book but a bit uneven and I felt it needed an editor. The end was very heavy on woman's rights and legislation that was nothing to do with the Edinburgh Seven. Spotted one mistake reading the kindle edition that a proof reader would have found.
December 1, 2024
I adored this book! I had never heard of theses wonderful women before, it is written in a manner that makes it easy to read!
Read
March 29, 2025Informative, but very chaotic
September 11, 2025
Good book, love the perspective from women throughout history. Would be good to have more detail but is a short book.
June 23, 2024
In The Edinburgh Seven, Jones brings the seven women who attempted to earn medical degrees from the University of Edinburgh to life. Jones’s attention to the historical record is apparent throughout the book, and she also provides “notes” about key contextual information (which allows the reader to better understand the historical context and significance of the Edinburgh Seven). Her book is highly readable for historians and non-expert readers alike thanks to her accessible prose and word choice and the good organization and length of the chapters. Jones is clearly familiar with the Edinburgh Seven and the nineteenth-century women’s rights movements in the United Kingdom and the United States, and her ability to make this information accessible is one of the many strengths of the book. The historical information is well-supported by primary source evidence and quotes, and Jones clearly introduces and brings the whole cast of characters to life. She uses her familiarity with the era to analyze the significance of the Edinburgh Seven and bring them to their rightful place in history. The book is easily readable and a great introduction to the Edinburgh Seven, especially since they have been historically marginalized within the larger historical narrative.
Thanks to NetGalley, Pen & Sword, and Pen & Sword History for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley, Pen & Sword, and Pen & Sword History for the advance copy.
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